Sony SRS-XB100 Wireless Bluetooth Portable Lightweight Super-Compact Travel Speaker, Extra-Durable IP67 Waterproof & Dustproof, 16 Hrs Batt, Versatile Strap, Extra Bass and…

REVIEW AFTER TWO WEEKS’ USE

Sony caught thunder in a cup and called it SRS XB-100. This speaker is pretty loud and clear for its size, purpose and price. It is strictly meant for personal use or a small gathering of 6-8 people at best. Yet this little coffee mug outsmarts every other speaker below 5000 Rs.
(Note – this speaker is not loud enough for a party. Those who feel that it is not loud enough for personal use may get an audiological evaluation to see if you have noise-induced hearing loss. Since hearing loss from loud noise (above 70 dB / 70% volume) is irreversible, try to reduce the loudness you listen to and follow 60:60 rule.)

AUDIO QUALITY
Vocals are loud, crisp and clear. Bass is good but not over-the-top. Good treble. From my experience, I would rate SRS XB-100 for various purposes as below.
Playing music files = 10/10
Playing podcasts = 8/10
Call quality = 8/10
Playing YouTube videos = 7/10
Playing Movies & Series = 7/10
Generally, 50%-60% volume was sufficient for audio files to be clear and loud enough. Podcasts needed around 70%. YouTube videos, Movies & Series needed 70%-100% and they largely depended on the quality of file as well. Some old BBC documentaries and series played as clear as any music file at 60% volume whereas Avatar, LOTR series and Spiderman needed at least 80% volume.

PORTABILITY
The MOST underrated aspect of this speaker. You could take it and hang it anywhere.

CHARGING & BATTERY LIFE
About 4 to 4.5 hours to charge fully. At around 60% volume, SRS XB-100 lasts for nearly 10 hours, 2 hours less than advertised. At full volume, it lasts nearly 6 hours. But it has no fast charging and the chord provided for charging is very small. These are the only cons I felt.

SONY MUSIC CENTRE APP
It just tells you how much battery is left, allow connecting with other Sony speakers for stereo effects and updates the software. It serves no other purpose for this speaker.

COMPARED TO OTHER SPEAKERS…….
From below 5000 range, only Tribit MaxsoundPlus comes close in XB-100’s audio quality. Tribit XsoundGo is not even as good as the good old Sony SRS-XB13 which got replaced by XB-100. To me, XB-100 sounded better than Tribit Stormbox Micro 2, and even Marshall Willen. XB-100 sounds way better even than Sony’s own 24W speaker SRS XE-200.
Don’t fall for the gimmick of speakers with more wattage. 1 watt means that speaker can produce maximum 87dB sound within 1 m distance. Whereas as a 20W speaker could produce only 97dB sound within 1 m distance. For comparison, train horns are blown at 90dB. Any sound above 90dB could cause earache and permanently damage hearing. Nobody plays songs and videos at that sound. As the distance increases beyond 1 m, loudness also decreases.
So unless you are not looking for a party speaker or something for an outdoor gathering, a speaker below 10W is sufficient. I am NOT talking here about how loud a speaker can get. There is no point in getting a speaker that is just earblastingly loud but lacks any clarity of sound.

So yeah. I am completely satisfied with this one. Try it; you too might be.

Atom Bomb…Small Size,, Big Blast. I got it as My Birthday Gift. #Professional Touch. I have used major brands but they are not even close to it in Sound Quality.

Note:

1. USB Drive, SD Card and Cable Connectivity should be provided

2. Large Battery with Quick Charge Should be there

3. Worth 4 Star Rating

I enjoy this cute, versatile, little speaker by Sony. The sound is very good for the size and the battery life between charges is extremely impressive.

My chief complaint is that it vibrates a lot and has a tendency to vibrate off of flat surfaces, such as tables, desks, night stands, and countertops. This is problematic for many reasons and it’s an issue that needs to be dealt with accordingly by the engineers at Sony.

The light weight is appreciated but I think that’s where the problem arises with it being so light and vibrating off of flat surfaces. Be aware that this is an issue and save yourself the painful experience of having your brand new speaker go crashing to the ground on the first day, as it did with me.

Safeguard your new purchase from falling off a flat surface by putting something like a face cloth or rubber matt underneath the speaker to minimize slipping.

I recommend this speaker and I’m giving it four out five stars because of the slipping issue.

Rick D

Beautiful little speaker. Build quality is A++, it’s this beautiful soft touch plastic that’s almost rubbery but looks and feels really good. I’m no audiophile but to my ears this little thing sounds phenomenal, more than good enough for music, podcasts, movies, and calls. This is not a party speaker, and the JBL ones get louder- but I tested them both in the shop and this one didn’t sound worse per say than bigger speakers, just smaller with a more compact sound. I got it for personal use- after owning a 2019 16′ MacBook Pro and moving to a 13′ MacBook Air, I was spoiled for sound. I mainly picked this over the more expensive JBL and Bose models because its battery life is rated at 16 hours (the other two had 12), and it’s smaller and more compact (and cheaper to boot!) This thing is attractive, rugged, sounds good and is a total breeze to pair and switch between devices. Call quality is good, too. Packaging was eco friendly, too. Overall, really pleased with this speaker. The cloth loop it comes with can attach at either the top or the bottom edge of the speaker, meaning you can hang it from a hook in the bathroom and shower with your favourite music firing down at you!

If you’re looking for a compact, high quality speaker for personal use, this is brilliant, and great value.

1. Good use as a personal speaker for your work desk or dinning table (1-2 persons).
2. Use it as an additional speaker for laptop/mobile devices with high quality bass.
3. Loudness is just equivalent to any good laptop speaker at maximum volume.
4. Music can be heard clearly and loudly only within range of 2 meters from speaker.
5. As you walk away from the speaker, you may notice a gradual drop in the loudness.
6. Overall good speaker with high bass, clear sound with moderate-to-low loudness.

Recommended for:
1. Recommended for personal use only where you can keep the speaker near you all the time.
2. Recommended for small rooms with no background noise (for 1-2 persons use)

Not Recommended for :
1. Not recommended for party where loud music is required for a gathering (8-10 people).
2. Not recommended for large rooms/halls or noisy neighborhoods or high ambient noise.