Ryan
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Design
The Sony ULT FIELD 1 speaker, with its rugged design, makes for a great outdoor companion. Most of the speaker is covered in a soft, water-resistant fabric while the rest of the exterior is a rubbery plastic to help protect the unit bumps. I was also surprised at how lightweight the speaker is as it only weighs about 1.5 pounds. The lack of weight almost makes it feel cheap (but the sound does not sound cheap at all). The built-in hand strap makes it easy to hang from a tree or from your backpack, although the large size might make it feel awkward if you don’t tie it down to prevent it from bouncing around. On the back, you’ll find the USB-C charging port covered by a rubber flap. It has an IP67 water, dust, and rust-resistant rating, which would require you to keep the charging flap securely closed to prevent water from getting inside.
Across the top/side of the speaker, you will find the controls: power, Bluetooth, play/pause, volume, and the new ULT button. The ULT lights up purple (or yellow if viewing from the side) when it is active, which enables the bass-boosting function.
Performance
Sony has focused on bass performance on the UTL FIELD 1 with the dedicated “ULT” button. And I can say that this speaker definitely has bass! As expected, it is not as strong as is found on Sony’s larger speakers, but it is more than I was expecting from a speaker this size. It sounds great either on its side or standing upright. Bass is somewhat reduced when it is hanging and not against a solid surface, but it is definitely still there.
The bass is also well balanced so it doesn’t overpower the mids and highs. Vocals still come through clearly and they don’t sound muddy. Turning off the ULT feature makes the music sound weaker, so you’ll likely only want to turn it off if you’re listening to spoken content, like a podcast or an audiobook. Sound can be adjusted through Sony’s Music Center app with a custom EQ. The app also allows you to check the battery level, and adjust the auto power-off and Bluetooth priority settings.
If you’re wondering how many watts this speaker has, you’ll likely have to keep wondering. Sony typically doesn’t release the exact wattage of their speakers, as it doesn’t always correlate to how loud the speaker can get or how well it sounds. I would say it gets loud enough to fill a medium or even large size room, but probably not an auditorium. At around 75% volume (according to my iPhone’s volume slide), distortion begins to occur.
I tested some voice recordings with the speaker’s built-in microphone and it sounds about how you would expect a speakerphone to sound: a little distant, a little echo-y, but it gets the job done. There is no multipoint connection on this speaker, so you can not connect it two devices simultaneously.
Battery Life
The speaker can last up to 12 hours on a single charge at around 25% volume. It uses a standard USB-C connection for recharging. As is typical with pretty much everything now, there is no AC adapter included in the box (although a USB-A to USB-C cable is included). You can use the AC adapter from your phone or tablet and it should work fine to charge this speaker.
Sony - ULT FIELD 1 Wireless Speaker - Forest Gray
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