I just tested Sony's ULT Field 5 Bluetooth speaker, and now the party will never die

Party speakers are a dime a dozen — I should know, I’ve tested a bunch of them. Sony’s Bluetooth line has always skirted the sidelines of the speaker space, with solid options that don’t quite have the pizazz of the competition.

With its bright light show and pulsating, bass-boosting ULT button, the ULT Field 5 looks to change all that. There’s some seriously fun sound on board to keep everyone bouncing along, plenty of battery to last into the early hours of the morning, and an RGB light show for some extra spectacle.

My Sony ULT Field 5 review unit has powered barbeques and room redecorations for the last week-and-a-half, and I’ve come to love its room-filling sound. But does it have enough going for it to rank among the best Bluetooth speakers? Yes, absolutely.

Sony ULT Field 5 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Sony’s latest party speaker, covered in LED lights
• Who is it for? People looking for a loud, yet compact, Bluetooth speaker
• What does it cost? £259/$329
• What we like: Big, powerful bass, massive volume, powerful sound
• What we don’t like: Its uninspired looks, and the sonically limited sound profile

Sony ULT Field 5 review: Price and availability

You can grab the ULT Field 5 from the likes of Amazon and Best Buy for $329 — a pretty good price, although there are cheaper options. If you’re in the U.K., you’ll actually pay slightly less for the speaker. It costs £249 in Britain, making it a great deal when compared to the likes of the JBL Extreme 4 and the Ultimate Ears Epicboom.

In both markets, the price puts the speaker towards the middle of the large party speaker range. The JBL Extreme 4 is a few dollars more at $379, while the Ultimate Ears Epicboom will set you back $249 nowadays after a hefty price slice since its release.

This Sony speaker is comparable to both in sound, although you’ll find more volume with the ULT Field 5. There are also the two ULT modes that aren’t available with the other two options.

Sony ULT Field 5 review: Design and build

• It’s BIG
• It’s HEAVY
• And it looks a little boring

The JBL Extreme 4 has its wacky shape, and the Epicboom has its almost obelisk-like towering stance — the ULT Field 5 is a big, black rectangle. It’s not an unattractive rectangle, and thanks to some solid materials, it feels pretty premium, but it doesn’t make it look any more interesting.

Turn on the speaker and it fires up its LED light show, something the other two options lack. I am a big fan of the lights, more than I thought I would be. It elevates the Field 5 from boring to attention-drawing, with its light-up squares on either end.

With your attention drawn, you’ll find a pair of passive bass radiators on either end, and a row of helpful buttons on top. One of which is the glowing, pulsating ULT button, which changes color depending on the ULT sound mode you’re in — a nice touch.

There’s also one of the thickest port doors I've ever seen on the back of the speaker so that it can retain its waterproof rating. It takes a little effort to unplug it so that you can juice things up, but it is reassuring in its girth.

My favorite little design touch is the colorful, holographic Sony logo on the front of the speaker. I just wish the same whimsy had been brought to the rest of the speaker — although I guess the idea is to let the LED lightshow do the talking. And talk it does.

Sony ULT Field 5 review: Controls

• Range of buttons on top
• ULT mode for more energetic sound
• Mushy buttons

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I know that a waterproofed speaker has to make some sacrifices in its button feel to remain in some way safe from a watery grave, but I don’t think I’ll ever be a massive fan of rubbery buttons. What’s odd here is that there are a series of rubbery buttons across the top, and then a lovely, separate clicky button for the ULT modes.

I wish all the buttons were like the ULT button. The other buttons aren’t bad at all, but their lack of satisfying click is highlighted the moment you hit the light-up sound-changing key. In a vacuum, I’d probably not complain, but I now wish every Bluetooth speaker had buttons that feel like the ULT button.

As for the functions of the buttons, they’re everything you could need: a power button, volume buttons, a play/pause button, and a party connect button to hook a couple of speakers together.

Sony ULT Field 5 review: Features

• Weird DJ modes
• Great battery
• AUX input

As you might expect from a Sony audio device, the ULT Field 5 is absolutely loaded with features, some more useful than others. They’re pretty much all found within the Sony Connect app, within various menus and subheadings.

Let's start with the less successful features, because there aren’t all that many of them. It’s the DJ modes; I don’t really get them. You can mess with different sound effects over your music, like horns and audience sounds, or isolate different frequencies. They don’t really work; they sound weird, and they’re annoying to use. Avoid.

Beyond that, things are far rosier. You can control the lighting modes easily between a couple of different settings that follow the music, or change color steadily. You can change the colors manually too, if you want them to stay a single hue. The lights are bright enough for most dark rooms, although they struggle in direct light.

There is a ten-band EQ, although I didn’t use it much. I want the bass depth and energy of the ULT 2 sound profile, but the EQ mode wasn’t capable of reaching the same level. It’s no great issue – ULT 2 sounds good — but I would’ve liked to have dialled in the high and mid ranges slightly more to achieve my favorite sound.

Battery life is good, and comparable to similarly priced speakers. You get 25 hours of staying power, which matches the JBL and UE alternatives. Quick charge is nice, although it’s not quite as impressive as some options. A 10-minute charge brings 100 extra minutes of use.

It’s the ULT sound modes that are the star of the show. There are two (or three, depending on if you consider ‘off’ to be a mode). I’ve left the speaker permanently in the ULT 2 ‘energy’ mode. It brings extra low-end, but it also adds some more dynamism and fun.

Sony ULT Field 5 review: Sound quality

• Plenty of bass
• Energetic and dynamic
• But highs and upper mids are lost

If you’re firing up a Bluetooth Party speaker expecting high-fidelity sound, you’re going to be disappointed. The ULT Field 5 is all about sheer volume, bass depth, and bringing the dance with its sound. And it completely succeeds.

I left the speaker on ULT 2 for the duration of testing, and whipped up my testing tracks from Qobuz — one of the best music streaming services.

While soundstage and separation aren’t the best, you’ll still get room-filling sound out of the ULT Field 5. It filled a relatively large yard as well, making it a great pick for anyone who spends hours outdoors. It’s not as impressively loud as those massive, walk-on luggage-sized speakers like the Rokbox, but it’s also nowhere near as big and cumbersome.

Bass, as you might expect, is the name of the game here. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s all-encompassing. In ULT 2 mode, you do forgo some of the depth of ULT 1, but in return, you get a more engaging, dynamic signature that just sounds better.

The mids are good, although the incredible amount of bass tends to overtake things. The same is true of the higher ranges — they can be crisp and fairly clear when they’re not competing with the low end. But when things get bassy, they take a back seat. And that’s fine, because when the lights are off and the party is full swing, it’s the bassy stuff that keeps everyone moving.

Andrew W.K.’s Party Hard brings the upbeat party groove, with plenty of body to those pop-punk-like distorted guitars. The crashing cymbals can be lost in the mix, but then Andrew shouts, “We like to party hard,” and all wrongs are forgiven. It’s loads and loads of fun, and there’s plenty of drive thanks to ULT 2 mode’s engaging bass.

When I listen to K Motionz Silver Bullet, I want to feel the kick drum, and the ULT Field 5 is happy to oblige. It’s the sonic equivalent of taking a wooden mallet to the eardrums, although a whole lot more fun. Look, it’s not here to make you swirl your glass of whisky and wax lyrical about ‘soundscapes and upper-mid range biases’ — it's for partying, and that’s what it does. Some extra sub-bass kick would be nice here, but I digress. It’s great.

LE SSERAFIM apparently like to make floors shake with Crazy, and it suits the ULT Field 5 to a tee. That massive, driving bass line is thick and chunky, rattling windows and vibrating things off shelves. The vocals manage to cut through the otherwise impenetrable barrier of bass, lending some extra dimension to proceedings. It’s fun.

Sony ULT Field 5 review: Verdict

Is the ULT Field 5 delicate, forgiving, or in any way something for those looking for a nice accompaniment to their living room? No. And it’s not trying to be either. If you want one of those, grab something like the Soundcore Motion X600, or a more non-portable speaker like the Sonos Era 100.

However, if you want something that’s going to make you the life of the party, then you’re in the right place. The ULT Field 5 is well-priced against similar rivals like the JBL Extreme 4 and the UE Epicboom, and it does a stellar job of keeping the party going.

Despite its surprisingly ‘all business’ exterior when powered off, the ULT Field 5 brings the bass the moment you turn it on and those lights start flashing.

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