The Sony XB20 boasts powerful bass and a lot of volume for a fairly low price. It’s not the best speaker by any means, but it’s a good choice if you want something with some power and don’t want to spend top dollar. The most impressive component of its sound is the bass, which is powerful yet clear and defined without any muddled undertones. It didn’t produce as powerful bass in our testing as the Bose models and the Beats Pill+, but it was reasonably close. While the top models were clearly superior in this regard, the XB20 was still able to create a full bodied sound that will please most listeners. The pill shape makes it easy to slide into a bag, and the IPX5 water resistance lets you tote it around no matter the forecast. This speaker was easily able to cut through a large group of people talking in our testing apartment, and felt plenty loud enough for a small party. This is plenty of power for a day at the beach or by the lake, so most users won’t find this limiting. We still think the slightly better sound of the Bose SoundLink Color II makes it a better value, but it also costs $30 more.
Customer Reviews: Sony XB20 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Black SRSXB20/BLK
Sony SRS-XB20 Extra Bass Portable Wireless Speaker Right out of the box this unit DELIVERS. The companion app you can download for IOS or Android (Songpal) is a perfect fit and very user friendly for the XB20 and other models. The app automatically connects you to your powered on XB20, if you do not have your Bluetooth on, it will do it for you and tell you how to pair the device. (like Pandora or Spotify) On the back, protected by a cover, are the charge ports, reset and Audio in ports) One of the in-app settings is to control the light ring on the speaker, you have 4 different settings: Off, Rave, Chill, and Strobe.
The unit can also change the settings for this via the EXTRA BASS button. I plan to purchase another as these units can be added on to your current XB system. This would be perfect for Parties, on the patio, By the pool or a day in the garage working on your car and you want it EXTRA loud.
The top-rated Sony SRS-XB20 portable wireless speaker is just $22.79
The fun pill shape, the bright blue color and the sound quality all add up to make a winner. If you have an Android phone, you’ll appreciate the NFC tag for easy pairing (why, Apple, won’t you add this to the iPhone?).
Sony SRS-XB20 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker (Review)
Sony SRS-XB20 Extra Bass Portable Bluetooth Speaker – Video Review Links to purchase the Sony SRS-XB20 wireless portable Bluetooth speaker :
This speaker is water-resistant, which makes it very useful for outdoor activity, but I didn’t use it near water. It can connect with other speakers, but this feature is limited to specific models, which is a bit frustrating, in my opinion. The connectivity deteriorates when the distance is large & additional speaker is added to the audio streaming (in “Stereo” mode). Some of its features are good to have (built-in microphone for phone calls & voice assistance, extra bass, paired with 1-to-99 speakers), while others don’t matter that much me (such as the light).
4 Ohms Bluetooth Version 4.2 Supported Codecs SBC, AAC, LDAC Supported Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP, SPP Operation range Up to 10 meters Frequency band operation 2.4 gHz Transmission range (in A2DP) 20Hz – 20,000Hz Sampling frequency 44.1 kHz Line-in input Yes – 3.5mm Built-in battery Yes – Lithium ion Power input DC 5V / up to 1.5A Battery life Up to 12 hours
Elegant design – The rounded curves, combined with the relatively robust appearance of the speaker, creates a device that will fit everywhere.
And in this case, you can turn the “Extra Bass” off to tender the sound quality. The volume level it reaches can fill a large space (yoga instructors will love it), and it would be a great companion for those who party outdoors and seek after a sound solution. Sony SRS-XB20 Extra Bass Portable Bluetooth Speaker – Sound Test (3:30-4:50)
The cap at the back of the speaker plays a very important role in the maintenance of the water-resistance performance, so make sure to close it properly. Please note that the speaker isn’t fully water-resistant, and it would be best to not expose it to the water of any kind. At the top of the device are located the control buttons & indicators as following (from right to left): In addition, the speaker sounds voice guidance in English, including: You need to download to your device an app named “Music Center” (formerly known as “SongPal”), that is available for Android, iOS & even PC. You need to make sure that your smartphone allows both Audio & Phone calls when the speaker is connected via Bluetooth.
This is a cute feature that is intended especially if you plan to use this speaker as part of a “wireless party chain”. Personally, I don’t mind too much about it and prefer to turn it off to save battery life.
When I added a second speaker to create a “Stereo” mode, the signal quality started to deteriorate. Since I tested this “Add” mode to create “Left” & “Right”, there is a slight chance that it would work better with other Sony speakers (SRS-XB20 and above). Not all speakers from the SRS-XB series supports the “Wireless Party Chain” – Though it probably should be mentioned in a separate review, I was disappointed to learn that it isn’t possible to use the Sony SRS-XB10 speaker as part of a “Wireless Party Chain”. Link to the Sony SRS-XB20 wireless portable Bluetooth speaker user manual
If you have additional questions regarding the Sony SRS-XB20 wireless portable Bluetooth speaker – leave a comment and I will do my best to help.
Sony XB20 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Review
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SRS-XB20 Reviews & Ratings
I generally don’t splurge on myself, but loved the sound on the demo so much I bought one for myself last Christmas. Music sounds distorted and the speaker has an annoying buzz from the vibration on a solid table top.
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