Customer Ratings & Reviews

the speaker is awesome. would buy another one. i can hear it over the cars. nice bass.

Compact and light. Good sound for its size. Convenient to charge, AC or USB.

I'm going to make this review short and sweet. As long as you know what you are getting with this speaker and it fits your needs, you will be very happy with it. If you are thinking that this small little speaker is good for a party, then you will be disappointed (unless that party is for you and your cats, then you will be fine, well... maybe not fine). First off, I was actually surprised at just how small the XB12 actually is. When the box came from Best Buy, it was a decent sized box, but when I opened it all there was was a boat-load of packing paper and then I finally found the speaker. The box was overkill but my cat thanks Best Buy for the nice box! Despite its size, the XB12 sounds very nice. I ran it through my test playlist and every song sounded good despite being a mono speaker and not having much bass (even with the Extra Bass, this thing will not be shaking any windows). If what you are looking for is a nice little speaker to have with you at the beach (for which it is perfect since it is IP67 rated and can withstand a lot of water and sand), or better yet, a small picnic in a quiet park, you will be happy with the XB12. Another great use might be to have at your desk at work or in a home office. This is not a speaker you can really crank up, it starts getting fuzzy at about 50% power, but for just some nice ambient music that you don't need (or want) blasting, it is great. If you just want music for you in a louder environment, go with headphones, but if you want to share that music or can't have headphones in (such as an office), this speaker will do the trick. Set-up was quick and easy with my iPhone, though I was surprised that it did not show up in my Sony Music Center app. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that my XB31 has but I thought that was what you would use to link two of these together for stereo sound (which you can do easily it is just done with a button press on the sides of both XB12s). Battery life seems to be very good as well. Sony says 16 hours and without even charging it up straight out of the box, I have already gotten a little over 8 hours out of it. I think I'm going to use the XB12 on my desk at work. We always have music going but it is usually through someone's cruddy computer speakers, and I think that the XB12 would make a nice upgrade. Again, as long as you know what you are getting and that meets your needs, you will be happy. If you need something with a bit more OOMPH, go with something higher up the SRS-XB chain of speakers. Sony has you covered and I can vouch for those ones as being REALLY GREAT for parties.

I will admit that this little speaker exceeded my expectations. The main speaker itself is approximately 2” in diameter, with unit having an overall diameter of approximately 3”. Sony touts this as an Extra Bass speaker, in that it includes a 2” passive radiator at the bottom of the unit. I will admit that for just a 2” full range speaker with a 2" passive bass radiator, this performs pretty well. I had no issues getting it pair with either an iOS or Android device. Additionally, Sony claims you can pair this with another XB12 and have a stereo speaker pair. Very cool. I was unable to test this feature, I only have the one speaker. Sony claims that it will last approximately 16hrs on a full charge and this seems reasonable. I have it at work and can listen to the speaker for a couple of days straight before needing to recharge it. The play time includes a lot of quieter listening with a good bit of louder play times mixed in. Battery life is very good. The speaker is IP67 rated against dust and water intrusion. This is a great feature as you don’t have to worry about it if you take it to the beach, the pool, to workout, etc. Just ensure all the covers are tightly closed. The little speaker also includes a microphone. I have used it several times to answer the phone when it rings in during a listening or workout session. Sound quality on my end is very good and those I talk to say I am very clear on their side as well. Now, a few of the shortcomings: Push the little speaker too hard at higher volumes and it will distort and the audio will become very poor. It’s just the laws of physics. Lower the volume a little, and the speaker clarity returns and everything is good. This speaker doesn’t get super loud, but has performed adequately in my listening time. It has played plenty loud enough for me at work and at the gym, but it definitely won’t convince you that you are at a concert. Though small, I have grown to really like the size and form factor. It fits nicely in any cup holder I have tried. I am thoroughly enjoying it at work, as are my co-workers who have commented on how good such a small speaker sounds. I especially enjoy taking it to the gym, where I don't have to worry about any ear buds, headphones or wires. The added features of making the speaker a hands-free device with a built-in microphone and the ability to pair it with a second XB12 was quite clever. Nice job Sony!

Got this as a a gift for a pre-teen, she loved it! Easy to connect, sounds great!

Great sound for a small device and portable can bring anywhere

I bought this for my daughter. It provides a very nice sound. Bluetooth is strong.

Nice sound really good price for brand enjoyed at the beach

Great sound, easy set up and pairing to a Windows laptop for an external speaker.

Excellent sound for the size and price. Good, clear highs, at least a little bass.

Totally love this speaker. It has clear, loud sound and its waterproof, great for beach!

I am pleased with this product. It has a nice quality sound and is very durable. It is very useful and worth the money.

Great speaker. Fills up the whole room and it's easy to connect to

Great sounding for the size and the price. Connects Bluetooth easily.

Wow impressive sound for the price. Use it on my back deck to listen to music. Being respectful of neighbors so keep it on low volume. But when I tried it in the house it sounded awesome at higher volume. It was on sale and opted for red since it as available for same day pickup at local BestBuy. Really easy to link with my iPhone and iPad. Should have bought it years ago.

Easy to use and carry. Carry with me on my hikes and camping. Easy to store in bag or hang on bag. Love the Bluetooth.

Portable, food volume, and can take a little wear and tear.

It is very powerful, holds a good long charge and the sound is awesome.

It have a lot of bass. It have a clean sound for a small speaker.

Amazing little speaker, great base and clarity, small but might.