Tech Evaluate: Sony SRS-XP500 Audio system, Expertise Information

SONY SRS-XP500: Rs 26,990

How loud is too loud?

Sony’s new portable party speaker offers booming sound that might annoy the neighbors, but those who “go wild” at home will love it.

“Don’t play too loud, you’ll wake up other family members!”

“The neighbors tell us to refuse!”

“Turn the volume up and let’s train!”

“Mom, let’s play Floor is Lava at full volume!”

Those few exclamation marks have ruled my life since the Sony SRS-XP500 came home. Get to know the new boombox, the party loudspeaker and the huge audio beast. Call it what you want, the new Sony speaker delivers powerful, haunting sound.

So much so that my humble bedroom wasn’t ready to be shaken to the core when we played Arena by Fabian Mazur and Snavs, an adrenaline training track.

Nor was my home ready to listen to The Floor is Lava with such enthusiasm because we were all torn by the beats and couldn’t help but bounce and screech with joy with my three year old.

What I mean by that is that I am not a “fury” or “party animal” or any other millennial term associated with headbanging to loud music. Yet even I couldn’t resist the urge to invite my vaccinated, masked friends over to enjoy some powerful beats on this speaker.

The speaker costs Rs 26,990 which is decent for a speaker of this size with a ton of features. Keep in mind that flagship wireless earbuds are known to cost more. That’s why the Sony SRS-XP500 is the ideal speaker for you if you like to entertain and enjoy music to the fullest.

Wearable only when you are exercising

The Sony SRS-XP500 is portable, which means you can take it with you to parties and large gatherings in an elusive world after the pandemic. It doesn’t always have to be plugged into a power source, although the sound quality is much more impressive when it is plugged into power.

At 11.2 kilograms, it’s not easy to move unless you lift weights! It’s a great black beauty, if you will, with LED lights for those who like that kind of vibe. For an old soul like me, it was a real pleasure to hear some Nora Jones classics with the lights dim and let the LEDs set the mood.

For those wondering where to park this beast, you can place it vertically or horizontally. The IPX4 rating protects the XP500 from water. So if you’re going out for a date dinner with the XP500, don’t panic if someone spills their drink on it. Or in my case, when my son spilled apple juice while dancing to cocomelon beats.

Get creative

Believe me, the party speaker market is surprisingly large and well documented with big brands diving into the space. It can be hard to spend money on a party speaker when we’re mostly stuck at home avoiding a fatal infection.

So take advantage of the other features of the XP500, like using the microphone and guitar input, to turn the speaker into a karaoke machine! This can be a great tool when calling in a few guests – who are vaccinated, of course – and making for great entertainment around the house.

Battery that won’t give up

You got me on battery life! The XP500 has a battery life of 20 hours and after 10 minutes of charging you can play for 80 minutes without interruption thanks to the fast charge function.

So if you take it with you for camping, on vacation in the distant future, or even exercise online via bluetooth mode, the speaker won’t let you down.

Sound that can wake up the neighbors!

Pro Tip: This is not suitable for small bedrooms or rooms as you will annoy other members and relatives unless you are disciplined with the volume. This is proof of the powerful sound that the speaker offers. We used it when we were hosting dinner with a couple of friends and had a lot of questions about its features.

I used it for a few kickboxing and Zumba workouts and the immersive sound kept my energy levels high.

The technology is packaged here in two highly efficient tweeters together with two X balanced woofers. Every knock, click, crack, yelp and yes can be heard with flawless clarity!

Imagine what you could do with this speaker at a large party when it was safe to attend?

The sound quality leaves very little room for complaint here (audio purists, look at you here), even though it’s just a front-facing speaker.

Should you buy it?

This is a question that is difficult to answer at the moment. Are we ready to party? Not yet, I think. The country has opened up, people go out into shopping centers, restaurants, exotic travel destinations. So the market for such a speaker is already ripe, and if you are looking for one, the Sony SRS-XP500 is the new boombox for you with a good price of almost 27,000 rupees.

While I recommend the product, I do not advocate bothering others with loud music. Don’t go to crowded parties at this time, even as cases go down. So be adventurous, not sloppy.

Buy this speaker to enjoy amazing sound, beware of the virus, and have a socially responsible get-together full of crazy friends who will enjoy the sound and knock out some detuned numbers with you!