Sony SRS-XB100 Bluetooth Speaker Evaluation | CNN underlined

(CNN) The Sony XB13 has lengthy been our greatest bluetooth speaker for touring, packing nice sound, excellent battery life, and a road-ready cloth strap into just a little cylinder you may take anyplace. Its successor, the brand new XB100, is essentially a lot the identical, and relying on who you’re, that is not a nasty factor.

Sony’s newest pint-sized speaker presents a barely refined design, up to date shade choices and improved audio, full with all of the options we have already beloved in regards to the XB13 (together with the helpful potential to pair two collectively for immersive stereo sound). Present XB13 homeowners haven’t got a lot cause to improve, however what about these trying to decide up a travel-friendly speaker for the primary time? This is what I believe after per week of going wild with the most recent from Sony.

The XB100 does not mess with what has already labored on the XB13. Sony’s newest mini speaker seems to be loads like its predecessor, with a 3.7-inch-tall, 0.6-pound design that matches simply within the palm of my hand, and a helpful cloth strap to safe the XB100 to your backpack, bicycle or just about the rest you’d prefer to have a dangling Bluetooth speaker.

That stated, Sony has made some delicate and intelligent modifications to this 12 months’s mannequin, beginning with a brand new soft-touch textured outer shell that makes the speaker even simpler to carry. The Sony brand is now etched into the speaker relatively than protruding from it in giant white textual content, which supplies it a barely cleaner, extra minimalist look.

The colours are all slight alterations from the earlier mannequin, with daring blues and oranges (I attempted the latter, and it is beautiful) alongside extra subdued grey and charcoal choices. The XB100’s built-in rubber controls proved dependable and snappy in my testing, as I had no hassle pausing, enjoying and skipping tracks or adjusting quantity on the fly. There is a flap masking the USB-C charging port, which is a helpful factor to have on a speaker that is perhaps splashed by the pool or seaside.

By the best way, the XB100 is IP67-rated, which suggests it is totally protected towards mud and sand, and may survive submersion in about three ft of water. I submerged the XB100 totally beneath working water in my sink on a number of events, and it continued to latch fantastic after that.

Just like the XB13 earlier than it, the XB100 places out extremely loud sound for a speaker shorter than a soda can. Sony’s transportable noise generator had no hassle filling my bed room and front room with crisp sound that, for higher or worse, goes notably nicely with bass.

Critically, this low-end factor is booming, to the purpose the place I might bodily really feel the thump of the bass drum every time I had it sitting on my kitchen counter or workplace desk. That satisfying bass helped elevate pop tunes like Munas The One That Bought Away or Shallow Swimming pools IHYK, which burst out of Sony’s little cylinder with head-spinning fury. The XB13 additionally dealt with the vocals nicely, from the boygenius layered three-part harmonies to Max Bemis’ punk growl of Say Anythings. After I launched a podcast, the hosts’ voices have been so clear they could as nicely have been within the room with me. Nevertheless, that thick bass was typically a disadvantage, because it typically drowned out the remainder of the monitor throughout guitar-driven rock songs. I did not discover an enormous distinction between the XB100 and XB13 when listening to the 2 side-by-side, though songs have been noticeably crisper and louder on the brand new speaker.

Total, this can be a great-sounding speaker for $60, however followers of digital music, hip-hop, or something with bass will probably get probably the most out of it, particularly since there isn’t any companion app to customise the settings. issues. If you need extra immersive stereo sound (and are prepared to pay for 2 audio system), you may pair two XB100s collectively, which is a pleasant additional contact.

The XB100 is simply nearly as good at choosing up vocals as it’s pumping them up, as my associates observed how clear I sounded throughout telephone calls. The identical was true after I used the speaker to name my iPhone’s Siri assistant, which responded precisely to my voice instructions.

A conveyable speaker isn’t any good if it is about to die halfway by means of your journey. Fortunately, you will not have to fret that a lot with the XB100. Sony’s newest speaker has a 16-hour battery life, which largely strains up with my anecdotal testing: I used to be capable of get by means of almost 5 days of heavy use (together with lengthy hours of music and some calls ) earlier than the audio system low battery indicator is even on.

I want the speakerphone itself gave a greater thought of ​​how a lot cost you will have left (the charging icon simply flashes orange if you’re low), though I used to be capable of preserve tabs on the XB100’s remaining battery through my iPhone. Total, nonetheless, the XB100’s sturdy endurance broadly matches that of its wonderful predecessor and may get you thru a highway journey or lengthy day on the seaside with no issues.

The USB-C cable that comes with the XB100 is just a couple of foot lengthy, and there isn’t any energy adapter within the field. That is fairly widespread for these kinds of audio system, and also you’re more likely to have lots of USB-C cables and chargers laying round, however it might nonetheless show irritating if you should prime up in a pinch. In the event you’re taking this speaker on the go, your finest guess is to carry alongside a conveyable charger.

There is no want to repair what is not damaged, however current XB13 homeowners hoping for one thing recent and new will not discover a lot right here. That is largely the identical speaker because the earlier era, simply with some minor design modifications and barely improved name and audio high quality. It is also a disgrace that the stereo pair operate solely works between

The Sony XB100 perfects what was already our favourite journey speaker, placing out wonderful sound and a giant battery for its small measurement, all with attractiveness. In the event you’re trying to spend not more than $60 on a small speaker which you could connect to your bag or bike, it is a no-brainer.

In the event you’re on a particularly tight price range, the $25 Anker Soundcore Mini is a compelling different that has some distinctive perks not discovered on Sony’s speaker, together with a microSD card slot, aux port for audio wired and even an FM tuner for pickup. native radio. However if you happen to’re prepared to shoot for higher sound high quality and sturdiness, the XB100 is nearly as good as $60.