Bang & Olufsen is not a budget-friendly tech company. The company is not a value-for-money enterprise. Instead, Bang & Olufsen offers a level of premium Scandinavian design that can’t be found elsewhere in consumer electronics. I’ve loved many of its products. These include its larger portable speaker, the Beosound A5, which starts at $1,099; its high-end headphones, the Beoplay H100, which retail at $1,549; and my shopping spree after a lottery win would involve buying its collaboration with Saint Laurent on a turntable.

The challenge for Bang & Olufsen comes when it moves down-market. Its lower-tier headphones are good, but in terms of audio quality, features, and premium feel compared to competitors from Bose or Sony, they offer inferior noise cancellation and shorter battery life. At the $500 price point, Apple provides more premium materials and features than Bang & Olufsen.

This challenge becomes particularly acute in the popular portable Bluetooth speaker segment, especially in the smaller “puck” form-factor. The company’s third-generation BeoSound A1 competes in this space. Starting at $349, it’s more expensive than competitors from Bose, but it may be the most premium-looking, premium-feeling, and best-sounding portable speaker on the market. The speaker features Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, up to 18 hours of battery life, IP67 water and dust resistance, and 360-degree sound delivery from its compact 133mm diameter, 46mm thick aluminum enclosure. For $800, two BeoSound A1 third-generation speakers work as a stereo pair.

The entire case features an aluminum design with a handsome leather bungee cord attached. It comes in a range of colors: warm granite, rustic red, natural aluminum, eucalyptus green, and honey tone. Despite being constructed from metal and leather, it’s waterproof for beach use without worry. The leather strap makes it convenient for hanging or tying to various surfaces, and despite its diminutive size, the sound quality is impressively loud. It’s not as good as the picnic basket-shaped Beosound A5, but that speaker is significantly larger and three times the price.

For a small puck-sized speaker, this is among the best on the market and delivers satisfying bass. Is it the best value for money? Absolutely not. But it’s also hard to find something this small that feels this premium. It works reliably and includes most features expected in a modern portable speaker.