Sony - High Power XB72 Speaker - Black

At first glance, the $350 launch price seemed a bit daunting to me, but I quickly realized that this speaker is a much better value than a lot of the smaller counter-top Bluetooth speakers offered by companies such as Bose or Marshall.  This speaker is a true beast!  Not only does it offer monstrous sound and thumping bass, but it is truly versatile.  The speaker looks great standing next to an entertainment center and also works very well as a party speaker. The speaker is easy to set up and simple to use.  While Sony tries to force the use of their Music Center App, it seems at least some of the time the typical Bluetooth pairing will get you up and running.  But, if you are having trouble pairing - you will want to connect specifically through the Sony app (which does work quite well).  The app is also the easiest way to control the various lights - providing color & flash/strobe options. It is worth noting that this speaker is not made for mounting.  If you are a DJ, or are purchasing this speaker for use at events, there is no easy way to mount to a pole or hang on a wall.  This speaker will either be standing vertically, or laying horizontally (having rubber feet for both options).  Multiple speakers can synch via Bluetooth, but the shape of the speaker tilts upwards and is not a perfect box - meaning that speakers are not easy to stack (vertically or horizontally).  Outdoor use can be cumbersome as the speaker is not water resistant and as the cord is only 5 feet long.  The volume is loud enough to set the speaker anywhere, but because this speaker puts on a light show - you actually want it to be seen.  I suggest having an extension cord handy. Interestingly, while the cabinet appears to have a tweeter in all 4 corners, there are actually only 3 (each 2 inches in size).  The 4th tweeter is non-functioning and simply makes the speaker look balanced visually.  When the speaker is standing vertically, only the top two tweeters play audio.  When the speaker is laid down horizontally, the speaker automatically adjusts moving the audio to what then becomes the top two tweeters. I tested the speaker outdoors - as I intend to use it for summer BBQs and block parties.  The speaker had absolutely no trouble filling our entire cul-de-sac with clear audio and decent bass. I truly am impressed by how well this speaker works both indoors and out.  (Just keep in mind that it is not waterproof.)  It functions well at both low & high volumes.  The live music function is a noticeable change, but can leave the vocals sounding hollow & distant.  I appreciate that it is an option, but I would assume that most people will want to leave the audio unaltered. While the Bluetooth is generally convenient, the connection quickly cuts out if it does not have direct line of sight.  30 feet of wireless range may seem like plenty of space, but at a block party, on a dance floor, or even inside the house - this is fairly limited.  Keep in mind that you will not be able to wander away from the speaker - the phone will need to stay near by.  And, this model does not have any slot to hold your phone/tablet.  The speaker also does not have a standard 3.5mm audio input.  Instead, it has the red & white component input (and output).  You may be able to use the 1/4" microphone input (if you have an adapter), but that is probably not the best option as your main audio input.  …If you don’t want to worry about wireless range (or worry about your phone ringing through the speaker in the middle of a party), using the radio is also an option that works well. The colored LED lights work well and look quite nice.  I appreciate that the LED strips are no longer located behind the wire mesh.  They are now unobstructed & nicely frame the speaker.  By default, the lights continue to cycle even when the audio is not playing, but the lights can be controlled with both a physical button and also within the app.  The white strobe lights are less impressive as they are really not all that bright.   I do wish the speaker could be powered by an internal battery – even if it was only a couple of hours, but overall I think this speaker is a great value and is conveniently versatile.  If its physical bulk does not bother you, it is worth purchasing.  And, if you want to save some money, previous models are still sold for a lot less. Pros: + Works well both indoors and out + Audio remains crisp & clear even at high volumes + Noticeably rich bass boost + NFC (Near Field Communication) feature makes pairing (via Bluetooth 4.2) very easy + Speaker automatically adjusts which two tweeters are used to play audio (depending on if the speaker is standing vertically, or lying horizontally) + 1/4" inch Microphone Input allows the speaker to be used for karaoke, or to make announcements at an event + Microphone has its own volume knob + Built in pin-hole microphone works decently for answering phone calls + Two built in Handles (top & bottom) aid in carrying + Lights are easily controlled via Sony Connect App (both color & flashing options) + Multiple speakers can connect wirelessly via Bluetooth + Light colors sync up when multiple speakers are linked + Can play via Bluetooth or from files on a USB memory stick + Multiple audio sources (phones/tablets) can be linked simultaneously Cons: - No optical input - No battery - No bracket or attachment to aid in mounting - Heavy (about 26 lbs) - No slot for holding phone, or tablet - No Remote Control (which was included in previous models) - Not water resistant or water proof - White Strobe Lights are not very bright - Speaker's shape does not allow them to be easily stacked - Cord is only 5 feet long (which can make it difficult to use outdoors) - Bluetooth range is problematic. 30 feet is only with perfect line of sight. - Live Music mode (at times) leaves music sounding hollow and vocals sounding distant & muted - Fiestable App is slow, unimpressive, and not worth using

Sony’s new GTK-XB72 Wireless Speaker System is certainly powerful, very flashy (literally!) and with make its presence known at every party. But I was disappointed by some elements which Sony could have executed far better. The Sony GTK-XB72 system is designed to provide both room-filling sound and visual excitement to parties. It is primarily designed as a Bluetooth speaker but it can also support other sources via stereo RCA connections, a built-in FM radio and a microphone input. Here are the key features: • Powerful home audio system with multiple inputs • Two 160 mm (6.3”) woofers • Three 50 mm (2”) cone tweeters (only two active at any time) • Vertical or horizontal placement (position activates appropriate tweeters) • 30 watts per channel RMS power • Total Harmonic Distortion less than 0.7% • Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity with 33 foot range, supports up to three source devices simultaneously • NFC for easy connections • Multicolor LED line lighting on front, top, sides and speakers • Two strobe lights at the top and bottom of the main speaker pair • FM tuner: 87.5 MHz – 108.0 MHz (100 kHz steps), telescoping rod antenna, 20 preset stations available via Sony Music Center app • Extra Bass: enhances bass level • Live Sound: DSP enhances 3D spacial effect • Sony Music Center app may be used to control most speaker functions • Sony Fiestable app controls lighting effects and DJ sound effects • Party chain connectivity (to other Sony speakers) • Add speaker function to create L/R stereo speaker pair • R/L RCA analog inputs for other sources • R/L RCA analog outputs • 6.35 mm (1/4”) stereo microphone input with volume control, supports karaoke mode • USB-A 2.1 Amp input and charging power output • Built-in microphone for speakerphone function • Voice guidance system • Up/down volume buttons • Up/down FM tuning • 120v AC power only, 60 watt consumption • Dimensions: 13.6” wide x 14.9” deep x 25.8” tall • Weight: 27 pounds • Two carrying handles • One year warranty Included in the box are the speaker, AC power cord, quick start guide and instructions. Setup is very easy. Just plug in the speaker, turn on the power and press the Bluetooth button to connect to your source. You can also listen to FM radio by selecting that input. Once you plug it in, the light show begins (even before you turn it on.) LED line lights which frame the speakers cycle through various colors. The two main speakers also light up and have their own color patterns. In addition, two strobe lights begin flashing near the two handles of the unit (at the top and bottom or left and right, depending upon how you have the speaker oriented.) Sony certainly put some effort into the design of the lighting effects. They do add to the party atmosphere. Also my young niece and her friends loved them so they would be a hit for children’s rooms. For normal use of the speaker you can turn off the lighting effects. The Sony Fiestable app can provide further control over the lighting (and create DJ sound effects.) However, there does not seem to be any way to turn off the strobe light separately from the LED colored lights. That is a design flaw. Using just the LED lights the effect can be soothing but the strobe negates that benefit. Using both (LED and strobe) is fine for a party but most of the time this speaker is going to be used in calmer settings where a strobe is inappropriate. How good is the sound reproduction? Unfortunately, it is only acceptable for loud, bass-heavy music that you might play at parties. For all other music the speaker just doesn’t do justice to vocals or instrumentals. I set up a small Sony Bluetooth speaker (the new XB-22) next to the big XB72 and alternated music output between the two. (See photo.) While the little XB22 could not match the bass of the XB72 its rendition of mid-range and high notes was far superior. This is really sad because I know that Sony can create great speakers. The XB72 should have been designed with a good three-way speaker set (bass, mid-range and tweeter) rather than the two woofers and bizarre set of three tweeters. Really, Sony, what did you save? $30? I cannot imagine why Sony went to the trouble to put in three cheap paper cone tweeters and a switching arrangement to direct output to only two at a time. The resulting stereo effect is just not worth the wiring. Why not just put in four decent small speakers at the corners, two of which would be true tweeters and two could be mid-range speakers? The XB72 has most of its controls on the top (the exception is the volume control for the microphone which is hidden on the back, just above where the mic would plug in.) All controls on the top are pressure sensitive buttons. (See photo.) I am definitely not a fan of these controls. First, none are lighted and in a typically dark party setting you would need to hold a light over them to tell them apart. Even in normal room lighting the identifying text is faint and not easy to read. The volume buttons (up/down) are really marginal. You have to press hard multiple times to change the volume level. If you had the speaker cranked up to a high volume the last time you used it (say at a party last night) and the next morning you want to listen to some music, the volume will resume at that extreme level and you have to scramble to reduce it before your neighbors pounds on your door with complaints. Why didn’t Sony just put a volume knob on the unit? It would be easier to use and you could find it in the dark. Similarly, the FM tuner uses up/down tuning buttons. Using them, it takes forever to get to your favorite station. You can use the Sony Music Center to preset 20 stations but that is a complicated solution to an easy problem. Again, why not just put an FM tuning knob on the XB72? And, while I am whining about shortcomings, I should mention that an AM tuner would make sense on this speaker system. I could see using it to tune into a sports event (which are usually on the AM bands) and broadcasting the game to a yard full of friends while you grill the food. Another solution to the control shortcomings would be to have a lighted LCD panel on the top with all controls accessible from it. It might cost a bit more but it would work and look very cool. There were a few other minor issues I had with the speaker, none of which are deal-breakers but all added to the frustrations I had with the design decisions made by Sony. • First, the power cord included is very short. It really should be at least twice as long (10+ feet, rather than the roughly 4 foot length provided.) • The FM radio uses a cheap chrome-plated telescoping antenna rather building a good FM antenna into the body. This antenna will likely be an early casualty at a party. • Given that the speaker will probably be used in large rooms there should be some way to mount it on a wall or some other support. You really should be able to get the speaker off the floo, particularly since it has no water resistance of any kind. Bottom line - the Sony GTK-XB72 audio system may be appropriate for a fairly narrow range of uses (e.g., blasting dance music at big parties) and for those who need that functionality I can certainly recommend it. But the severe flaws I noted above force me to give it no more than three stars. Sony, you could resolve every one of my issues with just a few changes – I hope you read this and incorporate the needed improvements in the next generation of this potentially outstanding product.

I was hesitant to purchase because I seen a few people say the sound was bad or not loud at all. Clearly, we didn’t purchase the same item. I haven’t even tried it on MAX yet and my house shakes!!! I love it. I wish is was wireless but I got it on sale for $200. I really can’t complain for this quality. I bought this to anger my neighbors off because they’re rude. Tested it out two days ago and I LOVE all the dirty looks l get! It’s worth every penny y’all!!

Great speaker! Play music pretty loud if you’re in the partying mood! It’s definitely gonna be a hit when we have people over at our house. Only downside is I wish it didn’t have to be plugged in to play music

Whether you are starting a study jam session or would like to kick off a party with family and friends, the Sony GTK XB72 is a great choice for your audio system. The flashy LED color and strobe lights make a great addition to the speaker to help a party get going. With a little more to be expected, this speaker still makes it the go to decision for your next party. Connecting to the XB72 was a breeze; my devices were able to immediately find and connect to it. It also supports NFC for the Android tech savvy people. One tap and my phone was connected with Bluetooth audio functionality. Upon connecting the power cord, I was greeted by beautiful LED lights. I discovered leaving the cord connected while the speaker is on standby keeps the lights on. It's great ambience lighting! Sony baked their ClearAudio+ and Extra Bass technology into the speaker and even without it, music sounds crisp and boomy. With both enabled (enabling one enables the other), you can really feel the punch of the bass to hip hop and r&b genre music. Sony also added a "Live" button to add a soundstage effect to music you listen to. I felt it too trebly for my taste but I can see where others would prefer to listen to some music with the option enabled. Speaking of soundstage, the speaker also has a mic input for those karaoke nights! The small knob to control the sound level of the mic audio was located on the rear (for those looking for it). Sometimes the music needs to be louder than the one singing during karaoke! The speaker also supports FM radio, the ability to connect a USB drive or smartphone via the USB input, and has RCA inputs. As an added bonus Sony, through their Music Center app, allows for more control of your speaker lights and audio. Via the app you can change the lighting effect to something more subtle or even choose to turn them off. The app also gives you the options for EQ effects and even a few DJ effects. These were all cool options to play with and made me enjoy the speaker's features even more. If you are looking to amp the party up even more, there is also an option to chain Sony compatible speakers to your XB72. Now I can see this starting a neighborhood block party! Now for some of the cons. For a large party speaker I would've wanted for there to be some type of rechargable battery incorporated into the design. The power cable included is long enough to place into a nearby power outlet but if you would like this bad baby at the center of a crowd, an extension cord is needed. Another tiny addition I would've liked to see was a Bluetooth wake option. (Some speakers support powering it on from connecting to it via Bluetooth but after attempting to do so, the speaker remained off). All in all, these still do not take away from the impressive features the XB72 brings to the table. Overall I would recommend this speaker to those who love to listen to music outside for a barbecue or gathering, or for those who like to entertain when family and friends are over. With the added light effects and app control, this speaker really is one to get a party going. Although there is not an option to take the speaker on the go, the loudness compensates for it and thus I give it 5 stars.

Let me start off by saying that stereo shelf systems aren't as common as they were 10 years ago. Sony didn't forget this when they designed this massive speakers system. It can be placed horizontally or vertically, has clear audio at the loudest setting, and the bass really does kick. I appreciate the built in handle and the easy spots to place your iPhone or small media player. The included radio antenna (not some wire attachable) is a nice touch for those wanting to listen to standard radio. Bluetooth connections are pretty strong, easily able to stay connected on the other side of my house (your results may vary). The USB plug was able to charge my iPhone, while playing audio, and the Sony Music Center App was able to manipulate the EQ settings, change the lights (or turn them off), and is used to group other compatible Sony speakers for more sound! I tested party chain with a Sony SRS-XB41 and was up and running in about 30 seconds. The app walks you through "grouping" as long as both speakers are connected via Bluetooth! I was then able to control volume using the app or my iPhone using bluetooth streaming. This made for a surround sound like effect with one speaker placed on my desk, and the larger XB72 in the corner of my office. This almost reminds me of the speakers you see at a high school prom that's brought by the DJ. Except this is much more portable, and the sound is EXCELLENT! The light show effect isn't something I'm terribly into, but if you like a light show you'll love this speaker. Also, there is a demo track built in. Just power on the XB72, and hold the "Extra Bass" button as indicated by the sticker. Then prepare to listen to a short clip of EDM music. Overall, I'm really impressed with this speaker system. I listen to a lot of alternative and hip-hop with exceptional quality. I like the grouping for parties or whole home audio, and the EQ settings are easy to manipulate if you have an iOS device with the Music Center app. I'd highly recommend this! Might buy another one!

Overview: The XB72 is a more than competent portable speaker. The Good: Sound quality on this thing is tremendous. There are 6 speakers on the unit: 4 tweeters and 2 medium size ones. The bass is “extra”, as advertised. Set up is relatively easy, but be prepared to download a Sony app on your smartphone if you want to use Bluetooth. Other input options are FM radio, USB, Mic in. The LED and strobe lights on this are a nice touch and can be configured to be used with about 8 or 9 different modes, ranging from “rave” (which is crazy as the name implies) to a much more relaxed “chill” setting. The speaker is also relatively light for its size. It does need a power source, though, so be prepared to plug the 3 pronged power cord into an outlet of some type. You can party chain multiple units of this model together to create a larger soundscape, which is a great future. The Bad: The UI on Sony’s app for this device isn’t that well designed. Recommended? Yes.

I have had this speaker for a few weeks and have played with all the features and I am pleased to say this speaker is as fun as it is loud. The NFC/Bluetooth pairing was very simple and it was quick. The sound is bass heavy but the mids/highs are not muddled and the sound quality is good. The actual features thru the fiestable app are actually pretty cool and seem like they would be a hit in a party setting. Thru the app you can sync up 2 streaming devices and go back and forth so thats a pretty cool feature that allows for multiple users to play dj. The other cool features are music effect/lighting effects that are synced to all party guests that sync the speaker to their phone via the fiestable app. Thereby allowing you to control the music/lights and actually have your phone strobe w multicolored lights synced to the music. I can see how that would be fun in a group/party setting. The handles on the speaker make it easy to move around and the weight is minimized by it's portable size and travel handles. The LED lights look very cool in the dark and make the speaker an actual fun thing to look at besides just listening to it. I couldn't find negative things to say about it because I take the sound for what it is, a loud party speaker with extra bass at a price point that is reasonable for the quality you get.