Review: Bang & Olufsen B&O Play Beoplay M3 Speaker -- Gear Patrol

The Beoplay M3 ($299) is the smallest and most affordable wireless multiroom speaker by B&O Play, a division of Bang & Olufsen. The speaker joins the company’s other high-end wireless speakers, including the Beoplay A6 ($799), Beoplay A9 ($2,699) and Beoplay M5 ($599), all of which can be paired together in a multiroom system or with any other Chromecast-enabled speakers. Essentially, it’s Bang & Olufsen’s entry-level competitor to the Sonos Play:1. The question then becomes: If you’re looking to buy a multiroom speaker system, which should you buy?

Buy Now: $299

The Good: The M3 has built-in support for all the major streaming services, including Spotify Connect, AirPlay, Google Cast and Bluetooth. You should be able to group it with a Google Home to give it voice commands (though I didn’t test it with a Google Home). The M3 sounds very good, as you would expect from a B&O speaker, boasting a 0.75-inch tweeter and a 3.75-inch woofer that are both powered by 40-watt Class-D amps. Its bass is impressive compared to wifi speakers of similar size. This is a well-designed speaker that looks good, too — you can swap out the cover; options include aluminum and wool.

Who They’re For: Anybody who loves the signature look and sound of Bang & Olufsen speakers, but still wants something entry-level. Also, if spending a little more is a non-issue.

Watch Out For: The M3 is expensive, especially when you consider that it sounds and looks very similar to the Sonos Play:1, which could be bought for as little as $149 during the holidays. By itself, the M3 is a mono speaker — incapable of stereo sound — but you can designate left or right channels if you pair two speakers together. To set up in a multiroom system, you need to stream music over Google Chromecast, meaning you need another app to do so, which just complicates things. Also, no voice support.

Alternatives: The Sonos Play:1 ($199) is the obvious competitor. It’s similar in design and sound quality; it’s also cheaper. The Riva Arena ($250) also supports a number streaming services. The Google Home Max ($399) is larger and more expensive, but offers seamless Chromecast integration (no need to touch a third-party app) and voice commands with Google Assistant.