A modern party speaker with exhilarating acoustics

Sony recently launched in India the Sony SRS-XG500 party speaker. Though it reminded me of the old boombox music players, it is by no means a retro one but a modern party speaker with a powerful output and wide connectivity options. Although bulky, the SRS-XG500 is a moveable party speaker that is easy to manage irrespective where you throw a party. Priced at Rs 32,999, the speaker seems to be on the expensive side. Is it? Let’s find out:

Build and design

Sony SRS-XG500 party speaker

The cylindrical body gives the speaker a distinct look while the fabric covering brings minimalism. The big handle is sturdy enough for us to carry it anywhere. On the front, there are buttons for power, Bluetooth, volume, play/pause, and a bass boost button. A rubber lid at the back covers power and USB ports and a connector for plugging in a guitar. The two large rubber feet keep the speaker stable when the bass comes in. The sides have LED lights that change colour when you play music and it looks absolutely beautiful under dim or low light. The Sony SRS-XG500 weighs nearly 5 kg but quality material is used so weight isn't much of a factor to point out.

The audio quality of the Sony SRS-XG500 is at par with most of the small-sized trolley-style audio speaker, although it has its own limitations considering it is a portable speaker. That said, the sound is loud and bassy, but at the same time, highly balanced so it will be music for your ears.

For bass lovers, there is a bass boost feature but honestly, the default sound is much better because of the balance. The feature to connect a guitar adds to its credentials as a party speaker. You can also connect the SRS-XG500 with other speakers using Party Connect. There are slight tweaks you can do with the sound and light settings using the Sony Music Centre app. I had to play with the equalizer as the default sound at times doesn't go well with all genres of music.

Overall, the experience was fine as I played songs on full volume on the terrace.

The Sony SRS-XG500 offers up to 30 hours of playtime on a full charge. The battery fares well in real-life scenarios and the backup is close to that Sony claims. The SRS-XG500 is water and dustproof with the IP66 rating, so a slight rain or splash of water and everyday dust won't harm the speaker.

The Sony SRS-XG500 is a speaker with loud and enthralling audio out. Although bulky, it can be taken anywhere - from terrace to park for an enhanced musical experience. The SRS-XG500 brings all the features a modern party speaker should have, not to forget about Sony's signature sound that lights up the party, but at Rs 32,999, it's quite expensive and people may prefer cheaper alternatives that JBL and other brands offer.

Throwing a party anytime soon or planning to attend one? Conventionally, partygoers used to have a big music system with bulky speakers to ensure everyone is able to enjoy the melody. Thanks to technology upgrades, today, you can do so by carrying a small yet powerful fire light speaker. In the last decade, the trend of party speakers has seen a big spike.

With increasing workload, people are now taking every chance they get to loosen up with friends and crank up their favorite music. Incomes party speaker with fire light. Be it a house party, a beach party or even better, a pool party, party speakers are always going to lighten up your guests with incredible sound effects and thumping bass. These are small, portable, and quite powerful.

Yesterday I was writing about the perils and stigma of hearing loss, sometimes caused by listening to loud music. Today I’m reporting on speakers that produce loud music. Hopefully, the two aren’t mutually exclusive because when listening to music in larger rooms or out of doors, you do need more volume.

Sony is building a name for itself in the growing market for large bluetooth speaker. Today it’s announcing the launch of three new models designed to get any party going with a swing. Marketed with the slogan “Life should be lived at full volume” Sony wants you to turn up the music to full volume and dance away the night with clear and rich sound. 

Sony’s new range of X-Series speakers is specially designed to provide a powerful and wide-spreading sound that will suit almost any genre of music. Whether you’re listening indoors or outdoors, by yourself or with a group of friends, the new X-Series speakers come in a range of styles and choices of sound quality, portability, durability and lighting.

All the new models s feature Sony’s innovative X-Balanced Speaker Units. Featuring a non-circular diaphragm, the drivers create more sound pressure and have lower distortion by maximizing the area of the speaker. The upshot of this, claims Sony, is a richer and clearer sound whatever style of music is being played. 

The new Sony XP700 has three front high-efficiency tweeters and one rear high-efficiency tweeter delivering an omnidirectional sound that Sony says has a punchy and deep bass with plenty of clarity. The new XP500 and XG500 speakers have two front high-efficiency tweeters while the XG500 model includes passive radiators that are optimized to reproduce a clear bass. 

Whether you’re looking for something to use on the go or in the shower, a portable speaker will play any music, podcasts, or audiobooks a lot louder (and a lot clearer) than the one that comes with your phone or laptop. And while we’ve written before about lots of audio accessories — including the best noise-canceling headphones, wireless headphones, and workout headphones — here, we’ve rounded up the best portable speakers, as praised by the most enthusiastic reviewers on Amazon.

Over 53,000 reviewers give this Anker speaker five stars, with thousands particularly impressed with its 24-hour battery life. “Oh my God, it lasts forever,” says one reviewer. “I’ve charged it once since I got it (a week ago) and used it every day for at least a few hours.” Another calls it “RIDICULOUS. I gave it a full charge and got over a week play time while playing via Bluetooth at around five presses below max volume for about ten hours a day.” And while the battery might be on par with the original Soundcore model, this newer model — called the Soundcore 2 — has several upgrades. It has 12-watt speakers instead of six-watt ones, which leads to a beefier sound overall. “I have the original Soundcore, which was an excellent little gadget until I finally blew a little speaker playing it louder than recommended, repeatedly, for years,” one says. “This SC2 is also excellent. It does put out more sound and the base is fuller.” This model is also waterproof, which increases the number of places you can port this speaker to. “This little speaker has taken on the Atlantic Ocean, Moriches, and Great South Bay with no problem at all,” says one fisherman. “Swells of huge waves have soaked this speaker and it just keeps working.”

This under-$20 speaker received high marks from over 19,000 five-star reviewers for its sleek design and surprisingly powerful sound. “This is the most fantastic Bluetooth speaker I have ever purchased and I have purchased a lot,” says one such reviewer, who goes on to say that the sound is “gorgeous,” and the controls are “incredibly easy and intuitive. I might even add slick. I have no idea why they are selling [it] at this price.” Another reviewer was looking for a small speaker to carry while on the go, but they were “pretty skeptical about this little $15 speaker being that great.” As it turns out, “this little speaker packs BIG POWER,” they write. “I can’t believe the volume level. I have a much bigger 808 Audio Bluetooth speaker that cost much more and has half the sound.” While the reviewer admits you’re “not gonna be bumping bass with this little dude,” they say it “gets the job done well” for streaming videos and music. And ultimately, for under $20, “if it does break, I won’t mind buying another one.”

“360-degree sound is extremely innovative and the best part of this product, as it essentially solves the problem that most portable speakers have, which is the volume level being too loud for some people and not loud enough for others,” one reviewer says, explaining the appeal of the unique design of this Bose speaker. They add, “With music coming from all sides of this speaker, everyone is hearing the same level of music and you can have it loud enough to be enjoyed but not worry about it overpowering someone else.” Other companies make similar style speakers, but one user says this one from Bose is above the rest. “If you have owned a 360-degree speaker under a hundred bucks and then upgrade to this one,” they write, “WOW, what a difference. I own the Soundcore Flare also; it sounds good, but you get what you pay for. The lows are much more pronounced on the Bose along with much fuller sound.” It’s a sound so full it’s enough to power a party. “Used for the music at our outdoor wedding ceremony,” one writes. “All 120 people could hear the music just fine.”

Like our best rated pick, also an Anker speaker, this model has an impressive 24-hour battery life. “Great little speaker — especially for the price,” one says. “Sound is crisp and full, it looks great, and has a nice, solid heft to it. It’s also extremely easy to pair to an iPhone. Once paired, it quickly and reliably connects to my phone when turned on.” Another asks, “Is it the utmost in premium quality sound? Of course not, don’t be an idiot, it’s a tiny speaker that costs under $30.” But they find it impressive nonetheless: “I think you would be hard pressed to find anything at this price point that comes anywhere even remotely close to the awesomeness you get with this speaker.” Many of the thousands of reviewers call out the long battery life, including one who describes it as, “stupid-good … I have literally left this thing on for days — DAYS — and it still had juice.” Another says “I have only charged it once and have likely played it for a total of 4 hours over the last week (Bluetooth) and the battery still says 100 percent.” And when it comes to portability, reviewers say it can hold up to most environments. Reviewers use this in the bathroom, the car, and even on motorcycles, which leads one to say it’s pretty durable: “I’ve dropped this thing onto the street from a speeding motorcycle — the speaker didn’t even stop playing.”