Sony - XP500 Portable Bluetooth Party Speaker with Water Resistance - Black

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The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Sony was coming back. Now it's here.

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  • Verified Purchaser
  • My Best Buy® Member
  • Owned for 2 weeks

  The Sony XP700 is a niche speaker. But when it comes to audio, aren't there so many applications and products that they've all become niches? What makes this speaker "niche" is that we're living an era of portability, and while this is a "portable" speaker, this is not something "conveniently loud but portable" you'd bring for a quick picnic at the park, where even my JBL Boombox 2 or my UE Hyperboom was considered huge to some who've believe a JBL Xtreme is as large as it'd get. This is either a "haul, but stays around the house", take it to the backyard, or if have a pool (preferably private one as it gets very loud to annoy others in a community pool). Because if the day comes, and you're taking it to the park, to a friends house for a BBQ, or anywhere else away from your home, it's an event that WILL require planning, and some room in your vehicle. Introducing: The Sony SRS XP700. Sony's direct competitor to the JBL Partybox 310, or is it the other way around? I read many reviews here and none we're direct comparisons to its only competitor, the JBL PB310. To summarize, i purchased both, listened to them obsessively for a week, kept one and returned the other. Looks & Build: This speaker is aesthetically pleasing to me. It's got aggressive curves but still looks elegant without making you look like a party animal. Yes it's big, but has a modern touch to it without going far too wild. I've never been a fan of lights in speakers. It's a personal preference, yet i really liked the implementation on these ones, something that i didn't like on the PB310 as much. I would have much preferred that the handles would have been placed on the rear of the speaker but i understand the design had to do with the lights implementation. Both are "splash" resistant IPX4 which means they'll (probably) survive a moderate rain, just don't soak them with a water hose or submerge them. Compared to the PB310, which has a retractable handle, and WHEELS, i would have to call it a tie. The build quality is outstanding on both, i like the looks of the XP700 better than the PB310, the 310 looks like a party itself, with Exclamation Marks around (literally), i prefer the low key element of the XP700 over that look, but in this department each has strengths and weaknesses, so i'd call it a tie. Sound: This is not an audiophile-targeted speaker, can't even call it a "balanced" speaker. It is boomy, even at lower volumes. For indoor use, i had to take the Bass slider on the app to 1/4 of the full bar, and boost the mids and highs so it'd for everyday use and still there's some upper low frequencies that come a little bit strong on the mix due to resonating on enclosed spaces, but don't get me wrong, sounds full and great at all distance, anywhere you're in the house, or in the pool. I've yet to put this thing over 50% volume before i get too self-conscious. Comparing the low end of these two speakers, i'd have to give it hands down to the JBL 310. I mean, it's not only louder. It is cleaner and less boomy as it's fuller, it goes deeper (lower frequencies that are just inaudible on the XP700) and i wish they could have made it on the XP700. Why didn't they? I don't know, the sound engineers most likely had a valid reason, probably to save the drivers from themselves or because it'd mud the mix too much. Oh yeah, the MEGABASS feature, or should i call it "gimmick" is something i never see myself using. It's a boost to the upper low frequencies that make the speaker boomier, not bassier, but may be useful for large open spaces like in the middle of a park. Now, on the mids and highs, the Sony sounds wider and detailed, while the JBL sounded narrower to me. That extra "omni" rear tweeter helps with the soundstage, and it helps A LOT, and this is something that i appreciate while listening in my living room and walking to the kitchen, the sound is fuller on the XP700 where the 310 gets lost on the bass/low frequencies unless you're listening at higher volumes or head on. To pick a winner here would come down to personal preference. If you're a basshead, or plan to throw EDM parties all the time, or are mainly a hip-hop where physical bass/thump is your thing, the PB310 is your choice. It's a physical experience you can feel, it'll be an exciting party. On the other hand, the Sony XP700 is a party speaker that will sound phenomenal on most genres, and it's more adjustable (natively) than the JBL PB310, and don't get me wrong, EDM, Hip-Hop and everything else also sounds amazing on this speaker, it's just that for bass-heavy specifics the JBL may have the very slight edge. For me, Sony XP700 wins in the sound department, as it allows me to enjoy music with a wider soundstage on a wider selection of genres while enjoying a more detailed sound. Controls: Physical controls on both speakers are great, straightforward and intuitive. But if we include the App, Sony wins. Even if Music Center is not perfect, Sony gives you the option to adjust the sound signature with a paltry 3-band EQ and some "enhancements", JBL gives you NONE. The light customization is straightforward on both apps and can be easily turned on and off on the speakers. The XP700 wins, Mediocre EQ beats no EQ. Good job Sony. Value: At the time of this review, i paid $448 + tax for these speakers. The PB 310 are $499+tax at the time of this review. I can't conclude which one is a better value as purpose would make $50 irrelevant if you're buying a speaker with this features. However taking into account that these are similar speakers in performance, even with different targets, the XP700 are slightly (-11%) less expensive than the PB310. Both are pricy but a great addition to your everyday enjoyment. Connectivity: Both speakers are BT 5.0+, connection didn't drop for either of these speakers once, with my walking around all my kitchen and outside around the pool and BBQ even thru some walls. but Sony's XP700 got LDAC on board while JBL's still stuck on SBC. Does it make a difference in the realm of party speakers? I don't know, but Sony again inched JBL by giving you the option to use the codec. Conclusion: At the end of the day, this is a Speaker. And now it's my "main" speaker. I kept the Sony XP700 over the JBL Partybox 310 based on the fact that both are extremely powerful but i preferred the "more balanced" sound of the Sony compared to the deep, deep JBL bass. Soundstage is better, cleaner, sound fill a room more evenly and balanced regardless of distance. I preferred the looks, controls (and EQ in the app) of the Sony, and while i'll miss the wheels and the lower bass, overall, the XP700 was my winner as the heart of my home sound system, that now, it's wireless as well.

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  This review is from Sony - XP700 Portable Bluetooth Party Speaker with Water Resistance - Black

  Posted 4 years ago by Satorikn

• Rated 4 out of 5 stars

  JBL partybox 310 vs SONY XP-500

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  • Verified Purchaser
  • My Best Buy® Member
  • Owned for 2 months

  JBL is certainly a better "party" speaker. Much better/deeper bass in volume, great lightweight properties, wheels and telescoping handles for easy transport, plus holes for speaker stands so you can lift it above the dance floor to project more sound. If your use case is hosting medium to large scale dance parties or hosting events, JBL is definitely your choice. Note that none of the speakers have RCA or XLR inputs. Neither speaker is the best choice if you're looking to start a side business as a DJ, but the JBL is the closest thing to an amateur DJ speaker. However, the Sony is actually a better "casual" speaker. In my opinion, it looks more understated, classy and understated than the JBL and has more subtle light features. They look great and work almost anywhere, from formal social events to casual home parties with friends. Lower volume means better sound quality, lower volume means more range. So if you want quiet background music during a dinner or social event, Sony can work with a wider range of volumes, but JBL wants the music to be as loud as possible. I also feel that the Sony has a more balanced sound and is suitable for a wide range of situations other than loud raves and crazy dance parties. Sony also has good battery life and battery saving features. This means the battery will likely outlast the JBL for years as it requires fewer charge cycles. In short, if you're an aspiring DJ and just want to throw dance parties and underground raves, go for JBL. If you're hosting a formal cocktail event on your patio or just want a speaker that suits a variety of situations, the Sony is a more versatile option. No audio output jacks for daisy chaining different brands of speakers and cannot be mounted on speaker stands. As long as it's less than the JBL, it's a decent buy overall. And come on Sony give us some variety and let's use speaker stands and audio outputs!!!

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  Posted 2 years ago by ReenaJ

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Love this! You will too!

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  • Verified Purchaser
  • Owned for 3 weeks

  My favorite purchase for music! For the cost, the value is incredible. This one speaker can be heard throughout my entire house and is great for the beach and other outings where you want far projection of quality sound. I definitely recommend getting two and linking them together for large outdoor spaces, but for backyards and household use, just one is more than enough. Holds a long lasting charge, has really easy set up and linking to an app, great lighting and connect with other devices in the house. Hands-down great buy!

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  This review is from Sony - XP700 Portable Bluetooth Party Speaker with Water Resistance - Black

  Posted 2 months ago by DPLonestar01