Sony SRS-XB100 Bluetooth Speaker Review | CNN underlined

(CNN) The Sony XB13 has long been our top pick of Bluetooth speakers for travel, packing big sound, great battery life and a road-ready fabric strap in a tiny cylinder you can take anywhere. Its successor, the new XB100, is largely the same and depending on who you are, that’s no bad thing.

Sony’s latest pint-sized speaker offers a slightly refined design, refreshed color options and improved sound, with all the features we already loved on the XB13 (including the convenient ability to pair two for immersive stereo sound). Current XB13 owners don’t have much reason to upgrade, but what about those looking to buy a travel-friendly speaker for the first time? Here’s what I think after a week of rocking out with the latest Sony.

The XB100 does not spoil what has already worked on the XB13. Sony’s latest mini speaker looks a lot like its predecessor, with a 3.7-inch-tall, 0.6-pound design that easily fits in the palm of my hand as well as a handy fabric strap to attach the XB100 to. to your backpack, bike, or just about anything else you’d like a Bluetooth speaker hanging from.

That said, Sony has made some subtle and clever changes to this year’s model, starting with a new soft-touch textured outer shell that makes the speaker even easier to grip. The Sony logo is now etched into the speaker rather than sticking out of it in big white text, giving a slightly cleaner, more minimalist look.

The colors are all slight changes from the previous model, with bold blue and orange (I tested the latter and it looks stunning) alongside more subdued gray and charcoal options. The XB100’s rubber onboard controls proved reliable and quick in my testing, as I had no trouble pausing, playing and skipping tracks or adjusting the volume on the fly. There’s a flap that covers the USB-C charging port, which is useful on a speaker that might be splashing around poolside or at the beach.

Speaking of which, the XB100 is IP67 rated, meaning it’s fully dust and sandproof and can survive being submerged in around three feet of water. I thoroughly soaked the XB100 in running water in my sink a few times, and it continued to sink just fine afterwards.

Like the XB13 before it, the XB100 produces impressive sound from a speaker shorter than a soda can. Sony’s portable noisemaker had no problem filling my bedroom and living room with crisp sound that, for better or worse, is especially prominent in the bass.

Seriously, this low-end is booming, to the point that I could physically feel the bass drum sound every time I sat it on my kitchen counter or desk. This satisfying bass helped elevate pop tracks like Munas The One That Got Away or Shallow Pools IHYK, which burst from Sony’s tiny cylinder with jaw-dropping fury. The XB13 also handled vocals well, from the layered three-part harmonies of boygenius to the punky growl of Say Anythings Max Bemis. When I turned on a podcast, the hosts’ voices were so clear they might as well have been in the room with me. However, this thick bass was sometimes a drawback, as it sometimes drowned out the rest of the track during guitar rock songs. I didn’t notice a huge difference between XB100 and XB13 when listening to the two side-by-side, although songs were noticeably crisper and louder on the new speaker.

Overall, this is a fantastic sounding speaker for $60, but fans of electronic music, hip-hop, or anything bass-heavy will probably get the most out of it, d especially since there’s no companion app to customize things. If you want more immersive stereo sound (and are willing to pay for two speakers), you can pair two XB100s, which is a nice added touch.

The XB100 is just as good at picking up voices as it is at outputting them, as my friends noted how clearly I sounded on phone calls. The same is true when I used the speakerphone to summon my iPhone’s Siri assistant, which responded accurately to my voice commands.

A portable speaker is no good if it’s going to die halfway through your trip. Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about that with the XB100. Sony’s latest speaker is rated for 16 hours of battery life, which largely matches my anecdotal testing. I was able to get through almost five days of heavy use (including long hours of music and a few calls) before the speakers’ low battery indicator even came on.

I wish the speaker itself would provide a better idea of ​​remaining charge (the charging icon just flashes orange when low), although I was able to keep an eye on the XB100’s remaining battery via my iPhone. Overall, however, the strong endurance of the XB100 more than matches that of its excellent predecessor and should see you through a road trip or a long day at the beach.

The USB-C cable that comes with the XB100 is only about a foot long, and you don’t get a power supply in the box. It’s pretty common for this type of speaker, and chances are you’ll have lots of USB-C cables and chargers lying around, but it can still prove frustrating if you need to recharge. in the blink of an eye. If you take this speaker on the road, best to bring a portable charger with it.

There’s no need to fix what isn’t broken, but existing XB13 owners hoping for something new and fresh won’t find much here. It’s largely the same speaker as the previous generation, just with some slight design changes and slightly improved audio and call quality. It’s also a shame that the stereo pair function only works between

The Sony XB100 refines what was already our favorite travel speaker, pumping out great sound and big battery for its small size while still looking good. If you’re looking to spend no more than $60 on a small speaker that you can stick on your bag or bike, this is a no-brainer.

If you’re on a really tight budget, the $25 Anker Soundcore Mini is a compelling alternative that has a few unique benefits not found on Sony’s speaker, including a microSD card slot, auxiliary port for wired audio and even an FM tuner to pick up local radio. But if you’re willing to go for better sound quality and durability, the XB100 is as good as it gets for $60.