Skip to main content

Sony springs into summer with new line of party-friendly portable speakers

As a menacing snowstorm descends upon the Northeast region of the U.S. on the first day of spring, Sony hopes to turn our attention to fairer days filled with fun in the sun.  On Tuesday, March 20, the company previewed its new line of athlete-friendly wireless earphones as well as a heated up version of its popular portable Bluetooth speaker lineup.

The new Extra Bass Bluetooth speakers come in four colorful sizes/models, all sporting some level of flashing light show to pair with equally attention-getting sound, and are all IP67 rated, meaning they can take a dunk in water up to 1 meter for up to 30-minutes.

The SRS-XB41 is the largest of the group, followed by the SRS-XB31, SRS-XB21, and the tiny, tote-able XB10. As you move through the line, the prices go down with the size of the speaker, but each is surprisingly feature-rich and ready to rock with an impressive 24-hour battery life.

At $250, the XB41 is the largest, loudest, and flashiest speaker in Sony’s 2018 lineup. Armed with NFC for easy pairing to compatible devices, the XB41 features two active drivers with a passive radiator in the center to help support its Extra Bass feature, which is designed to offer party-ready sound, whether in the backyard, by the pool, or at the beach.

If one speaker won’t do it, the XB41 can be paired with up to 100 more speakers through Sony’s proprietary Wireless Party Chain feature. Pair two for stereo, or more for several rooms full of the same music. Sony has also introduced a new Live Sound Mode, which aims to deliver the ambiance of a live concert by reducing the directionality of the sound. The result is a speaker that sounds much bigger than it really is, taking on an omnipresent feel, no matter where you place it.

To charge the speakers, you can plug them into the wall as you would any other portable speaker, but this year Sony adds the ability to charge using a micro-USB cable so you don’t need to carry a wall-wart power plug around. This means the speaker can be charged in the car, or with any other portable power source such as a portable charging battery. The Sony XB41, along with the XB31, will also charge your devices via USB, while the smallest XB21 leaves out this feature to maintain its 24-hour playtime.

For what Sony hopes will be an engaging visual experience, the XB speaker lineup touts a multi-colored LED light array, with the Sony XB41 sporting not only a wrap-around light bar but illuminated drivers and two strobe lights. The visual impact is much more impressive in person that we were expecting. Color can be controlled using Sony’s free app, which also adds EQ and other speaker controls.

Among those other controls is Sony’s new Party Booster option, which allows users to add various sound effect to music as it is playing, be it a cowbell, reggae horn, or various percussion instruments. This fits in well with Sony’s efforts to fold a DJ experience into the XB speaker series. Sound a little gimmicky? Perhaps so, but kids are going to love it, and with these flashy options, Sony has a speaker series that really stands out in a saturated market.

For those who value sound above all else, all of these speakers are LDAC compatible — Sony’s  proprietary sound processing which is likes to refer to as “near high-res.” Android Oreo will soon support LDAC by default, with Android P support expected when the new OS is released later in 2018.

The SRS-XB41 comes in at $250, the XB31 at $150, and the XB21 at $100. A much smaller XB10 is $60 with a shorter 12-hour battery life but is still IP67. The entire XB speaker lineup will be available for purchase on April 1.

Editors' Recommendations

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
Sony’s SRS-XV900 pumps its party speaker lineup to the next level
Sony SRS-XV900 top panel.

If you're looking to dazzle your next gathering with huge sound, a light show, and perhaps some karaoke, Sony's new SRS-XV900 might be just the party speaker you're looking for. Sony says it's the most powerful and loudest party speaker in its X-Series range of Bluetooth speakers. It goes up for pre-order on September 20 on electronics.sony.com for $900, but will also be available at Amazon and BestBuy.

The tower-like SRS-XV900 mirrors the design of the company's existing SRS-XP500 and XP700, but on a much bigger scale. You get many of the same features, but where the XP700 measures just over 27 inches in height and tips the scales at about 37 pounds, the XV900 stands 34 inches tall and weighs a bicep-shattering 58 pounds. All of that extra size and weight explains why Sony has given the XV900 a set of built-in wheels at its base -- you will want to do as little carrying of this beast as possible.

Read more
LG updates its XBoom 360 speaker with better sound, battery, and water resistance
LG XBoom 360 X03 speaker.

We were pretty impressed by LG's XBoom 360 portable party speaker when we put one to the test earlier in 2022, but despite the good tunes and fun lighting, we noticed a few places where it could improve. Battery life, at just 10 hours seemed meager, and what's a portable Bluetooth speaker without the ability to take a splash or two?

Looks like LG took our comments to heart. The latest addition to the XBoom family is the $300 XBoom 360 X03, a much more robust speaker in every way, that still keeps the original's unique shape, 360 sound, and customizable light effects. LG says it's available to order immediately from LG's website and authorized retailers, but at publication time, we couldn't find any links to do so.

Read more
UE refreshes its Wonderboom waterproof speaker with longer battery life, new colors
Two UE Wonderboom 3 speakers held side-by-side.

Ultimate Ears (UE) has just dropped a new version of its popular Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker, and while not much has changed, you know the old saying: if it ain't broke ...

The Wonderboom 3 keeps the $100 price intact, along with= size, shape, and its iconic, oversized volume buttons. It also keeps all of the other features that havemade it such a handy companion for the pool, beach, or patio, like its 360-degree sound pattern, IP67 water and dust resistance, and its ability to bob like a cork if you chuck it in the water.

Read more