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Home / Hot Stuff / Audio / Yamaha’s first portable Bluetooth speaker is a £99 noise-box for audiophiles on the move

Yamaha’s first portable Bluetooth speaker is a £99 noise-box for audiophiles on the move

Go walkabout with the WS-B1A

From guitar amps to Hi-Fi systems, Yamaha’s turned its practised hand to all sorts of audio equipment over the years. But one sonic accessory has always eluded its expert touch: the humble Bluetooth speaker. Until now.

Meet the WS-B1A – Yamaha’s first portable Bluetooth speaker. And with three-shades-of-grey styling that won’t offend serious listeners, it adopts an understated look in keeping with Yamaha’s grown-up gear. The only difference? This fabric-clad cuboid stands just 10cm tall.

With a palm-sized footprint of 80cm square, the natty noise-box harbours a single 5.5cm driver inside. How it sounds will require an ears-on experience, but Yamaha reckons the WS-B1A follows its “TrueSound” approach. Which, in plain talk, should mean a balanced and realistic listen.

But don’t go thinking Yamaha’s Bluetooth speaker has to stay beside your stereo: despite its excellent acoustic lineage, this is also a speaker that’s built to go walkabout. With an IP67 rating, it’s good against water and dust – making it ideal for audiophile beach meet-ups. And at 490g, it sits between the Sonos Roam and JBL Flip 6 in the weight stakes, both of which are hardly lardy.

Need a speaker to grab and to go? 12-hour battery life is par for the course, while the optional CC-T1A charging base can keep it boosted and ready to boogie. Or if you want a storage setup that’s closer to Yamaha’s Hi-Fi roots, you can also wall-mount the WS-B1A on a standard screw.

All this, at a price that undercuts its closest rivals: the WS-B1A will set you back £99 when it launches in November. Just in time for your festive playlist, even it’s slightly outside the stocking-filler bracket.

Profile image of Chris Rowlands Chris Rowlands Freelance contributor

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Formerly News Editor at this fine institution, Chris now writes about tech from his tropical office. Sidetracked by sustainable stuff, he’s also keen on coffee kit, classic cars and any gear that gets better with age.

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