Few speakers are as instantly recognisable as the A9. A circle of just over seventy centimetres on three wooden legs, standing in a room like an object and only revealing what it was made for with the first notes. The form has barely changed since the first generation. What sits behind it has.
A great many A9s still play every day, and anyone who owns one sooner or later wonders which generation it is and how the newest differs. At Brussee, an official Bang & Olufsen dealer since 1995, we set the generations side by side for you, based on the documentation Bang & Olufsen itself publishes for each one.
Contents
- One form, five generations
- Every generation at a glance
- The first generation: the start of the circle
- 2nd and 3rd Gen: Bluetooth, multiroom and Google Cast
- 4th Gen: seven drivers and active room compensation
- Beosound A9 5th Gen: the A9 of today
- Which generation do you have?
- Keep or move up
- Frequently asked questions
- Personal advice in our showrooms
One form, five generations
The A9 was designed by Øivind Alexander Slaatto. Bang & Olufsen describes how he drew inspiration from the simplicity of the circle and from the way sound travels in circles as waves. That idea shapes the design to this day: the dimensions of 70.1 by 90.8 by 41.5 centimetres are identical in the technical sheets of the first, fourth and fifth generations.
Bang & Olufsen officially distinguishes five generations. The first four carried the name Beoplay A9, the fifth is called Beosound A9. There was also a version of the 4th Gen with built-in Google Assistant. Anyone searching for “Beoplay A9 MkII” or “A9 MK5” is therefore looking for one of these generations.
Every generation at a glance
| Generation | Name | What Bang & Olufsen’s documentation shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Gen | Beoplay A9 | AirPlay, set-up through a computer’s web browser, manual position switch for wall, corner or free-standing |
| 2nd Gen | Beoplay A9 | Bluetooth with memory for eight paired devices, Beolink Multiroom, Spotify Connect and Deezer |
| 3rd Gen | Beoplay A9 | Set-up with the Bang & Olufsen app, Google Cast for music and radio apps |
| 4th Gen | Beoplay A9 | AirPlay 2, seven drivers, 1,500 watts, active room compensation, also with Google Assistant |
| 5th Gen | Beosound A9 | Bluetooth 5.3, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Google Cast, TIDAL Connect, stereo pairing, available now |
Compiled from the support pages, user guides and technical sheets Bang & Olufsen publishes for each generation.
The first generation: the start of the circle
The first Beoplay A9 brought music wirelessly to the living room via AirPlay. Set-up still ran through a computer’s web browser, and Bang & Olufsen notes that this generation can only be set up on a 2.4 GHz network.
The BeoPlay A9 technical sheet Bang & Olufsen publishes for this generation lists five drivers: an 8 inch woofer, two 3 inch midrange units and two ¾ inch tweeters, driven by 480 watts in total. You set the placement with a switch on the speaker: wall, corner or free-standing. The front was available in white, black, blue, brown, green, red and silver, the legs in maple, oak or walnut. A wall bracket existed from the start.
2nd and 3rd Gen: Bluetooth, multiroom and Google Cast
For the 2nd Gen, Bang & Olufsen describes Bluetooth in detail: this A9 remembers up to eight paired devices and reconnects automatically when switched on. This generation also comes with the Beolink Multiroom guide, and the quick guide lists Spotify Connect and Deezer as sources.
The 3rd Gen took the next step. You set it up with the Bang & Olufsen app, and alongside AirPlay and Bluetooth you can send music and radio straight from your favourite apps via Google Cast.
4th Gen: seven drivers and active room compensation
The 4th Gen is the generation in which the A9 changed most on the inside. The technical sheet lists seven drivers: two ¾ inch tweeters, two 1½ inch full-range drivers, two 3 inch midrange units and an 8 inch woofer. Together they are driven by 1,500 watts, with a frequency range of 33 to 23,000 Hz.
Instead of a manual position switch, the 4th Gen has active room compensation: the A9 works out where it stands and tunes its sound accordingly. It also gained AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 4.2, an Ethernet connection and a line-in. The covers were made in wool blends by Kvadrat, and behind the fabric sits a perforated shell in a Fibonacci pattern. There was also a version with built-in Google Assistant.
Beosound A9 5th Gen: the A9 of today
With the 5th Gen, the A9 took a new name: Beosound A9. Power and drivers follow the line of the 4th Gen, with 1,500 watts, seven drivers and a frequency range of 33 to 23,000 Hz. Bang & Olufsen recommends it for rooms of 15 to 100 square metres.
What is new lies mainly in how it connects to the rest of your home:
| Beosound A9 5th Gen | |
|---|---|
| Streaming | Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Google Cast, TIDAL Connect, Deezer, B&O Radio |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 5.3, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 |
| Connections | Ethernet, line-in via USB-C |
| Multiroom | Beolink Multiroom, together with your other B&O speakers |
| Stereo | Two Beosound A9 5th Gen can be paired as a stereo pair |
| Control | Touch control on the top, Bang & Olufsen app, Beoremote One BT, Beoremote Halo |
You control the A9 by sliding your finger along the top edge for volume, and tap to skip a track or pause. You run active room compensation from the app, each time you move the speaker.
It starts from EUR 3,700 in Black Anthracite, EUR 3,800 in Gold Tone or Natural Aluminium. The Centennial collection Beosound A9 in Century Blue, with solid aluminium legs, is EUR 4,500. If you would rather hang the A9 on the wall, choose the wall bracket for EUR 99.
Which generation do you have?
From the outside the generations look very much alike. These points help:
- Set-up through a web browser on your computer, only on a 2.4 GHz network: that is the 1st Gen.
- Google Cast and set-up with the Bang & Olufsen app: the 3rd Gen or later.
- AirPlay 2 and a line-in with a 3.5 mm plug: the 4th Gen.
- Beosound rather than Beoplay in the name, and a line-in via USB-C: the 5th Gen.
A note on the label MkII: Bang & Olufsen uses it in the file names of its user guides for the 2nd Gen, but in the trade it is sometimes applied to later generations too.
If in doubt, take a photograph of the type plate on the back and bring it to one of our showrooms. We are glad to work it out for you.
Keep or move up
An earlier-generation A9 that plays well is no reason to replace. The design is timeless, and for background music or a fixed place in the room it does what it always did.
Moving up becomes interesting when you want more than the speaker can do today. Think of streaming via TIDAL Connect or Google Cast, multiroom with your other Bang & Olufsen speakers, or a stereo pair. Active room compensation, which tunes the sound to where the speaker stands, is also a difference you hear immediately if you are used to an A9 with a manual position switch.
If a second A9 is too large for the room, there are more compact alternatives. The Beosound Balance, from EUR 3,000, fits on a sideboard. You will find the full overview on our page of B&O speakers, and our guide to which B&O speaker suits you helps you choose.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Beoplay A9 and the Beosound A9?
It is the same line. The first four generations were called Beoplay A9, the fifth generation is called Beosound A9. The form and dimensions have stayed the same; the differences lie in the technology, such as Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6, TIDAL Connect and the ability to pair two units as a stereo pair.
What is the Beoplay A9 MkII?
Bang & Olufsen uses MkII for the second generation, officially the Beoplay A9 2nd Gen. That generation brought Bluetooth with memory for eight paired devices and Beolink Multiroom. In the trade, MkII is sometimes also used for later generations; if in doubt, the type plate settles it.
How powerful is the Beosound A9?
The Beosound A9 5th Gen has 1,500 watts of amplification across seven drivers: two tweeters, two midrange units, two full-range drivers and an 8 inch woofer. The frequency range runs from 33 to 23,000 Hz. Bang & Olufsen recommends it for rooms of 15 to 100 square metres.
Can I hang the Beosound A9 on the wall?
Yes. With the optional wall bracket at EUR 99 you hang the Beosound A9 on the wall instead of standing it on its three legs. A wall bracket existed for earlier generations too. If you wish, our specialists handle the mounting at your home.
What does a new Beosound A9 cost?
The Beosound A9 5th Gen starts from EUR 3,700 in Black Anthracite and EUR 3,800 in Gold Tone or Natural Aluminium. The Centennial collection Beosound A9 in Century Blue, with solid aluminium legs, is EUR 4,500.
Personal advice in our showrooms
You only truly hear an A9 in a room. In our showrooms the Beosound A9 stands ready to play. Do bring a photograph of the type plate of your current A9, and we will talk through together what the new generation changes for you.
- Brussee Haarlem, Grote Houtstraat 7
- Brussee Amsterdam, P.C. Hooftstraat 73
- Brussee Katwijk, Voorstraat 35
Is there a classic music system in your home as well? Then read our guide to classic Beosound and Beocenter systems. Or request a quote without obligation.
