Sony XB30 Portable Speaker Review: High on Bass, Low on Treble
The Sony XB30 portable speaker is a good bargain at Rs 8498. It comes with NFC and good battery life.
advertisement
If you ask me which is the best speaker to buy under Rs 10,000 today in the market, I’d probably run out of fingers in each hand and still won’t be able to tell which one to pick. There are so many of them!!
But of the many, there are a few which deserve the spotlight and the Sony XB30 is one of those portable gizmos.
What’s Good?
With the flashy colours and LED light, this one really is eye candy, but its looks aren’t the only thing I was impressed by. The sound quality of the XB30 is wow. Both the highs and the mids have enough kick to rock your party, but if you still need that extra thump just press the “Extra Bass” button and voila, get ready to dance.
The slim LED lights and the “strobe” lights might look gimmicky and probably remind you of the lights on airplane wings, but to be frank I really don’t mind the extra flair. The lights too keep pace to the beats of the music or react to the bass of the speaker. If it’s too much for you, you can always turn the lights off but yeah, if you’re having a party then definitely keep them on.
The Sony XB30 comes with a built-in microphone which also allows you to use the device as a speaker for phone conversations. There is even a dedicated “Phone” button to answer calls. Voice clarity via the speaker is good only till the time you maintain decent proximity to the gizmo. Any further than 10 feet, the voice starts to dissipate at the other end. The speaker also supports Google Assistant and Siri. Battery back-up is decent, I got 14 hours of playback time keeping the lights on. The speaker is splash-proof which means it can take a little splash near the pool.
Another great feature of the speaker is that you can charge another device using the XB30. There is a USB port on the rear, which you can use to charge. Also, it supports wireless multi-connectivity which means you can pair it with another XB series Sony speaker and create a stereo system. You can connect maximum 10 speakers at a time.
What’s Bad?
What is a real bummer is that the speaker does not support USB charging, which means you will always need the XB30s proprietary charger with the barrel connector that comes in the box. Charging the device takes up to 4 hours. So make sure you carry it always with you if you’re heading out for trips. Also, would have liked a battery life indicator on the control panel. It’s tough keeping track of the battery capacity without any indicators. The rubber finish on the speaker attracts a lot of smudges and hand prints and wiping it is a tough task.
Worth Buying?
At an online price of Rs 8,498 the Sony XB30 is a great offering. Yes, there is some competition in this segment from the likes of the JBL Charge 2+ and the Jabra Soulmate, but the XB30 has enough thump of its own to give you what you need from a portable speaker in this price segment.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)