Sony is upgrading three of its wireless Bluetooth speakers with significant redesigns and new features as it integrates them into the ULT Power Sound series it introduced a year ago that includes speakers and headphones with improved bass-boosting sound modes. All three speakers will now have a dedicated ULT shortcut button for those sound modes that boost and emphasize low-end frequencies, while two of them feature improved LEDs that better light up a room with a beat-synced light show.
The loudest and largest of the three is the new ULT Tower 9 party speaker that replaces the Sony SRS-XV900. The battery-powered version, with 25 hours of playback and a quick charge option that yields three hours of playback after only a 10-minute top-up, is priced the same as the previous version at $899.99, but Sony will also offer a cheaper $749.99 version that’s AC-only.
Powered by a large woofer, four tweeters, and two midrange drivers, the ULT Tower 9 offers two bass modes: ULT1 delivers “deeper, lower frequency bass,” while ULT2 provides “powerful punchy bass.” If you prefer to adjust the speaker’s sound profile on your own, it also features a 10-band EQ. Sony has enlarged the speaker’s wheels to improve its mobility. And, in addition to karaoke mic support and the ability to connect the ULT Tower 9 to a TV, it now has improved 360-degree LED lighting that can illuminate a wider area of the floor around it.
The new $329.99 ULT Field 5 speaker is a replacement for the $349 Sony SRS-XG300 and a slightly smaller and more affordable alternative to the $499 ULT Field 7 that debuted last year. Powered by a central woofer flanked by two tweeters on the front and two passive radiators on the sides, the ULT Field 5 offers up to 25 hours of battery life with either the ULT1 or ULT2 modes activated and lighting off.
Improved LEDs on either end better project colored synchronized lighting on nearby surfaces, but opting for one of three light modes drops battery life to 10 hours, or just 2.5 hours with the speaker at maximum volume. Other upgrades include a 10-band adjustable EQ through Sony’s mobile Sound Connect app, an optional shoulder strap, and a more boxy design, allowing the speaker to be used on its side or when standing vertically.
The $199.99 ULT Field 3, now the second smallest speaker in Sony’s ULT Power Sound line, replaces the cylindrical SRS-XE300 with a design similar to the ULT Field 5 that can now be used either horizontally or vertically. Battery life is the same as its predecessor, with up to 24 hours of playback.
It’s powered by just a single woofer and tweeter paired with two passive radiators on the sides, which limits its alternate bass modes to just the ULT1 option. Opting for the boosted bass reduces battery to just five hours at max volume. An adjustable seven-band EQ lets you tweak the speaker’s sound while balancing battery life, but like the smaller ULT Field 1, the ULT Field 3 doesn’t feature any LED lighting.
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