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Customer reviews

Rating 4.6 out of 5 stars with 1364 reviews

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  • Value

    Rating 4.4 out of 5 stars

  • Quality

    Rating 4.6 out of 5 stars

  • Ease of Use

    Rating 4.7 out of 5 stars

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94%would recommend to a friend
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.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 1,363 reviews
  • Pros mentioned:
    Bass, Battery life, Portable
    Cons mentioned:
    Bluetooth connectivity
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Love the bass on this thing. Very recommended!

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Great, small, portable Bluetooth, and wired speaker. I was shocked at not only how loud this small speaker sounds, but how much bass it puts out. I wish it had shipped with it’s own charger, it does not come with one, it only comes with the speaker itself, and a micro-USB to full size USB cable (and a short one at that). You are expected to use your own phone’s charger. I have an old Samsung Galaxy Note 4 adpative fast charger (it puts out 2amps) it was a QuickCharge 2.0 charger. It took about 3 hours to charge the speaker up. There is a small amber light that goes on to tell you the speakers battery is charging, but no way to tell how much it is charged. I would have appreciated even a three bar status to tell you roughly how much of a charge you have. Ok, after I charged it up to full, the amber light goes off, I paired it to my phone via bluetooth. I have an android moto x pure, and setup was really easy. Turn on the speaker, then hold the power button down on it for a few seconds, go to your phone (or any other bluetooth device capable of outputting sound), and select the speaker from the list and it will connect and pair. Any audio you would normally hear from your phone will now come out of the speaker. YouTube, music apps, just about anything. You can control the volume from your phone itself as you normally would, or on the speaker itself. I listen tried playing music and wow, was really shocked how loud a small speaker like this could get, and how much bass it put out. Maybe even too much bass for some, but I like it alot personally. I listen to alot of audio books, and this worked great with that too. You can also make and receive phone calls with the speaker acting as a speaker to hear the other person, and also has a microphone on the speaker to pick up your voice too. I didn’t realize this speaker had this functionality. Another feature it has, NFC. If you have a NFC enabled phone, after setup, you literally tap your phone to the speaker “N” logo on top, and it will, A) - Turn on your speaker, and B)- Automatically turn on and select the speaker in your bluetooth devices. I always turn on and off the speaker when I am done, but this was a pretty cool feature. I had my wife also pair her phone, another android device, OnePlus 3T, and she had no issues with it at all. The speaker will take multiple bluetooth setups from various devices. However, this is where I found an issue for me. Once more than one device has received a Bluetooth pairing, and more than one bluetooth device is actively on, one person can basically, “take charge” of the speaker. So if I am playing music thru the speaker, and my wife’s phone then plays any kind of audio, it takes over the speaker. Ok, that was fine enough, but I noticed that once I would be playing audio on my device, music, audiobook, anything, if she was on twitter on her phone, and it happened to be scrolling thru, and an advertisement would should up in her twitter feed, the audio would get paused from my phone. It took me a while to figure out what was happening. I would be listening randomly to music, and it would just randomly pause. I wasn’t sure if it was loosing it’s bluetooth connection, as the phone was very close to the speaker, by the way, the distance from my phone to the speaker can go is at least 40 feet that I have noticed so far during my use. This kept happening I noticed whenever my wife was using her phone. Weird. Had her turn off bluetooth on her phone all together and the pausing of audio on mine just stopped, and all was good. She turned bluetooth back on her phone, this time left it on but not using it, no problem, my audio was not paused anymore randomly. She then went back to her phone, got on twitter, and she realized when she would scroll past a video advertisement, even though it was silent on her phone (the audio doesn’t play automatically), once the video started to load, it would pause whatever audio I had going to the speaker. It would not switch over to the audio from the silenced ad on her phone’s twitter feed, it just paused mine, and never unpaused my audio either. This was not really a big deal for me once I knew what was happening, but Sony is marketing this phone as a phone where multiple people would send their playlists or direct music thru, pool side, at the beach, etc.. So I figured I would just put this out there, incase people discovered this issue too. I primarily am going to use the phone for use in my home. Listening to audiobooks and music mostly while I am in my kitchen, but also take the speaker with me when I go into the bathroom to take a shower, etc.. I have yet to try taking it to a beach but the phone is waterproof, made of a washable fabric, and also dustproof, so long as you keep the charging panel closed. The speaker also has flashing lights on it while using it, and can even go with the beat of the audio, but for my more subtle use, luckily Sony has made a button to turn the lights off in the charging area of the speaker. The battery lasts approx 24 hours, and so far I am on my first full charge, using the phone probably 6 hours so far with no issues. I do wish it had a battery level indicator as previously mentioned. There is also the ability to charge your own phone via a separate USB port on the speaker, which is a great feature, especially if you are out on the beach away from an outlet. However, it does not output alot of power from that USB port, and would not charge my phone at full speed. You can also plug in your phone via a 3.5mm audio jack if your phone still has one, and save on battery power on both your phone, and the speaker itself. Overall, for my use, I do really like this speaker. It has some features I probably would not use often, but the bass is killer!! Love the bass on this thing. Very recommended with a few caveats.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Bass, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Excellent Bluetooth Speaker

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought the Sony SRS-XB31 Bluetooth Speaker mainly to use as a speaker for my laptop when I'm using it on my desktop at work. While I don't need Bluetooth, it's one less cable to connect and I like that a lot. I have also been using it to play music from my iPhone and Echo dot. The sound quality is excellent for such a small speaker. It will go louder than I need and the bass is rather good. The lighting is fun and the colors match well with my Razer Huntsman Elite keyboard. There are some basic controls on the back that provide the most common functions, but to have full access to all the capabilities of this speaker, you'll want to use the Sony Music Center app. I installed the app on my iPhone X and I have to say that I was very impressed with what is provided. There are a number of preprogrammed lighting modes and sound modes. There are also variable manual controls for bass/mid/treble arranged like a mini graphic equalizer. Very nice! The Bluetooth connectivity is flawless. It has no trouble staying connected to both my PC and iPhone X at the same time, and automatically switches between the two, depending on which I am using.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Easy to use

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Battery long last, easy to charge and excelente sound

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Bass

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    BASS!

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is by so far the best speakers I’ve ever own and usually I buy Bose but, this one caught my eyes, the bass, and quality sound is amazing! I love how the lights play with the music, I’ve owned a JBL pulse and this reminded me of it as well.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Lights

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Very happy

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Very happy with it, pretty loud and very clear even at max volume the light are a good touch and you can always disable them if you don’t like them

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Little but loud

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is a great speaker for indoors and out! Easily connects to any Bluetooth and has a long battery life!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Bass, Battery life
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Sony Brings the Sound and the Lights to the Party!

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Sony SRS-XB31brings life to the party. It gets loud and is bass heavy. It wants to be part of the action. This speaker has attitude with its flashing strobe and mesmerizing light display. Turn up the volume and it can easily fill a medium size room. The speaker has excellent build quality and finish. Weighing in one ounce shy of two pounds, the speaker is wrapped in a high quality fabric mesh with protective rubber to seal off moisture and dust to give it an IP67 rating. Despite it's heft, it can easily be handled with one hand and carried in a backpack. Along the top of the speaker are the power/bluetooth pairing button, volume +/-, and a single play/pause/speakerphone button that also doubles as a skip forward and skip reverse button depend on the number of successive presses of the button. Housed at the rear of the speaker behind a rubber cover is the mico usb connection for charging, a usb port for charging a smartphone at 1 amp, battery indicator button that also turns on and off the speaker's light pattern, a button to wirelessly party chain up to a hundred SRS-XB41, XB31 and XB21 speakers, another button to add a speaker for left and right stereo separation, a recessed reset button, and finally a 3.5 mm audio jack. The 3.5 mm audio jack is a welcome feature as we all know it is close to extinction, but I am glad that Sony decided to include it for older audio devices without bluetooth and for greater audio fidelity. Let's get right to the point...The primary reason to consider the Sony SRS-XB31 is the extra bass feature, and boy does it pack a punch! Right out of the box, the extra bass is the default mode from the factory and the bass is powerful, punchy, in your face, bombastic, and unapologetic. This is heaven for bassheads. It's great for rap, hip-hop, and dance music with deep lows and low mids, but will make a mess out of any other music genres as the extra bass feature will pull down the upper mids and trebles in the sound spectrum, losing out on that crispness and sparkle that make some speakers stand out over others. If you're going to be listening to deep bassy music all of the time, then the extra bass is great. However, most people including myself have a broad audio taste. Sometimes we want the extra bass, sometimes we don't. Although the speaker is marketed as extra bass, the speaker is capable of delivering exceptionally crisp, clear audio allowing for a more tame and respectable balanced approach to the audio experience; But to get it, you'll need to install the Sony Music Center app which features controls for adjustments to the audio among other things. The app allows you to select from one of three audio modes: Standard, Extra Bass, and Live Sound. The Standard mode represents the most balanced and flat listening experience. In the Standard mode, bass is still well represented, but more controlled, and mids and trebles flow evenly. The second mode is Extra Bass mode and it is what comes pre-set from the factory and it offers amazing bass as I covered above. Finally, the Live Sound mode replicates the audio experience as if you were hearing it from a live venue. The best way I can describe Live Sound mode is that the audio from the speaker appears more enveloping and louder, with a wider sound stage offering greater separation between vocals the the music, and thereby creating a more three dimensional effect of the music. I thought the Live Sound mode works pretty good. It fooled my ears thinking that the audio was coming from different directions. To fine tune the audio even futher, the Sony Music Center app also offers a three band equalizer for bass, mids, and treble. Turning up the treble in the equalizer in Standard mode allowed me to get the crispness and sparkle that I was looking for while still delivering a strong bass response. Other things the Sony app will do is allow you to change the light pattern or turn the lights off altogether, check the speaker's battery level, and turn on and off the Party Booster feature. Party Booster is a unique feature where you can tap different parts of the speaker to make different sounds such as a snare, kick drum, cow bell, and cymbal. I didn't have any particular use for this feature and just left it off. I couldn't imagine forcefully tapping on an expensive speaker such as this one for fear of damaging it or causing an internal piece to come loose. The light and strobe feature is great for a party and the app allows you to select different patterns and colors, but it easily becomes distracting. Additionally, it will consume your battery faster. Better turn off the light display if you're not showing it off. Speaking of battery, the battery will take up to 5 hours to recharge from the fully discharged state and will last up to a phenomenal 24 hours on a full charge. The speakerphone function on the speaker works well. People on the other end of the phone said that my voice came through clearly. Would I recommend the Sony SRS-XB31? Yes, I would. It is packed full of features for the price, and it is a versatile speaker that gives you excellent low end bass, but can be adjusted and tuned to offer respectable crispness and sparkle.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Great sound, durable

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I enjoyed the volume when it was fully charged. I like that's it's waterproof and can handle mud and dirt. I wish it had longer battery level.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Excellent speaker with great sound and base.

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The sound and base is excellent from this small speaker.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Great sound! I need one more

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I was looking for this kind of sound,great design water proof long last battery,no regret. Considering get another one. Works great when attached to my computer and my portable laptop. No more worries about sound. As soon as possible. Working great when I'm listening my playlist at my cellphone when I'm working

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Portable, Sound quality
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great little speaker!

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is a great little speaker that is very easy to take with you. The sound is simply incredible when you turn up the bass using the Sony Music Center app, standard audio isn't that impressive though. I am not sure how Sony makes the bass but it seems like pure magic. Pairing my phone with this was a breeze using the NFC option and I also tried with bluetooth and that was simple as well. You can daisy chain up to 100 of these for even bigger sound, and I plan on getting a couple and linking them up for parties in my back yard this summer. This speaker also lights up and you can adjust the lighting in the app as well. My only gripe is that you have to select the lighting scheme and hit done to go back to see how it looks. It would be nice if you just could select it and preview it somehow without having to go back and select the next one in line. You can also set up the speaker to respond when you hit it with your hand. It will make different sounds (drum kit, percussion, etc) depending on where you hit it and which sound you assign that area. Pretty cool if you ask me, though not very useful besides just showing it off. I also like that the app will tell you the battery percentage and speaking of battery life, it will easily get you through a long party with all of the lights on and full sound. It's rated to last 24 hours, but if you turn on lights and use all of the features you will see that life go down. I averaged about 18 hours of playtime before I charged it up again, so yea, battery life is NOT an issue.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great Bluetooth for a beginner

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Great Bluetooth for a beginner! I would recommend this to a friends

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Lights, Sound quality
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Excellent Bluetooth Speaker from SONY!

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Sony - SRS-XB31 Portable Bluetooth Speaker came with nice package. It came with speaker and charging cable. The design is very unique and well built. Setup is quick and easy. I was able to connect using Bluetooth and NFC options without any issues. It has full size USB port along with audio port. I was amazed with sound quality and clarity after playing a song from my iPhone. The color changing LED lights are really cool while playing songs. The bass is really good as well from this speaker. Battery life is really solid and came around 24 hours. It took around 5 hours to charge fully. I was playing a song with full sound and fill the entire living room with great sound quality. The ability to connect more than 100 speakers is a great feature and it will help to place speakers in each room. I have installed the SONY Music control and it has tons of features to control music. The call quality is great with this Bluetooth speaker. SONY built a very solid Bluetooth speaker with better sound quality with bass. The price is reasonable as well. My kids are using this speaker very regularly due to the color lights and party mode. SONY always make better products in TVs, Cameras and they have entered in audio space with quality products like SRS-XB31 Bluetooth speakers

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Bass, Lights
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great sound and some improvements over last year

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Sound Quality You're likely most interested in the sound quality of the Sony SRS-XB31.  If you love bass, it definitely does not disappoint. Highs and mids come through clear and bass has some kick to it (more on that in a second). Streaming music from Apple Music and Pandora both sounded great, but the speaker does tend to over emphasize low frequencies and can sound "muddy" at time, expecially with the bass enhancement feature on. Using Sony's Music Center app, you can also access the "Live Sound" feature that Sony states will provide a more 3D sound experience with "festival vibes."  Well, I'm not sure about the festival vibes, but what I found is that it does is maintain the bass of the "Extra Bass" mode while increasing the volume and enhancing some of the mids.  It definitely sounds good and I actually prefer it over the "Extra Bass" feature. Bass Performance Sony's Bluetooth speakers tend to be bass heavy and that's definitely the case with the SRS-XB31.  Unlike last year's model, there's no dedicated "EXTRA BASS" button.  You can turn the Extra Bass feature on and off using the Sony Music Center app, or by holding down the Volume Down and Play buttons for 3 seconds, until the power indicator changes colors. Features - Lights: This is one of my favorite features of the speakers, although some people may find it gimmicky.  There is the outer ring that surrounds the speaker on the front and the sides that changes different colors.  There are also two white LED "strobe" lights on either side. You can set the lights to dance with the music, set a more calming lighting effect or turn off the lights completely by using the Sony Music Center app. The lights really do add a bit of a party atmosphere and helps this speaker stand out from other brands. If you don't like the lights, you can hold down the BATT/LIGHT button inside the cap on the rear side of the speaker for about 3 seconds. - Party Booster: You can add some sound effects to the music that you're playing on the speaker by tapping it in different places.  Depending where you smack it, you can add a snare scratch, kick drum or cowbell.  The harder you hit it, the louder the sound.  You can turn this feature on/off by holding the the volume + and - buttons for 3 seconds. - Rustproof, Waterproof, Dustproof: The IP67 rating means you can take it to the beach and not worry about salt water ruining the speaker.  So you take the party virtually anywhere. - Wireless Party Chain: You can sync this speaker with other compatible models to play the same music simultaneously. Works with SRS-XB21, SRS-XB31, SRS-XB41, SRS-XB20, SRS-XB30, SRS-XB40, GTK-XB60, GTK-XB90. - Micro USB charging input: My biggest complaint of last year's SRS-XB30 was that it used a proprietary charging cable.  This year's SRS-XB31 solves that issue with a standard Micro USB input (although, USB-C would have maybe future-proofed this speaker a little more). - USB charging port: If your phone runs low on power, you can grab your phone's charging cable and plug it into the full-sized USB port on this speaker.  The speaker then serves as a power bank for your phone (but reduces the runtime of the speaker). - Phone and Siri support: I found this feature handy on last year's model while the speaker was poolside and my phone was tucked away in my bag.  You can answer a call on the speaker by tapping the Play button.  You can also access Siri or Google Assistant by holding down the Play button for about 3 seconds and you hear the activation sound. You then use the speaker's built-in mic to talk to the caller or Siri. Battery Life The SRS-XB31 gives you up to 24 hours with the lights off and with the sound mode set to "Standard".  However, with the lights on and the Extra Bass feature enabled, you can expect more like 4 to 6 hours of battery life.  So definitely keep that in mind if you're trying to plan an all-nighter.  You can check the battery status in the Sony Music Center app on by tapping the Battery button under the flap. Overall, Sony's new SRS-XB31 speaker features great sound, a multi-color LED light ring and easy pairing for NFC-equipped phones. The optional "Extra Bass" setting does a great job of kicking it up a notch if you're all about the bass.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Sound quality
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Small speaker BIG SOUND

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Sony XB31 is a very solid unit. The sound that emits from such a small speaker makes you think it is a much larger unit. The Sony has a few neat additions that wear off pretty quick and come across as gimmicky. But neat none the less. The LED Lighting has a few modes that are programmable to your liking. Access to these settings is done easily by downloading the Sony Music center app. Which also helps those who aren’t tech savvy to connect their phone via Bluetooth. These options are in the settings and you can change your lighting to the following: Hot, Cool, Strobe, Calm Magenta, Calm Cyan, Calm Lime, Calm cinnabar, Calm Daylight, and Calm Light Bulb. The Led’s change colors to your choosing. Like controlling the sound yourself? This unit will let you. The App has a Sound option that has a preset extra Bass that brings in the big boom kids like to hear, a Standard (not very good) and a Live sound. I toggle mine from the bass to the live mode to change things up. The Equalizer type option will let you configure your own Bass, Middle, and Treble settings. The App will let you connect other blue tooth speakers set up on your Phone/Device. I was disappointed I was not able to get this working after multiple attempts with my other SRS Sony. I would like to see the app with updates that would make this option better as my phone only wanted to stay connected to one or the other not both speakers. In theory you can connect multiple speakers for an all-around better sound experience. There is also a wifi connect to other speakers that I also had no luck with. The app also has a Party Booster function (again kind of gimmicky) When turned on you can tap the top, bottom, front, and sides. The sound you can choose from are: Drum kit, Percussion, and you can customize other sounds like explosions, base effect, revers, scratch, and double scratch. You are to use this to add to the music (on the dance floor according to the video) The quality of the sound of this unit is quite frankly Extremely good, the high, middle, and low tones are spot on. Great for desks, garages or by the pool. As they are water/Dust resistant. I have had other “water proof” speakers in the past but the sound is always off due to the protection from water enhancement used on the speakers. Not with this XB31!! The sound levels can be very high and have almost no distortion what so ever. I use mine in the garage (with my other SRS in the future if I can get them to connect at the same time). On the back of the speaker in a water tight compartment are your connections. There is also a usb connection to charge your phone or device if needed!! (DC out only) Battery life is excellent, Up to 24 hours without recharging (lights off) The XB31 is a very well manufactured speaker, very solid. Nowhere does this speaker seem to cut corners. I am impressed and will recommend this to family and friends!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Sound quality
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Party in a package!

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I would like to start out by saying this is not my first BT speaker of this category nor my last. I have tested several and this I would say as of right now one of the best in its price range. Build Quality: This speaker has a very solid feel to it. Not too heavy and not too light. The "fabric" texture is great and feels very premium. The buttons on top are covered in rubber as to help with the speakers IP67 waterproof rating. Everything is well put together and nothing stands out as poor quality. Sound: This speaker has great overall sound. Now I compared it to higher end speakers that are roughly $100 more ($250 price range) and the Sony SRS-XB31 was up to the task! The bass is present at low-mid level volumes however once about 60% or so it tends to drop off somewhat. The mids and highs and pretty clear and where this speaker does really well. The overall volume this speaker can reach is great! When compared to higher end speakers the only real downfall to this one is the lack of bass at higher volumes and also that it is semi directional. Features: Quick paring of the speaker can be done through NFC but also through the BT settings of your phone. When connected through the Sony Music Center app it allows you to change the way the lights act. There are several settings like "Rave", "Chill", etc. Also the app allows you to change some of the EQ settings, connect other Sony BT speakers together, change the BT codec used, and enable Party Mode. The Party mode which allows you to hit sides of the speaker to play different noises is really just a gimmick. The app is pretty basic but allows you to take advantage of the different features this speaker has to offer. Lights: The lights alone add just a little of a "cool" factor to this speaker. Being that I have never experienced a speaker with LED's on them that can move to the beat of a song (Really well actually) is neat. If you are able to connect maybe 10 of these together I think it would maybe for a pretty great part sound and atmosphere :). Overall: This speaker is right in line with its price range and sound. It does lack some bass at the higher volumes (Even in Extra Bass mode) however for such a small speaker it does really well. The multicolored LED's are really neat and personally add a little value if you are not looking for the absolute best sounding speaker for your money. I have certainly not been disappointed by this speaker and would urge anyone in the market to take a look at this one! Pros: - LED Lighting - IP67 Waterproof - Overall Volume/Sound Quality - Battery Life - Sony Wireless Party Chain - Supports high resolution codes (SBC / AAC / LDAC codecs) Cons: - Lacks Bass at Higher Volumes

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Portable
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Hit me! . . . this Sony hits back wickedly.

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    SONY SRS-XB31. Has this much fun ever been obtainable for so little? The SONY XB31 is a rounded blue, gray, red or black, milk-carton sized powerful speaker designed to provide a mobile party. This little package generates immense satisfying volume, and is fully adjustable for more or less bass or treble or both. It has bluetooth connectivity, a lengthy play time (suggested 24hrs), can be “chained” to up to a 100 other SONY speakers in the same product family . . . and it includes a fully configurable Light Show. It’s waterproof and dustproof. And it has PARTY BOOSTER. Hang in ’til the end of the review, because this is a real trick. Are you old enough to remember Boom Boxes? They required some strength, space to store when not in use, a handful of tapes or CDs, and a power cord or a lot of batteries for a few hours of play time. Delete the need for strength; delete the requirement for space; delete the tapes/CDs; delete the batteries/power cord. Instead, swap in a music source — your phone or laptop will do nicely. Don’t forget to recharge (USB Port). You’re ready to party. Out of the box and connected to my iPhone I was playing music in 2 minutes. I downloaded the App — which is not required — because I wanted to try out the 12 light modes (plus OFF). While I was in the App, I played with the 3 band equalizer. Although it isn’t required, the APP adds a full set of controls and adjustments. And then . . . Now, for the ULTIMATE party enhancement . . . . PARTY BOOSTER. In the APP you are able to assign EVERY surface of your SONY XB31 one of 5 sound effects. Using your hand, hit the surface of the speaker, top, bottom, sides, and you’re adding either a Cowbell, a Synth Tom, a Reverse, a Scratch, or a Scratch Double. The harder you hit, the louder the effect. It’s totally outrageous. This much fun was never this obtainable for so little.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Sound quality
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Sound and Light !

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I am liking the Sony SRS-XB31 Portable Bluetooth Speaker more and more. This is a well-built speaker, weighing in at almost two pounds and is waterproof (although I would be wary about submerging it). The sound is rich and clear sounding, bass response is substantial, the sound settings are customizable when using the Sony Music center app. The speaker is easy to pair, has a combined play/pause/next track/answer call button and a separate +/- volume buttons on top. Around back a removable small panel reveals configuration controls, a USB Type A jack for charging other devices, a USB Micro Type B jack for charging the speaker and a line in jack (which I usually do not see on Bluetooth speaker) for connecting a device to playback through this speaker. When I first started to play music through the speaker it was set to “Rave” mode which flashes two LEDs on the front of the speaker along with a changing color LED on each side that reproduces the light along the edges of the speaker. Before I had a seizure, I turned off this feature using the Sony Music Center app, although after using the speaker for a while I found myself playing with different lighting modes, finally settling in on the “Calm Cinnabar”. There are also ways of generating sound effects by bumping the sides, front, top or bottom of the speaker. You can also chain this speaker to others of the same type to expand your sound field. To me most of these features are kind of gimmicky, the only ones that had any staying power with me were the lighted border and sound modes. Overall what matters with a Bluetooth speaker is sound and this speaker delivers that in convincing fashion. Pros: - Configurable, rich sound with great bass response - Sony Music center app that is the heart of controlling and configuring the speaker - Very good battery life, with a USB type A jack for charging other devices - Line In jack for connecting devices via a cord - LED lighted borders Cons: - Would avoid a white version of this speaker, might look grimy after a while. - Not a fan of the combined play/pause/next track/answer call button.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Lights, Sound quality
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Great Sound-Great Vibe

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I am a 59 year old woman who was a teenager from NY in the late 1970's; disco was my thing. So, when this speaker plays, I love the color changing effects that circle around the front edge of the speaker and the spurts of white light that go with the musice, it takes me back to those disco days dancing under the glitter ball. Wow! At any rate, the sound is really great, even while playing music really loud. The sound stays true without crackling or any contamination. The size and shape of the speaker is comfortable in the hand if someone wished to carry it around and oh, by the way, while I did not throw it in a bath tub full of water, I did put it under a stream of water from the faucet and there was no ill effect to the speaker, at all. So, I also downloaded the music app and it synced to my Samsung S7 cell phone just fine, but when my son, who did not have the app downloaded on his phone, tried to sync his phone to the speaker, he was not successful. Since there is a time deadline to get this review out and I am a CPA currently working 16 hours a day in tax season, I do not have time right now to investigate whether my son's inability to sync his phone was because the app was not loaded or there is an issue with his phone and this speaker. I will say this, when I first took the speaker out to charge it and set it up, I was upstairs in the master bedroom and when I tried to Bluetooth it to my HP Spectre laptop//tablet, I wound up syncing it with my 70 Inch Sony downstairs in the den, quite a distance away. All of a sudden, the sound coming out of the Sony TV sound bar was interrupted and that is quite a distance for a Bluetooth connection. I do not personally know anyone else who has this speaker so making a wireless party chain is not something I can do. It says there is a 24 hour long battery life and I have tested that it is a USB power charging port for my smartphone-great. I have also plugged it into various ways for charging- into the USB port on my desktop computer and into a variety of USB plugs that go into an electrical outlet. The only reason I have currently given it 4 stars is because I do not know why it would not sync with my son's android smartphone. There is a notice "Made for IPod and IPhone" on the lower left side of the back of the box?

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Sound quality
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Sony Sound is Sweet!

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Simple Review: This is an amazing little speaker with advantages like water resistance and a light show that sets it apart from a lot of other brands. It's best feature though, which also happens to be the most important, is all about that sound! UN-Simple Review: Starting with the unboxing experience your not surprised but it's not below expectations. Sony is kind of known for getting straight to the point but simple packaging and enough padding to keep the unit safe/secure. You do get a small charging cable which I never appreciate and that's pretty much it. Once you get to performance is where this speaker shines. Any speaker can be loud but this speaker has deep enough bass for those gritty songs. Also, has that clarity so you don't feel the need to crank it to max to enjoy it. I have many Bluetooth speakers at this price range and I promise you this is the one to buy. We get to battery life and I'm pleased to tell you it's great. 24 hours is what it quotes on the box though I found myself enjoying it for 2 hours more than that. Sounds + Battery Life + Water Resistance makes this speaker a win. One thing that I though I would like but ended up turning off later was the light show. I just didn't think it attached itself well to the beat so it was more distracting than appealing to me. Wrapping up this speaker is easily worth the cost. I would recommend this to you, your family... I myself am even going to the store to purchase another one to pair them together to get a stereo effect. Hope this helped you in your purchasing decision and thanks for reading my review.

    I would recommend this to a friend