Reviews for B&O PLAY Beolit 12 by Bang & Olufsen

I have a B&W Zeppelin Air at home and was looking for a portable speaker system to take away with me while i travel, the Beolit12 is perfect, it sounds as good as the zeppelin air although i don't think that it goes as loud, but its loud enough, the bass isn't as good as the zeppelin air but the Beolit12 is a lot smaller so you can't expect more.

Both sound quality and build quality are astounding, the looks are not for everyone but i love it.

You can configure and save up to 3 networks on the speaker so when you take it to the office it automatically hops onto that network, i also use a MiFi Dongle (a wireless internet dongle from the 3 network) the speakers hops onto this network too so when I'm in a hotel i have my own network that i can use Airplay with.

If you don't have a network you can use the usb port or the aux cable supplied.

B&O have an app that allows you to easily set up networks, rename the speaker and update software, I've read that you have to use an ethernet cable to configure networks, however with the app you can do this wirelessly without any ethernet cable or laptop at all.

I like a good set of speakers and when i first saw the Beolit12 at my local B&O store i was scepticle that it could compare to the sound produced by the Zeppelin Air but i was wrong, it amazed me, and the Zeppelin Air is a leader in its class.

Over all a very very good product, and future proof, Apple will be investing heavily in AirPlay in the future and this system will not be left behind.

I highly recommend the Beolit12

27 of 27 people found this useful

We needed "portable" music and bought the Beolit 12 - great sound, nice design and and easy to use. Highly recommended :-)

11 of 13 people found this useful

The Beolit 12 looks fantastic! It is solid, well made, and portable. Like other B&O products, it will not look dated in a couple of years. It is equally happy with an Apple/Android player, as it comes with a handy USB connector instead of a dock . Airplay for wireless playing.

However, you need to leave it on and connected to your network all the time, as it takes almost two minutes for the Beolit to connect to your network each time you switch it on - most Airplay devices connect almost instantly. I am sure B&O will solve this issue with a software update in the near future.

Please note that the back compartment is too small to store the UK power lead, as intended for portable use – the UK plug is too big.

Furthermore, the door’s catch is very delicate and breaks easily (e.g., if you accidentally pull the power lead when you want to use it somewhere else, or outdoors). This is a serious design flaw; when the catch breaks, you cannot close the door anymore!

I was very sad when I had to send it back and get a refund after the door’s catch broke. I will buy it again if B&O redesigns the closing mechanism, as it has the BEST sound for a speaker of this size.