Sony SRS-XB33 Review

The perfect gadget for the party people has graced the market with its presence. If you are having any parties or gatherings in the near future, you might want to consider inspecting the sony srs xb33 Bluetooth speakers. 

The brand new Sony xb33 is a portable and battery-powered speaker with many different and exciting features. With a tagline that goes ‘party wherever, whenever,’ these Bluetooth speakers pledge to offer users a phenomenal experience. 

So, to ease your decision-making process here is a detailed sony srs-xb33 review. Read along to discover all the cool features, the pros and cons, sound quality, and much more about these Bluetooth speakers. 

1. The Design

You are in for a big surprise as soon as you open the box and take the speakers out. Measuring 3.8 x 9.7 x 4.2, this speaker is neither shaped like a cylinder nor a circle. With a flat front and top panel and a rounded back, it features a unique shape that is almost akin to a trapezoid.  

The front panel showcases a cloth grill on the speaker. Behind this grill are found the full-range drivers as well as passive bass radiators, which account for the frequency of 20Hz to 20KHz. Situated on the bottom panel of the sony xb33 are rubber feet that keep the speakers stable on different surfaces.

The top panel of the speaker is where all the controls and buttons are for ease of use. Moreover, it also features a snap-shut cover behind which lies the panel containing the USB C port to charge the speaker as well as the USB A port with which other devices can be charged. 

The most aesthetic part of these Bluetooth speakers that many Sony srs xb33 reviews flex about is the glowing drivers behind the cloth grill and the LED lights you can control on your speakers. 

2. Features

Sony srs xb33 speakers are not just about good quality sound and music. These Bluetooth speakers are a complete package that offers several different features. 

3. RGB Lights

These speakers are designed to grab your attention and keep you hooked in every way possible. The sony srs xb33 features LED lights. The best part is not their presence on the speakers but rather the customizability. You can easily control your speaker’s LED lights through the Fiestable app. 

4. Portability

Weighing 2.4 pounds or 1.1 kilograms, the speaker is extremely portable. The small size and weight mean you can easily carry it in one hand and take it anywhere with you. Since it is battery-powered, you will not even have any performance issues as long as you have adequately charged the speaker. 

5. Protection and Durability

The design of the Sony srs speaker accounts not only for the aesthetics of ease of use but also its durability. It has an excellent build quality and is protected with thick netting that is not vulnerable to rips and shreds. 

In addition to that, it includes a rubber cover to protect fragile openings and ports. The speaker has also been rated as IP67 in terms of resistance to dust and water. The number 6 indicates its resistance to dust, whereas the number 7 reflects extremely waterproof. 

Ideally, the speaker can be submerged in a water meter for 30 minutes and will remain protected. Hence, overall, the speaker exudes durability ad is not prone to get damaged easily.

6. Battery Life

The battery performance of the sony srs xb33 speaker is unparalleled. It can blast music for up to twelve hours straight without any battery warnings. However, according to Soy, at a volume of 36, the speaker can last up to 24 hours. This is the stamina mode where the lights are turned off. 

Additionally, the speaker is equipped with power-saving technology. As such, it automatically turns off and conserves the battery if the speaker has remained inactive for around 15 minutes. 

7. Voice Assistant

Buttons are not the only way to control the sony srs xb33 Bluetooth speakers. The voice assistant feature means you can command your speaker vocally. As such, you get a hands-free experience. 

In any case, the voice assistant does not support Alexa. However, it does support Google assistant and Siri through a smartphone. 

8. Connectivity Reviews

The speaker does have some limitations when it comes to connectivity. 

Bluetooth Connection

Essentially designed for a Bluetooth experience, the sony xb33 has a tremendous and smooth Bluetooth performance. TO get a quick Bluetooth pairing, it even supports NFC pairing. The best part is that you can connect the speaker with two devices at a time through a Bluetooth connection. 

Additionally, the latency of the speaker on iOS and Android is low. This makes it perfect for watching videos. 

Wired Connection

Despite having protected USB ports, this device can not be operated wired. The USB ports only charge the speaker itself and charge other devices using the speaker’s battery. 

Wifi Connection

The Sony srs speaker is not compatible with WIFI. This means you cannot search up songs on the speaker using a wifi connection. You will need a Bluetooth connection for the speaker to sing out your songs.

9. Sound Quality

The use of non-circular diaphragms in the speaker increases the surface area. This increases the sound pressure and makes for a punchier bass that will not feel like it is coming from a speaker this small for its size. 

Moreover, Sony also reduces driver excursion while keeping the sound pressure the same because the sound produced has minimal distortion. What compliments this is the speakers’ unique design and optimal weight, which enhances the sound clarity. 

Although there is a bit of coarseness and treble when you first run the speakers, that goes away too after a few days of continuous running. Apart from that, the missing and warbling sound that is often experienced with wireless speakers is not found in the Sony srs xb33. 

Therefore, the sony xb33 is claimed as a capable but yet not phenomenal speaker. With a clear and high sound, it penetrates every fiber of the room and does create a great party. However, its sound could use some maturity, especially when the speaker is not being used for party purposes.

10. Volume

The SRS-XB33 produces enough loudness for small parties, barbecues, and campfires, as demonstrated by our maximum volume rating of 87.5db. Aside from that, we’ve tested smaller systems from Ultimate Ears and Bose that output greater volume, and the sound quality of the SRS-XB33 speaker declined dramatically when we crank the volume all the way to the max, generating a flabby-sounding bass that drowns out some of the other frequencies.

11. Portability

The SRS-XB33 was one of the bigger, bulkier speakers in our assessment, weighing 38.8oz and measuring 10.39″ x 4.96″ x 5.35″. It’s relatively portable compared to old-school boomboxes but somewhat large compared to Bose and JBL’s streamlined offerings. We’d anticipate a larger sound from this larger speaker as well. The SRS-XB33 has an IP67 designation, which means it is entirely dustproof and can be submerged up to a meter, making it an excellent choice for days at the lake or beach. Drop it in the water, and you will still have a fully functional speaker; however, don’t push it.

12. Value

This party-centric speaker is half the price of its top competitors, and while it isn’t the best-sounding speaker we tested, it has lots of volume and numerous handy functions. If you require a powerful speaker and like the idea of synchronized lights, the SRS-XB33 is a good option.

Competitors

In my opinion, the XB33 is also superior to the JBL Charge 4, with more open and clear voice reproduction than its predecessor, the XB32, which we enjoyed but which sounded a little nasal in comparison to the current one. The XB33 also improves the separation of instruments and voices. It’s simply more rounded than the XB32 that we also enjoyed.

The acoustic balance of the mid-sized SRS-XB33 and the bigger SRS-XB43 is similar. If you need more power, I strongly recommend the SRS-XB43. As previously said, it has substantially more profit throughout the frequency range and differentiates the tones much better than its smaller brother.

The XB43 does not quite pump the sound pressure samples of JBL Boombox 2 within the neck, but the price is significantly lower. That means you can buy two, combine them in stereo, and say goodbye to the Boombox. The stereo sound produced by two speakers set a few meters apart completely outperforms the sound produced by a single boom blaster. 

Sony will likely have to seek a little further for the sound of a set of even larger – and more pricey – Ultimate Ears Hyperboom. It sounds bigger and crisper, with improved dynamics.

Final Verdict

The Sony srs xb33 is a mixture of bold and amazing features as well as certain limitations. While the bold features make it worth having a piece of equipment, the limitations are significant enough to influence your choice of purchase. 

So, we suggest you consider the speaker if you are looking for something robust that features extensive compatibility with different apps and has a strong bass.

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