Sony's launching new ULT Bluetooth speakers to round out its pre-existing range.
The Sony ULT Field 3 and ULT Field 5 are portable speakers built with serious durability in mind. They land right between last year's ULT Field 1 and ULT Field 7 speakers.
Improved audio and battery life could help the new speakers rank among the best Bluetooth speakers. Sony's also leaning into its focus on a fashion chic with special detachable straps that amplify their portability.
There's also a new party speaker — the ULT Tower 9. Pricing is subject to change, but they seem competitive so far.
Sony brings the bass (again) with ULT Field 3
While the two new models look similar to their predecessors, they offer unique experiences all their own. The ULT Field 3 is a step up from the ULT Field 1, while the ULT Field 5 is a cheaper version of the Field 7.
The ULT Field 3, which replaces the Sony SRS-XE300, will offer 24 hours of continuous music playback time. Crank the volume and turn on ULT power sound, however, and the battery drops to 5 hours.
The ULT button on the Field 3 boosts audio with enhanced bass response. It also boosts the volume so that the speaker gets loud enough for even the noisiest of environments.
Inside the ULT Field 3 is one tweeter and a woofer, plus two passive radiators. It's rated IP67, which includes rust, dust and water resistance. It's even shockproof.
The Sony ULT 5 experience
Sony's also got the ULT Field 5 waiting in the wings, which adds a second tweeter to the internals. There's a total of two tweeters, two passive radiators, and a woofer for incredible sounding audio.
Unlike the Field 1 and Field 3, the ULT Field 5 has two ULT Boost levels in its ULT button. ULT1 mode is intended for deeper bass, while ULT2 emphasizes powerful, room-filling sound.
The ULT Field 5 also illuminates the room with a pair of colored lights that can be customized across three modes, including Beat, Wave, and Mellow. The lighting is improved against its predecessor in the Sony XG300, too.
The ULT Field 5 lasts for 25 hours in both ULT modes and 10 hours with the lighting on. It's also rated at IP67 like like its smaller cousin.
Both portable speakers come with a removable shoulder strap that adds to their fashion-icon chic while also amplifying portability. There's a slick range of colors too: Green, white and black.
Sony fuses its app experience and simplifies Party Connect
Both new speakers work with the recently updated Sound Connect app. This will make changing EQ levels and connecting varied speakers all the easier.
For party lovers, there's multi-connect as well. It's called party connect, and it lets you connect more speakers together to really bring the noise. Connecting the speakers together is easy, thanks to the Party Connect button.
Prices might be subject to change, but the ULT Field 3 (for now) is teed up at $199, about a $70 bump from the ULT Field 1. The ULT Field 5 comes in at $329, or around $20 less than the SRS-XG300 when it first launched.
You can buy these starting today at these retailers... (asked PR about this, but will update when I hear back).
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