I’ve been a fan of Sony’s larger Bluetooth speakers such as the SRS-XB31. So how does this miniature version perform in comparison?

Sound Quality

At just a fraction of the size of the SRS-XB31, the SRS-XB01 can’t compete with the sound quality of its bigger brothers. Sound is more “tinny” and bass is lacking. The speaker can get somewhat loud and can fill a small to medium-sized room, but it won’t be powerful enough for parties or for entertaining a crowd. Despite this, the sound is still better than my iPhone’s speaker and I find this speaker handy for carrying around the house to listen to music or podcasts. I would rate the sound about on par with the SoundCore Mini 2 (and better than the Anker SoundCore Nano).

Bass Performance

Despite the “Extra Bass” verbiage in this speaker’s marketing, the bass on this speaker is lacking. It’s not completely absent and, in fact, lows sound fairly good on this speaker. However, you won’t get that satisfying “thump” heard in Sony’s larger speakers.

That’s not to say that music sounds terrible on this speaker, but at a MSRP of around $35, you can’t set your expectations too high.

[caption id=“attachment_4307” align=“aligncenter” width=“840”] The Sony SRS-XB31 compared to the SRS-XB01 (please note that the two speakers can not be connected together for Wireless Party Chain nor for stereo sound)[/caption]

Features

IPX5 Water Resistant: It’s not rated as high as some of speaker’s larger speakers, but it is resistant to splashes (just don’t submerge it in liquid).
Carrying strap: Personally one of my favorite features, the strap makes it easy to hang this speaker from a back pack while hiking or to simply tether the speaker to your wrist while working around the house. The speaker is very lightweight (5.65 oz).
Music control buttons: You can play/pause, adjust the volume and skip tracks on the speaker directly without needing to dig out your phone.
Speakerphone: The speaker has a built-in mic and can be used to answer a quick phone call by pressing the Play button while your phone is ringing.
Micro USB charging: You don’t need a special cable to recharge this speaker as any Micro USB cable will do, although a USB-C port would have future-proofed it a little more.

Battery Life

The speaker gets about 6 hours of usage while listening at a medium volume. It definitely seems like Sony could have fit a larger battery inside of the unit and I’m curious as to why they didn’t, as a single charge won’t quite get you through the work day.