Bowers & Wilkins A5 Review | 130 Data compared

The PCMag review of the $499.99 Bowers & Wilkins A5 highlights a sleek, AirPlay-compatible wireless speaker delivering robust, crisp audio with a balanced bass response. While praised for its ease of setup via a dedicated app, the unit faces criticism for experiencing distortion on deep bass tracks at maximum volume and for featuring an awkward, difficult-to-use remote control. Ultimately, PCMag considers the premium-priced speaker slightly limited by these performance and design drawbacks.

The B&W A5 is an impressively powerful, compact AirPlay wireless speaker delivering detailed, clear audio with excellent vocal reproduction and strong bass for smaller rooms. While offering a significant price reduction compared to the larger A7, the A5 is limited by a bright sound signature that can be unforgiving with lower-quality recordings and lacks the expansive soundstage needed for larger spaces.

The 2013 WIRED review gives the Bowers & Wilkins A5 a 7/10 rating, highlighting its exceptionally easy AirPlay setup, premium aesthetic, and useful physical ports (3.5mm/Ethernet) as key pros. However, the speaker faces criticism for overbearing bass at high volumes and a flimsy plastic remote control that contradicts its $500 premium build, serving as the main cons.

The Bowers & Wilkins A5 is a premium 80W AirPlay speaker featuring two 1-inch Nautilus tube aluminium tweeters, two 4-inch mid/low range drive units, and an exceptionally easy setup process. While delivering superior audio performance, the unit is noted for a challenging, straight power connector design and limited physical connectivity options, including only an Ethernet port and aux-in jack.

The PCMag review for the Bowers & Wilkins A5 highlights it as a sleek, black-and-metallic wireless speaker that delivers powerful, crisp audio performance via Apple AirPlay. Pros include an attractive design, a rubberized base to prevent vibration sliding, a simple app-guided setup, and robust bass at moderate-to-high volumes. However, cons involve audio distortion on deep bass tracks at near-maximum volumes, an awkward egg-shaped remote control, a steep $500 price tag, and the lack of a physical charging dock for iOS devices.

Paul Cervantes praises the Bowers & Wilkins A5 for its compact, stylish design and seamless app-assisted setup, delivering exceptional sound quality with perfectly matched components. While the audio performance is a major pro, the review highlights significant cons, specifically noting that reliance on Apple AirPlay is unstable and prone to a frustrating bug that causes sudden, maximum volume spikes.

The Bowers & Wilkins A5 is a high-end AirPlay speaker lauded for its detailed, room-filling sound, featuring dual Nautilus tube-loaded tweeters and a luxurious, tightly controlled bass response. While praised for superior instrumental separation and an effective "Flowport" design, the speaker faces limitations in multi-room software flexibility compared to competitors and holds a premium price point.

The Digital Trends review of the Bowers & Wilkins A5 highlights it as a compact, premium AirPlay wireless speaker that "oozes quality" through its minimalist and elegant design. Its key pros include a solid build with a brushed metal top plate, a sleek aesthetic, and a dimpled "Flowport" bass port that delivers a warm, balanced, and remarkably powerful room-filling soundstage. However, the review notes limited wired connectivity options as a drawback.