ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Sony Ult Field 1 is the model’s latest transportable speaker that prioritizes crystal-clear sound and pronounced bass.
- The speaker punches above its $130 worth level with vibrant audio that sounds prefer it’s coming from a way more costly gadget. And proper now, it is on sale on Amazon for $98.
- It would not boast as lengthy a battery life as its predecessor, however what it lacks in battery it makes up for in stellar sound.
My roommates and I are continual occasion throwers; weeknight dinner events, birthdays, anniversaries — heck, we even as soon as threw an April Idiot’s occasion. We have now every thing wanted for a profitable occasion, besides speaker. And that is not with out attempting.
It is a acquainted scene: my roommate pulls out her outdated Bose speaker that requires a wire connection — unsurprisingly, it will get no mileage. We ask associates to deliver their very own audio system, however not often do theirs win the battle towards a crowded house of 20 to 30 individuals.
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So, after I examined out Sony’s model new Ult Field 1 speaker at our 15-person Easter banquet, I used to be half anticipating the bustle of company to overpower this transportable speaker’s sound. Boy, was I mistaken. At $130, this speaker crammed the room with wealthy audio that sounded prefer it was coming from a much more costly gadget. The truth is, this speaker exceeded my expectations in a couple of key methods. It is simply develop into my summer time occasion and seashore day companion, due to how impressed I’m with the sound, construct, and battery.
Sony is thought for naming its gadgets like they’re aircrafts: The Ult Subject 1’s predecessor that shares the identical price ticket, for instance, is the SRS-XE200. That does not essentially roll off the tongue, does it? The corporate is altering its methods, as the gang cheers. This new lineup of audio gear has way more pronounceable names, together with the Ult Subject 1. Ult for “final” and Subject for its portability, as a Sony spokesperson defined.
The brand new speaker is the smallest out of the Ult Subject mannequin lineup, and is available in 4 colours: off white, forest grey, black, and orange. It is about so long as your forearm and has the circumference of a soda can. Alongside its IP67 waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof rankings, Sony added a rustproof score, catering to those that take the audio system to the seashore the place they’re weathered by salty ocean water.
Like its predecessor, you’ll be able to place the speaker right-side up or on its facet, however the Ult Subject 1 improves on the SRS-XE200’s sound with extra energy and stability — it would not prioritize one orientation, whether or not horizontal or vertical, over one other. My songs sounded simply as vibrant in each orientations.
Listening to music on this speaker has been such a pleasure. I’ve spent on common about an hour a day listening to music by means of the speaker, and the battery life lasted round every week and a half. That is consistent with the 12-hour battery life that Sony advertises. Do take into account, nonetheless, that the SRS-XE200 had a 16-hour battery life, however what the Ult Subject 1 loses in battery life, it makes up for in improved sound.
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In a side-by-side demo of the SRS-XE200 and the Ult Subject 1, the excellence in sound and readability was evening and day: the already-clear SRS-XE200 sounded tinny within the presence of the Ult Subject 1’s crystal-clear sound.
Connectivity is a breeze: the speaker paired practically immediately to my cellphone and my good friend’s cellphone as we swapped DJ shifts at dinner.
To get extra bass out of your songs on the Ult Subject 1 you’ll be able to press the Ult button on the precise.
Nina Raemont/ZDNET
The Ult lineup, which incorporates the $130 Ult Field 1, the $500 Ult Field 7, the $1,200 Ult Tower 10, and the $200 Ult Wear headphones, prioritize large, booming bass. Once I wished to engulf myself within the bass of one in every of my favourite songs, Dijon’s Speak Down, I pressed the Ult button on my speaker, and it instantly remodeled the track right into a pulsing anthem that reverberated in my front room.
You needn’t take heed to booming bangers to be impressed by the readability of this speaker, both. Once I performed my classical music playlist, the violins and strings sounded so shut in proximity and undeterred by the construct of the speaker, it was as if I had simply walked into the New York Philharmonic for a live performance. Whereas I used to be testing it, I spent two hours of my Saturday afternoon in mattress, doing nothing else however listening to music solely due to how clear it sounded. The Ult Subject 1 is a speaker that performs sound accurately, true to how its creators meant.
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Not solely can the speaker challenge a wealthy, bass-heavy sound, it may well additionally get loud. Once I powered up the Ult Subject 1 at my 15-person Easter occasion, it held its personal, surprising me with its giant energy regardless of its compact measurement.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
After a couple of weeks of listening to each track, album, and playlist on my cellphone, I am assured to advocate this new speaker to anybody searching for a sub-$150 sound system that punches nicely above its worth level. The Ult Field 1 is ideal as a speaker for a small house or anybody who desires to be surrounded by juicy bass and clear sound.
You’ll be able to snatch the speaker up at a reduction proper now, for $98 on Amazon, proper in time on your seashore hangouts, grill outs, and Fourth of July events.
