Customer Ratings & Reviews

Very disappointed with this speaker. XTRA Bass? No, not really. Even with the Music Center app EQ, the bass is on life support and barely there. Sound is decent but there's better from the competition at the same price point give or take $20. Very hollow sounding speaker that doesn't get very loud in optimal listening settings for me. If you want loud distorted treble at the top end this speaker will do. I bought this speaker after having bought the xb33 and xb43 and being pleasanty surprised by both

Admittedly, my need for portable music is minimal, but I do have a Beats Pill that I've been known to use on occasion. I never came to expect much from a mobile music experience and never had any concerns about my Beats Pill. With more time on my hands with everything shut down my wife and I found ourselves spending more time outside and she likes to listen to music when she's gardening or working on the landscaping. Not wanting my Beats Pill full of mud and water I looked at getting her a waterproof portable speaker to link up to her Apple Watch. Of course I had to play with it before turning it over and after a rocky start I have to say I was impressed. Opening the box I found no power cable included. Fortunately, I have plenty of USB-C cables but the point is...where was the cable? The instructions clearly indicate that one was supposed to be included so at least I can sleep knowing it was an one-off oversight and not a silly cost cutting decision. Pairing was a breeze and I like that turning it has a separate pairing button for pairing with future devices. I also like that the power button is a solid click that turns the speaker on/off. No holding and waiting a few seconds like other bluetooth devices I've used. The design is much more muted and simple than their previous designs that had a cheesy light system that made the speakers look kiddish. The XB23 is all black with sturdy rubber ends and a strong mesh middle. I think they accomplished quite a feat - strong and rugged yet light and portable. I paired the speaker to my phone and just as I was starting to play my first test song I got a phone call. When I answered the music stopped as intended, but when ended the phone call the music didn't start again. I opened the Apple Music app and saw that the music was playing but no sound could be heard. I closed the app, re-opened and played again...still no sound. Only after I turned the speaker off and back on was I able to get the music playing again. Maybe it's a totally random isolated occurrence, or maybe the problem lies with Apple and not the speaker, but it was really frustrating. After I started playing my test songs things got better for this little powerhouse. The volume was quite impressive and at its loudest volumes there was just the faintest hint of distortion, but certainly much better than what I had been used to on my Beats Pill. My 'bass' test song is Space Lord by Monster Magnet and it confirmed how difficult it is to get a truly deep and resonating sound out of a small speaker. The drivers at the end definitely showed a lot of movement and looked impressive, but in reality there wasn't a rich bass sound that I know the song arrangement to have. Don't let that sway your decision though, I'd likely be dissatisfied with any $100 portable speaker in that regard. The party connect seems like a pretty neat feature where you can connect up to 100 speakers from the same Sony family, but to me that doesn't seem practical. If I'm outside doing something I might want to hook up an extra speaker...maybe 3 total. If you're talking inside the house there are much better, albeit non-portable, options that are going to sound much better than using a portable device for whole home audio. I just don't see where Party Connect is that big of deal. In summary the XB23 is a decent value for a waterproof device that has a simple minimalistic design and with a strong sound that gets loud without a lot of distortion.

Sony - SRS-XB23 Portable Bluetooth Speaker PROS: * Reasonable form factor. * Light weight. * Easy and intuitive control panel. * Shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof.^ * Specifications indicate up to 12 hours continuous playback on a single charge^^. * Comes with a handy strap that can be used to secure it places. CONS: * Sound is a little underwhelming for a Sony product. * Price point seems a little high based on sound alone. But the additional atypical features do set it apart. * Where is the EXTRA BASS? * The strap should have come with a carabiner for extra flexibility. Use: I just moved into a new home and haven't put speakers up yet. So, we depend on our wireless ones to provide us entertainment. Additionally, we go to the parks and hangout with friends outdoors. Now that we have a nice patio upstairs, we wanted something that might survive being left outside by accident. Or dropped. Or get dusty. I used a few other speakers I own for comparison to the SRS-SB23 such as a Bose Soundlink Revolve (not waterproof), fixed SONOS Ones, G1 JAMBOX, and a few other generic BT speakers. I expect a device that advertises EXTRA BASS to actually have it. Just play a few tracks from Gaga's Chromatica, for instance, and you'll know that this speaker missed the mark. In fact, the Sony SRS-XB23 doesn't sound much better than my G1 JAMBOX. There is bass, but like many speakers, it is just a bit underwhelming. At least I can forget it outdoors and use it in the shower. If you have similar requirements and aren't too fussy about sound quality, then this speaker does provide some nice benefits that set it apart and with a brand name. For me, I'm not sure that is enough. ^I did not test shock proof, and I haven't owned it long enough to see what dust proof means in practical terms. There are tons of nooks and crannies where dust can accumulate. But I did test the waterproof feature by exposing it briefly during a shower. I didn't drench it, but playback seemed unimpaired and it functioned fine during and after. ^^I did not test just how long it can go on a single charge. I never listen to 12 hours continuous music, but several days of playback without recharging does seem to indicate it might come close.

Was excited to give this to my wife for Christmas. Ruined the whole surprise and excitement I had planned. It will not power on whatsoever! Tried charging it overnight and no luck. Even when connected directly to an outlet the power will cycle on and then immediately shuts off. Don’t waste your money.

I love my Sony speaker. Had it for a few years now n not one complaint. It’s loud easy to use and waterproof. I’ve taken it to the beach plenty of times and it still looks and sounds great.

I love the speaker so much. It has a great battery life and great quality speaker to have. The music and sound on it is perfect.

I LOVE this speaker! The sound is crisp and clear and fills my entire room. Battery lasts a long time and ease of use is great.

Bought this Bluetooth speaker for my wife to listen to music while she cooks. It is very loud has a great Bluetooth range and an articulate low end. We use it with our laptop to watch movies in bed with kids and even took it to the beach this summer. The battery last a long time, it’s not too heavy and it sounds great!

now this...is my favorite speaker for the value $$ it floated downriver falling off of the canoe and it was still playing! fully dust & waterproof with deep bass and even bass boost+ I think it has 20 hrs of playtime. great speaker. Sony makes great stuff. A very reputable brand.

amazing sound out of the small speaker. decent bass and links super easy. Love this speaker.

Love this ! Gorgeous color, easy to charge. Light to carry and easy to connect. Hear the music loud and clear. Charges fast and lasts !

Very compact lightweight with great sound and bass The battery lasts pretty good amount of time would highly recommend buying.

The SONY bluetooth speaker was very easy to connect to either my cell phone or my laptop in order to play my music playlist, which was created from Amazon Music. The speaker has a deep base sound, recharges easily and is very powerful for a rich sound experience. This speaker can also be connected (party feature) to other SONY bluetooth speakers in the same SRS-XB23, 24 etc series.Agreat value!!!!

Great Speaker! Smaller and great for raking anywhere. Great sound and keeps a charge for days.

Light weight, water proof, strong enough sound. Biggest bang for the buck.

Great speaker very clear good little bass great for your office or gym. Great budget speaker not too loud but loud enough

really nice slim speaker, good quality and nice battery life

Very impressed with the sound quality and battery life

Amazing sound carried throughout a room. Gives a great bass to the sound. Sleek design. Very easy to use and navigate the buttons. Have always been a fan of Sony and this item doesn't let you down. Very lightweight, easy to carry anywhere and on anything with the strap it comes attached with.

Love this speaker! The sound is incredibly powerful. The shape of this speaker is perfect size for most cup holders. I even use it while golfing, as it fits nicely in the golf carts cup holder. The bass feels and sounds like a much larger speaker. The charge lasts for hours, too.