I Take This Sony Speaker To The Beach Every Summer - For One Obvious Reason

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Sony Ult Field 1 is simply a portable speaker disposable for $130 (but connected waste for $98)
• The speaker prioritizes crystal-clear sound and pronounced bass, pinch vibrant audio that sounds for illustration it's coming from a overmuch much costly device
• It doesn't boast arsenic agelong a artillery life arsenic its predecessor, but what it lacks successful battery, it makes up for successful stellar sound.

Amazon is discounting this Sony Ult Field 1 speaker by $30 correct now, bringing nan value of nan speaker down to $98. 

My roommates and I person been blessed pinch a New York flat that tin clasp much than 3 group astatine erstwhile (a rarity successful nan metropolitan lodging market), truthful we person go chronic statement throwers because of this. We've put connected weeknight meal parties, birthdays, anniversaries. We person everything needed for a successful party, isolated from a bully speaker -- and that's not without trying.

It's a acquainted scene: my roommate pulls retired her years-old Bose speaker, which requires a cord connection. Unsurprisingly, it gets nary mileage. We inquire friends to bring their speakers, but seldom do theirs triumph nan conflict against a crowded flat of 20 to 30 people.

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So, erstwhile I tested retired Sony's marque caller Ult Field 1 speaker astatine our 15-person meal party, I was half expecting nan bustle of guests to overpower this portable speaker's sound. Boy, was I wrong.

This speaker filled nan room pinch rich | audio that sounded for illustration it was coming from a acold much costly device. In fact, this speaker exceeded my expectations successful a fewer cardinal ways. It's easy go my summertime statement and formation time companion because I americium impressed pinch nan sound, build, and battery.

Sony is known for naming its devices for illustration airplanes: The Ult Field 1's predecessor, which shares nan aforesaid value tag, is nan SRS-XE200. That doesn't rather rotation disconnected nan tongue, does it?

The institution is changing its ways arsenic nan crowd cheers. This caller lineup of audio instrumentality has overmuch much pronounceable names, including nan Ult Field 1. As a Sony spokesperson explained, Ult is for "ultimate" and Field for its portability.

The caller speaker is nan smallest of nan Ult Field exemplary lineup and comes successful 4 colors: off-white, wood gray, black, and orange. It's astir arsenic agelong arsenic your forearm and has nan circumference of a soda can. Alongside its IP67 waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof ratings, Sony added a rustproof rating, catering to those who return nan speakers to nan beach, wherever they're weathered by salty water water.

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

You tin position nan speaker right-side up aliases connected its side, for illustration pinch its predecessor. The Ult Field 1 improves connected nan SRS-XE200's sound pinch much powerfulness and equilibrium -- it doesn't prioritize 1 orientation, whether horizontal aliases vertical, complete another. My songs sounded conscionable arsenic vibrant successful some orientations.

Listening to euphony connected this speaker has been specified a joy. On average, I've spent astir an hr a time listening to euphony done nan speaker, and nan artillery life lasted astir a week and a half. That's successful statement pinch nan 12-hour artillery life that Sony advertises. The SRS-XE200 had a 16-hour artillery life, but what nan Ult Field 1 loses successful artillery life, it makes up for successful improved sound.

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In a side-by-side demo of nan SRS-XE200 and nan Ult Field 1, nan favoritism successful sound and clarity was nighttime and day: nan already-clear SRS-XE200 sounded tinny successful nan beingness of nan Ult Field 1's crystal-clear sound.

Connectivity is simply a breeze: nan speaker paired astir instantly pinch my telephone and my friend's telephone arsenic we swapped DJ shifts astatine dinner.

To get much bass retired of your songs connected nan Ult Field 1 you tin property nan Ult fastener connected nan right. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

The Ult lineup, which includes nan $130 Ult Field 1, nan $500 Ult Field 7, nan $1,200 Ult Tower 10, and nan $200 Ult Wear headphones, prioritize big, booming bass. When I wanted to engulf myself successful nan bass of 1 of my favourite songs, Dijon's Talk Down, I pressed nan Ult fastener connected my speaker, and it instantly transformed nan opus into a pulsing anthem that reverberated successful my surviving room.

You don't request to perceive to booming bangers to beryllium impressed by nan clarity of this speaker, either. When I played my classical euphony playlist, nan violins and strings sounded truthful adjacent successful proximity and undeterred by nan speaker's build that it was arsenic if I had conscionable walked into nan New York Philharmonic for a concert.

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While I was testing it, I spent 2 hours of my Saturday day successful bed, doing thing other but listening to euphony solely because of really clear it sounded. The Ult Field 1 speaker plays sound arsenic it should be, existent to really its creators intended.

Not only tin nan speaker task a rich, bass-heavy sound, it tin besides get loud. When I powered up nan Ult Field 1 astatine my caller 15-person party, it held its own, shocking maine pinch its ample powerfulness contempt its compact size. Since my first tests, I've taken nan speaker everyplace -- to nan formation a fewer times, to nan park, to different friends' parties. 

ZDNET's buying advice 

After a fewer weeks of listening to each song, album, and playlist connected my phone, I'm assured to urge this caller speaker to anyone looking for a sub-$150 sound strategy that punches good supra its value point. Plus, a $30 woody takes nan Sony speaker down from $128 into sub-$100 territory. The Ult Field 1 is cleanable arsenic a speaker for a mini flat aliases anyone who wants to beryllium surrounded by juicy bass and transparent sound.