Multiroom is a trending topic in the world of speakers. Due to the success of Sonos and the introduction of accessible standards such as Google Chromecast Audio, more and more brands are entering the world of multiroom. This also applies to B&O PLAY, which brings the sound of Bang & Olufsen to the living room with the M3. We were allowed to furnish the living room with the Beoplay M3.
B&O PLAY Beoplay M3
Price: 299 eurosFrequency range: 65Hz – 22kHz
driver: 1 x 3.75-inch woofer, 1 x ¾-inch tweeter
Amplifier: Class D for woofer, class D for tweeter
Connectivity: 3.5mm audio port, micro USB input, power cable
streaming: Apple AirPlay, bluetooth, Google Chromecast
Streaming services: TuneIn, QPlay, Deezer
Dimensions: 11.2 x 15.1 x 14cm (W x H x D)
Weight: 1.46 kg
Colour: Black, Natural
Other: Interchangeable grill, detachable power cord, control buttons on back
Website www.beoplay.com
8 Score 80
- Pros
- Lots of streaming options
- Analog input for use with video
- Tone Touch
- Negatives
- Sometimes too much bass
- No Spotify Connect
B&O PLAY recently launched two new multi-room speakers, the Beoplay M3 and Beoplay M5. These models can be used as individual speakers, but can also be linked into a multi-room system using Google Cast.
Matching
The Beoplay M3 is a compact speaker with a speaker grill that covers the entire front of the speaker. This is removable and is available in different colors. The minimalist housing is oval-shaped and therefore quite narrow. On the back we find three buttons with which the volume can be controlled and the music can be paused and played. The input for the detachable power cable is nicely concealed behind a sort of fold-out lid at the bottom of the speaker. Here we also find the 3.5mm input, a button to turn the speaker on or off and a button that is used to connect the speaker to the home network.
Installing the speaker is quite easy. All you need is a working WiFi network and the Beoplay app for Android or iOS. When setting up the speaker, you can indicate whether the speaker is free, placed against the wall or in a corner. The sound profile – especially the bass region – is adjusted accordingly. Interestingly enough, bluetooth is required to change speaker settings, you would think that changes would be passed on via the home network.
Stream on
To wirelessly send music to the speaker, you can use AirPlay, Bluetooth and the built-in Google Chromecast Audio. Thanks to the Chromecast, you can also connect the Beoplay M3 with other Chromecast speakers. In the Google Home app, you can group Chromecast speakers to send music to multiple speakers at the same time. The group you create will appear together with the individual speakers in the list of available devices in streaming apps such as TIDAL or Spotify. The Beoplay M3 does not support Spotify Connect, so you must also use the Chromecast to stream Spotify audio to the separate speaker.
The Beoplay M3 can be very loud for its size and as an individual speaker has enough to offer for a small living room. The sound is sultry, with an above-average bass range – often at the expense of detail in other frequencies. The hi-hats in a song like Chocolate from The 1975 cut off a bit during the chorus. With songs like Stranger in Town by Toto you notice this less, because the bass part and vocals come into their own.
For every moment
In the app you can adjust the sound profile of the Beoplay M3 to your taste using Tone Touch. A matrix is shown with the terms Warm, Excited, Relaxed and Bright in the corners. Sliding the center dot to Warm makes the low area a bit stronger and the highs become (even) less present. Excited makes the music more energetic by boosting the high and low tones. Relaxed makes the sound quite hollow by cutting back the midrange and bass and Bright makes the sound clear by cutting back the bass slightly.
Tone Touch makes the speaker flexible and usable for different situations. For example, Warm is useful if you don't want the music to be too present, while Excited is ideal if that is the intention. Yet you cannot completely bypass the sultry sound of the Beoplay M3 with Tone Touch, so that the speaker remains especially suitable for lovers of low tones.
The functionality of the app continues. Here you can also determine whether the speaker is used for video by checking the box next to 'Use for video'. You can connect the Beoplay M3 to your television via the 3.5mm input – provided it has an analog input. This way you can also use the multi-room speaker for your television – unlike, for example, the Sonos One. Unfortunately, it is not possible to use two Beoplay M3 speakers for a stereo image.
The moment you indicate that the speaker is used for video, the analog input is turned on and the streaming functions are turned off. To use the Beoplay M3 as a wireless speaker again, you have to uncheck the box in the app. Fortunately, the app works smoothly enough to make this a minor effort.
Conclusion
The Beoplay M3 is a flexible and stylish speaker. Unfortunately, the sound image is not very balanced due to the too present low area, but the amount of functions makes up for a lot. The possibility to hang the speaker on your television and the presence of Tone Touch give the Beoplay M3 that little bit extra compared to the competition. Add to this the streaming functions thanks to AirPlay, Bluetooth and Google Chromecast and you have a particularly versatile speaker.
