Customer Ratings & Reviews

This is the best purchase I have ever made! While I appreciate JBL products, this Sony speaker offers deep bass, clear and powerful sound, and new multi-color LED party lighting. You can always rely on Sony for excellent speakers.

I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to audio equipment. I'm a musician and so naturally I love to listen to music at loud volumes. But I don't want just a loud speaker, I want a speaker that lets me feel the music and sets the mood. I'm going to assume that Sony named this speaker "ULT" as in Ultimate and I'll go ahead and say right now from the get go that this is The Ultimate party speaker. I have a couple of speakers for listening to music and this is my new favorite. It had been a while since I owned a Sony speaker, I'd forgotten how good they can be at making speakers. This speaker has many connection ports in the back. You can plug in XLR cables, a microphone using the standard audio jack, USB - A and USB C for charging your mobile device. It also has the old school white and red RCA cable ports for analog stereo sound. The speaker has a cool and modern design. Simple yet elegant. There are no wheels on this speaker, but it does have handles built into it that make it easy to carry. It weighs almost 30 lbs so keep that in mind! The party light that encircles the speaker is a nice touch. It changes colors and can strobe or breathe along to the music you are playing. The big ULT button you see on the front is a volume knob and toggles the different presets for Bass. There is ULT 1 which has deep bass, ULT 2 which is simply described as "more power" and Flat. I preferred and enjoyed ULT 1 the most as it sounded and felt like it had the best bass settings. If you connect the speaker to the Sony Sound Connect app, you'll find an additional "Live" preset which is supposed to simulate the sound of being at a live concert. I didn't care for it, ULT 1 is the one to use. The sound connect also has DJ style sounds like air horns, phasers, flangers, drum pads and crowd cheers. You can also tweak and personalize the EQ to your liking and control the light as well within the app. This speaker is LOUD, I'm not sure on the wattage but it is really loud, and sounds amazing. This honestly is the best sounding party speaker of this size that Ive ever owned. I love it so much I'm thinking of buying a second one. At 35-40% volume it is loud enough for me to think my next door neighbor probably hears it through the walls. I imagine at 80% + it will be great and loud enough for outdoor parties or gatherings. I plan on hauling this with me outdoor gatherings. I think it will also be great for when I set up a projector outside for movie night. The speaker is weather resistant. I wouldn't say completely waterproof, but probably good enough to have outdoors and not worry about it. Battery life is excellent. Sony claims 20 hours of use before needing to charge. I would guess that it is an accurate expectation as Ive been using it for about an hour or two a day since I got it a week ago and I haven't had to plug it in to charge yet. The speaker charges with an included power cable. It is of the standard AC power cable type. Can't comment if the battery is easily removable and replaceable so keep that in mind. Sound quality like I mentioned earlier is amazing. It is Bass Heavy, which is what you want for party speakers. It'll set the mood, the groove and get people dancing. The bass can tend to overpower the Highs ( treble) in some of the songs I tested with it, but at an acceptable level. But I love bass in the music I listen to. I enjoy Rock, Metal, Electronic, cumbias, everything that has Bass! and Like I said before, you can always tweak the EQ settings to your liking. I almost forgot to mention that you can also use this with a microphone and karaoke with it! Would I recommend this speaker? Yeah buddy! This speaker is going to be a blast, and I think you'll love it.

Sound Quality; The ULT Tower 5 continues to impress me the more I use it. For its size, the sound is honestly next level, clean highs, strong mids, and a bass presence that feels bigger than the cabinet. It’s the kind of speaker you can drop into any situation: parties, karaoke nights, DJ sets, or just everyday listening at home. Inputs & Versatility; What really stands out is the versatility. The amount of inputs on the back is wild , XLR, RCA, USB, instrument input, mic input, Bluetooth, and multiple function modes. If you’re a DJ or you run karaoke, this thing basically replaces half the gear you’d normally bring. Everything you’d expect to run through a mixer is already built in, and the layout is clean and easy to navigate. ULT Button & Bass Modes; One of my favorite touches is the ULT button on the front. When you rotate it, it acts as your main volume dial, smooth, responsive, and predictable. Pressing it switches between the different ULT bass modes, letting you instantly jump from a balanced sound to a deeper, punchier low end. It’s one of those features that feels small until you start using it, and then you wonder why every speaker doesn’t do it this way. Dynamic Party Lighting; The dynamic party lighting adds a nice touch without being over the top. It’s a subtle, reactive glow that fits the vibe, especially in low light settings. Indoors or outdoors, it gives the speaker a warm atmosphere without trying to be a full club light show. Handles & Portability; I also have to mention the four handles. Sony absolutely nailed the design here. Having a handle on each side makes this big speaker surprisingly easy to move around. Whether you’re loading it into a car, shifting it across the room, or carrying it outside, the handles make a huge difference. It feels balanced and secure no matter how you grab it. Party Chain Capability; Another huge plus is the ability to party chain multiple speakers. If you want to expand your setup, link several ULT Tower units together. It’s perfect for larger events, outdoor gatherings, or when you just want to push more air and fill a bigger space. I wish I had another speaker to try it. Sound Connect App Control; The Sound Connect app takes the whole experience even further. You get full control of the speaker right from your phone, everything from the Party Pad, to the party lighting, to all the karaoke settings. It’s incredibly convenient when you’re hosting and don’t want to walk back to the speaker every time you need to tweak something. You can adjust sound profiles, change lighting effects, switch modes, and even power down the speaker directly from the app. That level of control makes the ULT Tower 5 feel even more polished and user friendly. The only trouble I had was adjusting the EQ sliders within the Party Pad. For some reason the slide to the right of my touch moved more often than the slide I had my finger on. Not a big deal and hopefully fixed on an app update. Battery Life & Connectivity; Battery life is solid. It easily lasts long enough for a full gathering, and the USB C charging is a welcome modern touch. Bluetooth pairing is smooth, and being able to connect multiple devices makes switching between music sources painless. Overall Impression; Overall, the ULT Tower 5 feels like a speaker built for real use cases. It’s powerful, flexible, and packed with features that actually matter. Between the inputs, the sound quality, the ULT bass control, the dynamic party lighting, the four handles, and the ability to party chain multiple units, it’s easily one of the most capable speakers I’ve used in this size category.

Sony's ULT Tower 5 Party Speaker is a portable tower speaker with lots of lights, a great selection of ports, a smaller size, and big sound. Design This speaker is heavy and solid! Thankfully, the handles on it are excellent! There's a large handle at every corner, making it easy for one person, or two, to carry. There's one large dial and button on the front in the top-left. There are three large buttons on top. The back has a bunch of buttons and a sealed door that opens to reveal the ports and a volume control for the mic input, as well as the connector for the AC power. There's a slot on the top for holding a smartphone or tablet. There are four rubberized, substantial feet on the bottom and the right hand side, so it can be up-right or you can lay it down if you need to. There's one large woofer with two tweeters above it, each angled a bit to the left and right side, respectively for each tweeter. I think there's something internal for the bass, and/or resonance in general, because there's a slot/opening on the bottom front as well as the left and right sides. Controls I found the controls very simple to use. The large dial and button on the front is the volume control and an EQ settings toggle. By default it switches between three different EQ settings. You can customize this. I turned on the fourth as well, but may cut it down to two. The dial is an excellent, easy to use volume control. As you turn it you will see the lighting go up and down on the sides of the speaker as you turn the volume up and down. The top has three buttons. One is "Power", one is "Bluetooth", and one is "Play/Pause". The Power and Bluetooth buttons both have an indicator light as well. There's also a separate "Charge" indicator to show when it's charging. The back has a number of buttons as well as a "Function" (input) select dial. The options are Bluetooth, Line 1, Line 2, USB-A, and USB-C. I'll talk about those more later, but make sure you see my included picture of the back, showing the inputs and buttons. I also have a picture showing the top buttons. I like the dial for the input select. It's very clear and easy to use. The input that it's set to is lit up, so you're not looking for a small mark on the dial or looking specifically at the dial. You just turn the dial and see the different options light up to select the one you want. They (the inputs on that dial) are all mutually exclusive. In addition to the ones on the dial, there's mic input that can be used along with any of the other inputs. The other buttons on the back include "Party Chain", for connecting other similar speakers, "Stereo Pair" for connecting a second identical speaker and making a left/right stereo pair, "Stamina" for changing the audio a bit to use less power, and a "Light" button to change the mode of operation for the lights around the front. There are also three buttons for Karaoke, "Echo" to that the Mic and the other two are a "Flat" and "Sharp" to lower or raise the pitch of the music you're listening to. This works very well! You just go up and down the scale using either button. A light lights up which ever side you're on - so if you press the Sharp button 3 times and the Flat button twice the Sharp button will still be lit and you will be one step Sharp of normal playback. The "Echo" button also works very well and you can add more Echo by pressing it more times. Inputs There are 5 "Functions" or inputs, plus a 1/4" mic input. Line 1 is a right and left RCA input. Line 2 is an XLR input. There's a USB A port for playing music from a USB Flash Drive. You use the app to play the songs and it works very well, loading a flash drive with hundreds, maybe thousands of directories and songs, very quickly and making it easy to go through the directory structure and play songs you want. There's a USB C input that let's you connect your phone by USB C cable. On my Android phone it showed up as headphones and the default output device. I was then able to play any music I wanted. I didn't even realize you could do this over USB but sure enough, it works very well! It also charged my phone while playing. The other inputs work great, as they should. I was impressed by how many there are. I connected a very old MP3 player to the RCA inputs and was able to play music from the MP3 player on the speaker. The mic input works great, and is the only one that you can use in combination with the other inputs, which makes sense, so you can sing along with audio from any of the other inputs. There is also an XLR output. Sound The sound is excellent - powerful, crisp, and clear. So far I've used it for a number of types of music and podcasts. Voices sound natural, strings and piano sound clear and crisp. I turned it up with some music that had two people harmonizing and a piano playing and it all sounded so clear and crisp. The bass is deep and solid too. Using the app there are four different default EQ settings you can use, Flat, ULT 1, ULT 2, and Live. So far, I think ULT 2 and Live are my favorite. ULT 2 is one that boosts the high and low, giving a stronger sound overall. I like Live because to me it sounds like a slightly wider and brighter sound field than the other options. For some music I preferred ULT 2 though. Flat doesn't change the audio. Ult 1 focuses on Bass. As mentioned before, you can select these EQ presets using the large volume dial/button on the front. I'll probably set it to just those two options. Right now I still have all four set to toggle through. The app lets you edit adjust the default EQ settings. You can also use the "Party Pad" in the app to create a Custom EQ. That Party Pad also has other effects like Isolator and Flanger as well as some sounds samples you can play like an Audience, Robot sounds, and a Reggae Horn. Make sure to check out the App (Sound Connect). It also has customization for the lights and more Karaoke settings. Battery Life After using lots of inputs, having the lights on most of the time and playing lots of music, it's down to 60% - which I think is excellent. They advertise it for 20 hours - but that's always hard with speakers because it depends on what volume your playing at, if the lights are on, and settings. This speaker has a "Stamina" button which will adjust the sound and lighting to save battery life. You can also enable "Battery Care" mode in the app. This will keep it from charging the whole way so that the battery cells last longer over time. So I thought the battery life was great and I love the options Sony gives you to make it last longer on the current charge (Stamina) and over time (Battery Care). Summary The ULT Tower 5 Party Speaker delivers lots of general sound and Karaoke features, supporting lots of inputs, and even an XLR output, in a very portable package. You may have a hard time finding a system this size that can deliver sound like this, I don't know, but I was impressed. I'd like to see more button on top rather than on back, but that's all I can think of to complain about. It's fairly heavy but I think that's because of all the battery life and other hardware in there - and they addressed that well with four, excellent, large, handles. Sony did an amazing job on this! If you're looking for a powerful and feature rich Bluetooth party speaker, check out the ULT Tower 5!

Some party speakers just get loud. This gets loud and brings all the goodies with it. The default sound setting is "ULT1", which is basically, "Extra Bass", and it's exactly that. And not just a little bit, but the extra bass you've always imagined having for your party. This speaker, thumps, booms and owns the space it's in. Even outdoors, the thump is there. Honestly, while playing with it after first unboxing, I gave myself a headache just trying to see how much bass it can produce. See, even with the UL1 extra bass mode, you can still adjust the Equalizer in the Sound Connect app (more on the app later). So, you can further crank up the bass, and if you want, turn down the highs, and this almost becomes a subwoofer (not that you would need or want to do that). But, since it has multiple inputs; of course Bluetooth, then stereo RCA, XLR, USB-A and USB-C, and Mic (for Karaoke); you can chain this with other speakers. If you get others of this ULT Tower 5 family, you can pair them wirelessly. This speaker will only wirelessly pair with other ULT Tower 5 speakers. The app lets you change the sound mode (ULT1 "extra bass", ULT2 "power", Flat, or Live), further adjust the equalizer, change inputs, adjust lighting options, or have some fun with some DJ-like scratchboards and modifiers. The only problems I have with the app is I don't think it's very intuitive, so sometimes finding the lighting settings is a bit difficult. Also, the app (at least on Android) always needs to reconnect to the speaker anytime I switch to another app and then switch back, which is pretty annoying. Also, surprisingly, this does have a battery, so it is completely portable. I was able to go 8-10 hours of music listening at comfortable volumes. If you have it cranking at party volumes I'm sure it'll be a little less, but it should still get you through a 4-hour party easily. Also, there is a conspicuous compartment in the back, which contains the 6000mAh battery. There is not anywhere to stash the power cord though, so make sure you don't lose it, so you can charge it when needed. To help with portability there is a sturdy handle on each corner of the speaker. The speaker can also stand vertically or horizontally. It is also IPX4 water resistant, meaning it will be fine if it's caught in the rain (but don't throw it in the pool!). Ultimately, this will be at every party I host, and I'm tempted to get a 2nd for proper stereo.

The Sony - ULT TOWER 5 Wireless Party Speaker with XLR/RCA Inputs is an All-In-One party in a box ready for your DJing, pool party, or even a wedding event. This self-contained unit offers 1/4", RCA, and XLR inputs to allow for easy connection for your audio devices, such as a DJ rig, CD player (yes, some people still have them), Streaming device, Mics and more. The latest Bluetooth technology ensure this unit will keep the party bumping or years to come without worrying about technology outpacing it. The built in LEDs add to the experience as they help indicate volume control and pulse to the beat. Grab a pair or many more to wirelessly expand your speaker system into a mesh-type setup and make your event a real party for all to hear! I found this to be an amazing AIO audio experience. While I am not a DJ as such, I have hosted many parties, Holiday events, and church gatherings where this will be now a new piece in my required gear! This speaker can handle most small to mid-size rooms without any issues all by itself. Grab a few more and I will be hosting a home-town music festival for sure! My grandson loved the LED lighting effects and started dancing almost immediately to the tunes. Great audio throughout the volume levels without any distortion or clipping. Loud is an understatement! PROS - Sony technology, innovation, and brand quality - Audio quality is superior - Ability to wirelessly connect multiple unit makes this great for a small gathering or a festival - LED lighting is just right and fun to engage the crowd - Comes in different sizes for your needs but all work together seamlessly - Battery life is outstanding - Karaoke feature allows for the party to get personal - ability to tune up and down for key changes CONS - None at this time!

If I could rate this speaker more than 5 stars, I would. The sound from this speaker is better than I expected. The speaker has a box shape with rounded edges, which I like a lot. It has 4 handles (2 at the top and 2 at the bottom). It has padding on the bottom so you can sit the speaker upright, and padding on one side so you can sit it horizontally. The back compartment has a pull-down cover with all the connectors, and above that, more button functions. It has a USB-A port, a USB-C port, and a microphone input, Bluetooth capabilities, RCA audio input for older home equipment, and lastly an XLR input to connect professional equipment like DJ controllers, mixers, or a professional microphone. There is also a function button above the compartment that allows you to switch lines when connecting via USB, RCA input, XLR input, or via Bluetooth. There is a button with 2 circles linked, called a party chain button. If you have compatible speakers, you can link them via Auracast by pressing that party chain button. How cool is that? I was able to connect a microphone, and karaoke is going to be so much more fun with this new speaker at family events. On top of the speaker, you have the 3 major buttons: power, Bluetooth, and pause/play. Now for the sound quality. I would rate it a 10/10, hands down. There are 4 different sounds: Ult 1, Ult 2, Flat, or Live. All four sounds are perfect to me, and I can listen using any of them, but my favorites are Ult 1 and 2. The deep bass has my house rumbling in a good way, but the Ult 2 has powerful bass that my neighbors may not be too happy about if I'm playing my music at a high volume for too long. The flat sound is also great with just a little bit of bass, if that is your preference too. Live is also a a nice sound if you like feeling like you're at a concert. You can switch between sounds by pressing the Ult button directly on the speaker or by downloading the app. The sound quality is powerful for the size of the speaker. For a speaker of this size, you expect a certain volume it can reach. I was shocked at how loud this speaker can get. The Ult button directly on the speaker can also control the volume by turning it clockwise to turn it up or counterclockwise to turn it down. You can also control the volume through the app. The app is an awesome addition because there is an equalizer to adjust the sound to your liking. You can connect two devices simultaneously, like your laptop and your phone. The party pad function in the app adds sounds like a reggae horn, drums, robot sound, and audience applause. The party lights can be adjusted in the app or using the button on the back of the speaker. As far as charging goes, I have only had to charge it twice (upon receiving it and after using it on/off for a week). It took a little over an hour to reach a full charge. I used it all day with the charging cable still on, then used it for about 2 1/2 hours without the charging cable, and it is still at 100%. The charging cable is different from my other speakers, so I do like that, and I wonder if the cable difference is why it charges so quickly. Overall, this speaker is a 10/10 for me, and I look forward to taking it everywhere. It is not heavy at all, and for the sound it projects, It's light work carrying it. I would think the sound it is giving would be from a larger speaker.

I'm honestly blown away at how great this speaker overall is. I have had many bluetooth speakers large and small from all different brands and this one is probably the best one I have had from the larger party speakers. The design is basic, but I love how at the bottom and top of the speaker there are two handles. This speaker is on the heavier side, but with the layout of the handles its easy to move around when needed. The top of the speaker has three buttons, power, bluetooth, and play/pause. The front of the speaker you have a nice grill, and a button to adjust the ULT button that also rotates for volume. The back of the speaker you have additional controls to change the input/function, party chain button, stereo pair button, stamina button, light button, and three buttons for karaoke controls. On the back side is also a covered flap that has the follow connections, USB C and A (can also charge your phone), Mic input along with volume control, RCA jacks, XLR input and line out, and lastly a AC charging port. We took this speaker camping with us for the long holiday weekend. Everyone thought the speaker sounded fantastic even when at max volume. The bass was deep and strong but not over powering and vocals where crystal clear. The lighting is pretty basic, but I really did like how they make the ULT/Volume control have a separate light. The battery lasted a decent amount of time with the lights on, ULT level 1, and volume at medium setting it lasted about 8 hours. I also have battery care on which limits charging to 80%. After charging back to 80% I disabled the lights and the battery seemed to last about 10ish hours. I'm sure if you used stamina mode you could a lot more battery time, but I did not like the way the speaker sounded in stamina mode. I have found with most Sony speakers that utilize the ULT button that I like the one that produces more bass. I tried with this speaker the Flat setting which like it says made the music sound flat. Live setting was nice but almost had to much echo for me. ULT 2 gave punchy bass and sounded okay, but ULT 1 gave the deep heavy bass and made my music sound really good. We did mess around with the karaoke inputs with our microphone. They seemed to work great and could easily use for an impromptu karaoke party. However, we all are horrible signers so after a little while we decide to let the professionals sign instead of us. I really like that Sony included RCA inputs so I can easily connect older devices like my original iPod to stream music without internet or bluetooth. The XLR inputs are a very nice added bonus and could be helpful for more professional settings. This is my new go to party speaker as it sounds better and more portable then my bigger more expensive party box. I love that this speaker can go from backyard party to a professional DJ event in a blink of an eye.

It's not hard to find portable, battery powered speakers. They come in all shapes and sizes from all sorts of different brands, it's really not great odds you find one that works well and is dependable. When looking for a powerful device capable of outdoor pool party, backyard filing sound, the options drop considerably. Then you're left with a handful of premium, legacy brands that deliver both. One such is the Sony ULT (ULTimate) Tower 5 portable speaker. The smallest in the line in size only, because the sound is anything but small. Standing at a mere 21" tall and 29 lbs, This speaker hits way above it's class with heart thumping bass capable of shaking picture frames off the walls. The speaker comes with ULT EQ settings that allow you to customize the bass tones for different environments or types of music. I've found ULT 1 is best for indoor deep bass, it kind of gets lost outside; ULT 2 is great for outside because it feels like the bass is thrown out further rather than localized. The flat setting is best for listening indoors on a lower volume. The 2 wide range speakers do an excellent job of creating stereo surround effect both indoors and out. The built-in party lighting helps make it an all in one solution, basically making you a DJ. It comes with XLR and RCA jacks for connecting microphones or instruments, and USB-A and C ports for connecting a laptop or DJ mixer. The sound connect app has some interesting DJ filler sounds like phaser or air horn and a few other beat and dance buttons; there's even a turntable record reversal effect regardless of input source. I like that Sony put important buttons handy, like power, Bluetooth, play/pause, and the ULT bass selector with integrated volume dial. The waterproof door in back has the other inputs plus a volume control for the mic. Above that door, you will find the source dial for Bluetooth, Lines 1-3, and USB, then karaoke echo and b # keys, a chain button to connect more speakers, a stamina button to reduce power, and light on/off. This is the type of speaker you would easily find in a DJ's arsenal; 2 of these would easily handle a wedding venue, they're portable and can run for 10 hours plus on high volume if needed. Coming from another Sony, an XV800 party speaker, which I thought was awesome until this came along. The bass on this feels so pure that it makes my XV800 seem like it's being forced into making bass. The only thing I don't like about Sony is they don't allow you to connect speakers from 2 different models, so I was a little disappointed I couldn't set up both speakers to work together natively. Otherwise a fantastic speaker sure to upset the neighbors.

The Sony ULT Tower 5 is a good all-around party speaker with clean sound, customizable lighting, and plenty of connection options. It is a medium-sized speaker made of sturdy plastic with a smooth matte finish. A metal grille covers the speaker components, and lighting surrounds the rectangular grille to give it a little extra personality while music is playing. The sound has deep bass and crisp tones, with several ways to adjust it to your preferences. The ULT control on the front handles both volume and sound profiles: twist it to change the volume or press it to cycle through the presets. ULT1 emphasizes deeper bass, while ULT2 gives it a punchier sound. There are also FLAT and LIVE modes, along with a customizable equalizer in the Sony Sound Connect app. Connectivity is another strength. Along with Bluetooth, there are USB-A and USB-C ports, microphone inputs for karaoke, XLR connections for compatible DJ equipment, and RCA inputs for devices such as a CD player or a turntable with a phono preamp. It gives you several ways to use the speaker beyond streaming music from a phone. Sony also includes Party Chain through their Auracast broadcast technology which can link up to 100 compatible speakers and synchronize both the music and lighting. I have not tested that feature with additional speakers, but it could be useful for a larger gathering. Sony does warn that previous speaker models aren’t compatible with this feature so you’d have to do some research to see which ones will work. The Sony Sound Connect app brings the controls together. You can adjust the volume and equalizer, change inputs, choose lighting patterns, or customize the light colors. It also provides battery saver settings, firmware updates, and an automatic standby setting that shuts the speaker off after 15 minutes of inactivity. Battery life was solid in my testing. From a full charge, I got about 10 hours of Bluetooth playback with the lights on and the volume between roughly one-third and halfway up. Your results will depend on the settings, but that was enough time for me to sit through multiple barbecues and a couple bonfires over the holiday weekend. Overall, I have been pleased with the ULT Tower 5. The sound adjustments and app controls let me set it up the way I like it. The lighting is a great feature but what makes this so good is the wide selection of inputs which allows you to use it for simply listening to music or, getting a party going and maybe doing some karaoke.

The Sony ULT Tower 5 wireless party speaker is a nice addition to my home and lifestyle. I love the form factor and design, as it is about the size of a small carry on suitcase. I can easily pick it up to take outdoors for backyard events, bring it along to the ball fields for sports activities, and also enjoy it at home with wireless or wired playback. The speaker may look unassuming, but it packs deep bass and powerful sound. Various settings allow you to tailor the sound to your preference such as ULT1, ULT2, Flat, and Live sound modes. You can cycle through these using the ULT button on the front facing speaker, and also through the connected app. The volume control is a physical dial on the front—the ULT button/dial—which I like for ease of use. This rechargeable speaker provides 20 hours of battery life for playback and can also keep your various devices charged. USB-C and USB-A ports are located on the rear of the speaker. This fun party speaker is meant for versatility and connectivity. It includes XLR, RCA, USB, and microphone inputs, allowing connections for DJ equipment. Enjoy the karaoke style playback and fun to create a more casual and fun experience for your group. The dynamic party lighting is exciting, bringing energy and liveliness to the room with customizable settings. I love using this with my smartphone and its Bluetooth connectivity. I've taken this out to the pool party and had it a little too close to the pool where it got splashed by the kids. This is an IPX4 water-resistant speaker, so the music kept right on playing without any issues. If you have a large amount of Sony speakers available to you, there is a Party Chain connection that can allow for up to 100 Sony speakers to synchronize the music for a full immersive sound experience. The speaker has handles that make it easy to grab and transport. I have taken this and put it in the trunk of a sedan and an SUV and the handles make it feel like a light suitcase. Included are the ULT 5 speaker and power cord, and you're up and ready to go.

Unpacking the speaker and getting it out is nice and easy. Then the first thing you do is take the one plug that comes with it and charge it. So in the package you get the speaker and the cable to charge, and thats it. For the setup, I did connect it to my phone with bluetooth and then it asks you to download the app and set it up there. So pretty simple to setup as well, however, the one thing I don't like is while you have multiple ways to stream music and sound, you don't have an option to use wifi meaning you need some device connected to play music. For me I tried the bluetooth and also did a output with audio cables. Both sound great, and I've mostly used it for music. While you don't get wifi, I did get decently far on bluetooth and it still worked. The back can be covered when on bluetooth so having it outside is fine. I had it playing for a few hours and it sounds good the whole time, so the battery does last. You can pause and play on the top, or with your phone and also change the volume with the dial. The lights sync to the music too which is neat. I would say it is very heavy, but for the sound you get its to be expected, but its not going to be something you carry around too often. It also gets pretty loud, I didn't go over 50% or it was too loud. Overall great speaker for around the house or and outdoor party. There are multi ways to connect sound to it as well.

The Sony ULT Tower 5 bridges the gap between a prosumer DJ-style speaker and a higher-end party speaker. And other than lacking a tripod mounting point somewhere in the enclosure, the Tower 5 seems like it will be equally at home in both worlds. Unlike some of Sony’s earlier party speaker offerings (this is our fourth), the bass isn’t thrown in your face just for the sake of having MORE bass; the Tower 5 actually produces full, RICH-sounding audio with a hearty bass note that doesn’t drown out the music with nothing but a deep thump laid over the top. If you’re a little tight on space and can’t swing the cash for the TOTL Tower 10 (clocking in well over a grand and weighing more than a typical teenager), the Tower 5 is an outstanding party speaker that just happens to sound GOOD, not just LOUD! The Tower 5 stands a little less than 2 feet tall. It’s probably not going to sit next to a PC or nightstand, but it should fit nicely on a bookshelf, a picnic table, or in the back of a minivan. The Tower 5 can run off AC power but also packs a 20-hour battery on board (I imagine with sound effects and lights turned off) in case you plan to party a LONG time between recharges, and a 10-minute quick charge gives you a little under 2 hours of playtime all by itself. The speaker tips the scale a bit under 30 lbs which MIGHT be just a little unwieldy for some, but the weight ensures that once you set it down, it’s gonna take quite the impact to knock it over. Sony also thoughtfully put carrying handles on EVERY corner, with thick, vibration-dampening rubber feet on the bottom and side so you can orient the speaker to your liking. The front grille is holeshot-patterned metal so it’s not going to keep sand out if you get the bright idea to take it to the beach, but it is IPX4-rated so it will take some pool or rain splashes. A rubber gasketed door hides a wide array of inputs: XLR, RCA, two USB ports, and a dedicated microphone input–short of a guitar amp port or phono input stage of its own, there likely isn’t much the Tower 5 can’t natively play that you would find at a portable party anyway. Bluetooth is along for the ride of course, and a thin channel runs just behind the top-mounted controls, so you can stand your phone/tablet vertically to manage settings or playlists–or turn it around to operate one of the many app functions behind the scenes. The USB ports come in two flavors–the USB-C port for mobile devices and a USB-A port which can play music directly from a USB thumb drive. Both USB ports also provide power delivery to charge a connected device–a nice bonus if your phone or tablet didn’t have enough juice on board to make it all the way through a party on its own. Controls are easy to see and operate, though they are a bit all over the place. The big “ULT” button on the front cycles through the different EQ settings while the ring around the outside of the button acts as the volume control. In a REALLY nice bit of usability design, the LEDs on the front of the speaker show the volume level when making adjustments–it’s a great way to see how much headroom you might have left before maxing out the speaker without having to struggle to read a tiny, unlit dial in the dark. Then there are a few buttons on the top–three big rubberized circles, one for power with a TINY little charge LED below it, a Bluetooth activation/sync button with a TINY little status LED in the top middle of the button, and a play/pause button with no associated LED, but a small raised dot at the 12 o’clock position, ostensibly for finding the button in the dark (why not illuminate it with an LED of its own?). Turn the tower around and there’s a host of new controls. A small rotary dial spins a 5-position LED display around like a clockface, with each lighted stop around the circle corresponding to a different input source: BT, unbalanced input (RCA), balanced input (XLR), USB-A, USB-C. Then next to the rotary input dial are 5 circular buttons, and one oblong rocker button. Each of the controls has a small LED status light at the 12 o’clock position, except for, ironically, the “LIGHT” button that adjusts the light program or turns the front LED display completely on or off. Two of the buttons will likely see little use unless you are purposefully building a DJ-style setup around the ULT ecosystem as one adds the Tower 5 to a “party chain” of other ULT-branded speakers, while another is dedicated to creating a stereo pair for true L/R separation. The “Stamina” control is actually a useful function–with one touch, it automatically adjusts lighting and effects levels to maximize battery life even further. The bottom row, a single round button and the oblong rocker, are dedicated for Karaoke, allowing you to produce an echo effect and change the key of the track to allow singing in higher or lower keys…which is actually kinda cool, as I’ve yet to hear a Karaoke singer hit some of the REALLY high notes that some pop songs might otherwise demand. Finally, there’s a TINY rotary volume knob next to the microphone input. It’s all labeled clearly and is cleanly laid out, but it just feels like the interface designers couldn’t quite decide on the vibe they were shooting for, so they mixed everything together but didn’t really dive too deeply into any one particular aesthetic or user interface style. Additional functionality and more complex “party-style” functions are buried in the companion Sound Connect app. From the smartphone app you can also control the active input and media playback/track selection, choose from one of the 4 built-in EQ settings (flat, bassier (ULT1), louder (ULT2) and “live,” which simulates a noisier concert-style presentation–personally, I didn’t care for that last one). You can also program a 10-band EQ of your own design. Another portion of the app is dedicated to LED lightshow customization. The “Party Pad” portion of the app is interesting, but I might not fully have the hang of it yet. You can use your finger to “draw” different effects on the screen–an isolator which, as the name would suggest, isolates vocals or music from the other, while the “Flanger” lets you kind of run wild with various music/sound distorting effects. It’s a fun gimmick, though I don’t know how often you might REALLY turn to that function during use. The “Sampler” section is where you find all manner of party and performance-style sound effects...the party horn, phasers, robot voices, audience clapping, DJ scratch effects, drumbeats and rhythm hooks, etc. As of this writing, there are 20 total effects to pick from. I couldn’t find a way to save a particular chain of effects in the app to reuse (like: DJ scratches, some phasers fade out, then audience clapping); that would be something useful for those of us who aren’t as…spontaneous…with the sound effects controls in the app, but there’s no reason such functionality can’t be added into the app later. With all the literal bells and whistles out of the way, the BIG question that remains is what kind of sound you can expect from the ULT Tower 5–in a word: OUTSTANDING. We were using a slightly smaller Klipsch party speaker in our back yard; I thought the sound quality from THAT unit was excellent. But the Tower 5 showed me just how much we were really missing. The sound QUALITY was simply excellent, the ULT1 EQ setting in particular produced a nice, sternum-thumping bass that didn’t overpower vocals or make female vocals or quieter musical passages sound distant or hollow. The only thing I might take issue with at all is that there is definitely a “sweet spot” effect to the driver setup. Sony diagonally offset the two smaller drivers above the larger single bass radiator in the front to help with creating a wider dispersion pattern, but that larger woofer is doing a LOT of heavy lifting so off-axis volume definitely fell off noticeably in larger spaces. In a smaller room, or tailgate party from the back of a van, or even just huddled around the speaker, this wasn’t an issue at all, but if you want everyone in attendance at larger venues to hear the exact same sound quality and at the exact same volume level, you might want to consider investing a stereo pair to help fill in the sonic spaces between the speakers. That small observation aside, the usable playback range of the Tower 5 really shocked me. We have a pretty big back yard, and even at lower and moderate levels, music was clear, lyrics were intelligible, and distortion was nowhere to be heard. I walked all the way to the back of our yard, around the pool and down a small hill, and could easily hear, and more importantly, ENJOY the music, without it sounding like the Tower 5 was struggling at all, and it did so without the unpleasant screechy or tinny sound you often hear when a speaker is clearly pushed too close to its limits. I can only imagine what kind of performance you might get from the FAR pricier, and INSANELY heavier entries in the ULT Tower lineup, but I suspect that for most mere mortals, you’re going to find that the Tower 5 does a fantastic job of not only filling reasonably large spaces with sound, it manages to do so in a way that proves imminently listenable and enjoyable in the process. Definitely recommended!

This new Sony ULT Speaker is awesome, if your planning a small family/friend gathering, or a party, this speaker has multiple features no matter your age. Our family owns albums and have a turntable phonograph and your able to connect the speaker as long as you have a preamp that goes with your phonograph. The speaker comes with a New Ult Button that is located at the front of the speaker, making it easy to get to quickly. This key feature allows you to adjust to different sound modes. These modes include having a deep base, adjusting for a punchy bass. This is great if your at home having a party or at an event where your dancing or relaxing listening to music. I played all genres of music while testing the speaker, from rock, r &b, rap, techno, jazz, country, and others to see how the speaker would sound with various artists. It also features a flat balanced sound and a live concert like experience. You also have the ability to twist and adjust the sound. In addition to changing the colors on the speaker, love that there could be more than one color showing on the speaker to give a party like atmosphere. From blues, reds, purple, greens, and mixing it up a bit to give that party vibe. A lot of my friends love Karoke, and this is gonna be a great edition while playing music and singing along. Your able to connect a microphone and sing or simply to do announcements at weddings, parties, events, etc. Downloading the app, took a bit, but once complete, when using the app, there is a custom EQ settings within the Sony Sound Connect App. Your able to glide your hand to get just the right quality sound of your choosing. On the speaker itself, I loved that there were several options from type C, type B, inputs for the Microphone Jack, and the RCA Audio Input for using turntables, of which I just happened to own one. I had no problem connecting to the Bluetooth Speaker utilizing my cellphone. Your also able to use other devices such as tablets. Since we are a multi-generational family of musicians, this is going to come in handy. From my family playing the guitar, using a microphone, and more. I plan to use this for my birthday party and for other events that I host with friends. The sound experience is impressive and if you add additional speakers, I can see it even making a bigger impact. Thank you for the opportunity to test this product. Pros: Change between ULT1, ULT2, LIVE, and FLAT sound modes. Coloring changing feature of the lights, while playing music, and giving a dance party experience. Took into consideration using a variety of devices. Cons: None at this time. Will update later, if I see something. I would recommend this product to a friend and I know I am going to get a lot of use out of this product. Thank you so much!

Hands down the most important thing for an amp/party speaker - this speaker sounds amazing! Every type of music I play through it sounds crystal clear and with 300 watts can really rumble and project. It’s the perfect size for a serious house party, a backyard or pool party, an outdoor DJ session, a golf cart parade (hello battery!), or a karaoke party. Since it is only 29 lbs it’s very easy to carry and transport with handles all around. It has foot pads on 2 sides and sounds great laying flat or upright. I like the minimalist approach Sony took with just flush 3 buttons up top, the one ULT button/EQ/volume dial on the front and then all other controls, dials, and inputs in the back for a very clean look. All the back controls are also accessible via the Sound Connect app except for microphone volume that is a physical dial only on the back, but once you dial that in for your karaoke or speaking setup, you don’t mess with that again much. We also happen to already have the Sony ULT microphones (sold separately) and they sound great for speaking, vocals, and karaoke through this speaker. I was hoping they could connect wirelessly directly to the speaker, but you do still need to plug in the Sony ULT microphone receiver into the mic 1/4” input. We tried a wired microphone and it sounded perfect as well. You can shift your echo, pitch up/down, etc. as you’d expect from a good karaoke speaker. There’s multiple inputs for DJ board / PC / Mic, etc. via USB-C, USB-A, XLR, RCA, 1/4”, etc. Note that there isn’t a separate 1/4” input for a second wired mic or guitar, but this isn’t really designed to be a performance gigging amp. The Sound Connect app has quite a few features and I like the app/ULT button EQ switching, but probably not something I would switch often other than if playing guitar or mic/karaoke live vs. music. The lights are fun for a party and can be switched for a color theme. The app has a few fun party type DJ sound effects, but they don’t sustain (too quick and short IMO). You’re probably better off using your DJ rig for these types of sound effects and embellishment, but they are fun it if it’s just a pool/house/or karaoke party. Again - can’t give it enough kudos for the excellent sound quality. You will not be disappointed in how this puppy sounds.

The Sony Party Speaker ULT Tower 5 is perfect for birthday parties and other small events; however, it is powerful enough for a room of a couple dozen people like for a church group get-together. It is quite capable for use with or without a DJ mixer and I utilized it several ways. I also used for a TV sound bar and it really makes a football game audio pop. You can connect either with Bluetooth or via a wired connection. I tried it with a small 2 channel DJ Mixer, and it was a barrel of fun for a small party and this speaker had plenty of volume to rise over the buzz of conversation. The DJ Mixer I used included free software connected via either my laptop or my cell phone. Both setups are very easy. The laptop method used a USB connection to the DJ Mixer. The DJ Mixer connected to the Sony Party Speaker's RCA Line, left and right inputs. The speaker boomed out the audio with the lights dancing to the music and the mix of two standard songs controlled by the DJ Mixer. It was more fun to use the Mixer output with a quality speaker like this ULT Tower 5. You could feel and hear the effects of the jog wheels, trim knobs, filter knobs and FX knobs etc. Also, this speaker provided a beautiful light show that you can also control. The tower has inputs for professional microphones, USB-C, USB-A and more. You can easily select the input via a dial on the back of the speaker. I did include a couple mp4 videos of the DJ Mixer and this speaker which included some fun 'mixing' just to demonstrate the possibilities. What a blast! If you have a family member that would like to get started with being a DJ, this speaker would be a great one for a beginner or even a more advanced DJ Mixer setup. This speaker could also be used as a PA system like for calling Church bingo using the professional mic input connector on the speaker back. I also loaded the Sony Connect app and played cell phone music through this solid speaker. The app will easily connect the Tower ULT 5 via Bluetooth and provide you immediately with 5 different equalizer effects – you need to try them all with your favorite playlist. You also have a Party Light function which is used to help you mix the lights – and the way to set up the lighting is simple and is brilliant. Tip of my cap to the Sony engineers for a well thought out app with a great interface. I am very impressed with the sound quality of this speaker; the solid construction and the light show capability. I would highly recommend this outstanding party speaker.

The Sony UTL Power Sound is a premium single speaker system which can be connected into a stereo pair as well. It can be connected via Bluetooth, line out RCA, usb-c and balanced XLR as well. An AC power cord is included to charge this monster for endless playback without being plugged in. Played music at a medium level for over 2 hours without recharging. You can turn off the Dj effect for daytime listening and turn the light on for night time which is a nice effect. There is a microphone input for karaoke and dj. The speaker can be placed horizontal or vertical depending on you situation. There are rubber anti slide feet provided for which way you stand the speaker and easy grip sturdy handles as well. It weighs in at 27.4 lbs. The sound quality is what Sony's reputation is known for, heavy bass and clear highs. It’s perfect for an outside deck party atmosphere or beach and boating situation keeping it dry and out of the water. If your looking for a speaker system for an apartment setting or an on the go system I would recommend the Sony UTL Tower 5 speaker, it's a win.

I have become much more conscious of extending my skincare routine beyond my face, so I was excited to try a Therabody device designed specifically for the neck and chest. These areas are easy to overlook even though they can show signs of aging just as noticeably as the face. The fit is very comfortable, and I especially appreciate that the neck size is adjustable. That makes it easier to get a secure fit without the device feeling too tight or sitting awkwardly. It also provides good coverage across both the neck and upper chest instead of requiring me to move a smaller handheld device between the two areas. The massage feature is one of my favorite parts because it makes the entire treatment feel more relaxing. I also like being able to start the session and simply relax. The device is automatically set to stop after nine minutes, so I do not have to watch the clock or remember to turn it off. There is a Therabody app available if you own multiple Therabody devices or want more control and visibility into the settings, but downloading it is optional. I have been able to use the device without relying on the app. The buttons were not completely intuitive to me at first—I initially kept pressing them to see what each one did—but after experimenting with the controls, I figured everything out. I have been using the device for about a month. While I think it is still early to judge the full effect on fine lines, firmness, and overall skin texture, I have been consistent with it and expect the results to become more noticeable over the next several weeks. I would rather give it enough time than make exaggerated claims about immediate changes. This feels like a natural companion to an LED face mask and fills an obvious gap by continuing the treatment below the jawline. So far, the comfortable adjustable fit, broad coverage, massage feature, and automatic nine-minute sessions have made it very easy to incorporate into my routine.

This unit has a lot of 'boom' in a small package. Setup is simple and charging is east from the protected charging port on the back of the speaker. The Sony Connect application is easy to connect and download the initial firmware update. Once charged, you get plenty of run-time before having to charge again. The sound can be controlled from the application or from the manual volume knob on the front. You can press the volume to control the ULT music boost, or from the application as well. The lights are very cool and you have a wealth of color options and patterns. There are handles, and feet, positioned to place it in a vertical or horizontal position. The sound is crisp and the ULT provides very powerful bass. There are a large number of connection options for music instruments as well. It is the perfect size for large sound, yet compact enough for easy carry. I have the much larger version of this speaker and I really like the compactness of this one for travel. I have it in the back of my car and it sounds great and outdoor events. Being water resistance is a huge plus and it got wet on a trip with back hatch open and it is still working perfectly.

The Sony Ult tower 5 is the kind of speaker that makes an impression before you even turn it on. It’s big, substantial, and very clearly designed for people who want more than just background music. After spending some time with it, the biggest takeaway for me is just how much sound Sony managed to pack into this thing. Sound quality is excellent, especially when you give the speaker room. Music comes through clear and energetic, and the bass has enough impact that you can actually feel it. The Ult modes are especially useful when you want to push the low end harder. For everyday listening I don't necessarily need all that extra bass, but for parties, outdoor gatherings, or bass-heavy music, it really adds to the experience. Volume is another strong point. The speaker gets LOUD without immediately turning into a muddy mess. Vocals remain surprisingly clear, and there's enough low-end presence to make it sound much fuller than a typical portable Bluetooth speaker. This could easily handle a large room, garage, patio, or backyard gathering. I also appreciate that Sony included XLR and RCA inputs. Those connections make the tower 5 much more versatile than a standard wireless party speaker. Being able to connect microphones, instruments, or other audio equipment gives it some legitimate usefulness beyond streaming a Spotify playlist from your phone. Bluetooth pairing was straightforward, and the controls are easy enough to figure out without constantly reaching for the manual. The lighting effects add some atmosphere without being the entire reason to buy the speaker. They’re fun when you want them and complement the overall party-speaker design. There is one obvious tradeoff: this thing is large. Even though Sony has made it relatively easy to move for its size, this isn't something you're casually tossing into a backpack or carrying around all day. I think of it more as a movable home or event speaker than a truly portable Bluetooth speaker. Overall, the Sony Ult tower 5 delivers exactly what I would want from a speaker in this category: huge volume, powerful bass, clear sound, plenty of connectivity, and enough extra features to make it genuinely useful for entertaining. If you regularly host parties, spend time outside, or simply like your music loud with bass you can feel, this speaker is an impressive piece of audio equipment.