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Sony SRS-XV800 - Party Speaker Review
Tom's Guide
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17/09/2023
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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Tech
Transcript
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00:00
(upbeat music)
00:01
So you have ultra portable speakers,
00:03
you have soundbars, you have smart home speakers,
00:05
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.
00:12
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
00:32
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.
00:40
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.
00:50
At 40 pounds, it's on the heavier side,
00:52
but with three different handles
00:54
plus two wheels at the bottom,
00:55
I could still manage to tote this thing around.
00:57
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
01:09
to prevent distortion at higher volume levels.
01:12
Similarly, most party speakers
01:14
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
01:23
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
01:32
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.
01:40
But if you wanted to turn the speaker this way,
01:43
automatically it pushes the sound out
01:46
through these two up here.
01:47
The XV800 also comes with a huge range of inputs,
01:50
including two three-quarter inch jacks
01:52
for a guitar or microphones with individual volume knobs.
01:56
Paired with a physical key control and echo reverb,
01:58
this would make a great karaoke speaker.
02:01
Or you could use it as a subwoofer
02:02
thanks to the digital optical port for a TV hookup.
02:05
Sony even includes an optical cable in the box.
02:08
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
02:43
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,
03:00
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,
03:07
while the cutout helps with bass,
03:09
giving more breathing room
03:10
and preventing the sound from becoming tinny.
03:12
And the sound was, in fact, much fuller than I was expecting.
03:16
Its IP67 rating and UV coating
03:18
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,
03:39
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,
03:49
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
[MUSIC]
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