We got an early look at the new Sony SRS-XV800 party speaker and SRS-XB100 portable speaker. Here our first impressions of the new designs, sound performance, features and more.
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00:00 (synthesizer music)
00:01 So you have ultra-portable speakers,
00:03 you have soundbars, you have smart home speakers,
00:06 and then you have this, an all-in-one party speaker,
00:09 the new Sony SRX XV800.
00:11 Let's turn the music up.
00:13 (synthesizer music)
00:16 I nailed that.
00:17 I went hands-on with two of Sony's new wireless speakers,
00:27 and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
00:30 Despite its size, this wireless all-around party speaker
00:33 is built for portability.
00:34 It can work completely wirelessly,
00:36 thanks to a 10,800 milliampere battery
00:38 that gives up to 25 hours of listening.
00:41 Of course, that'll depend on volume levels.
00:43 This speaker also has a quick charge feature
00:45 that means 10 minutes will get you three hours of playback,
00:48 which can definitely come in handy
00:49 if you've gotta hit the road.
00:51 At 40 pounds, it's on the heavier side,
00:53 but with three different handles
00:54 plus two wheels at the bottom,
00:55 I could still manage to tote this thing around.
00:58 In terms of sound quality, think big, think bassy.
01:00 Remember, this is a party speaker, after all.
01:03 The speaker diaphragm, which has a bit of an unusual shape,
01:05 is wider than you might see on other speakers.
01:08 This gives the drivers more room
01:10 to prevent distortion at higher volume levels.
01:12 Similarly, most party speakers
01:15 typically have drivers on the front axis only.
01:17 Sony's new speaker is an omnidirectional sound speaker
01:20 with two tweeters on the back that helps with listening
01:22 for those who are situated
01:24 facing the rear side of the speaker.
01:26 If you take a look behind the speaker grill,
01:28 you might find it odd.
01:29 There are three tweeters positioned with two up front
01:33 and one on the bottom here.
01:34 And that's so that you can put the speaker
01:36 in two different orientations.
01:37 When you're here, the tweeters are higher,
01:39 elevating that sound stage.
01:41 But if you wanted to turn the speaker this way,
01:44 automatically it pushes the sound out
01:46 through these two up here.
01:48 The XV800 also comes with a huge range of inputs,
01:51 including two 3/4 inch jacks for a guitar
01:53 or microphones with individual volume knobs.
01:56 Paired with a physical key control and echo reverb,
01:59 this would make a great karaoke speaker.
02:01 Or you could use it as a subwoofer,
02:03 thanks to the digital optical port for a TV hookup.
02:05 Sony even includes an optical cable in the box.
02:09 Personally, I'm a fan of the USB-A out
02:11 for charging other devices,
02:12 as well as the battery status button
02:14 that forces the speaker to tell you its battery level.
02:16 Using the Music Center app,
02:18 you can control the speaker remotely with your phone.
02:20 This includes changing the lighting settings
02:22 with nine presets that can kind of curate the effects
02:24 to the sounds of your party.
02:26 Or you could set it as a static individual color
02:28 with the color wheel if that's more your speed.
02:30 The app also powers some of that karaoke experience
02:33 I mentioned, as well as the customizable EQ.
02:36 If you're not throwing parties every weekend,
02:38 but instead need more of a personal listening experience
02:40 at a good price, the new Sony SRS-XB100
02:44 is a fun-looking, ultra-portable wireless speaker
02:46 that weighs just 0.6 pounds.
02:48 At $59.99, it's also very value-centric,
02:52 but it doesn't necessarily prioritize form over function.
02:55 It also packs some neat features and strong specs.
02:58 The open design specifically helps diffuse sounds better,
03:01 supporting the speaker's sound diffusion processor.
03:03 Between that and the passive radiator,
03:05 it does a solid job at a wider sound stage,
03:08 while the cutout helps with bass,
03:09 giving more breathing room
03:10 and preventing the sound from becoming tinny.
03:13 And the sound was, in fact, much fuller than I was expecting.
03:16 Its IP67 rating and UV coating
03:19 means that you won't need to worry about outdoor use.
03:21 It'll clip onto a backpack
03:22 and can face sun or weather exposure.
03:24 But I think it's a good option inside for, say, the bathroom.
03:28 That's because the built-in microphone
03:29 does a good job cutting background noise during calls,
03:32 but I'll let you decide
03:33 if you want to take that call in the shower.
03:35 Using USB-C, 4 1/2 hours worth of charging
03:38 will get you 16 hours of playback,
03:40 so it should be able to keep up
03:41 with whatever you have planned for a given day.
03:43 So, which of these two new Sony speakers are more your speed?
03:46 Be sure to let me know in the comments.
03:48 Also, check out what we're doing on social,
03:50 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @tomsguide.
03:52 And as always, I'm @kaycosage.
03:54 Thanks for watching.
03:55 I'll catch you next time.
03:56 (upbeat music)
03:59 (upbeat music)