Sony SRS-XV800 is a versatile and portable party speaker

Sony's new SRS-XV800 is essentially a party speaker. And in Sony-speak that means powerful surround sound and ambient lighting to match. 

Unfortunately, Sony does not mention the power rating for the SRS-XV800 (let's call it XV800 from this point), so we have to take their word for it at this point.

With a battery life of up to 25 hours, I think it's safe to say that the power rating can't be much, and they simply omitted it to avoid it being a distraction.

Besides, with modern designs, you don't need a lot of power to sound big.

In this case, Sony implemented what it calls Omni-directional Party Sound, which consists of five tweeters strategically positioned to project sound both to the front and rear.

For the thumping bass you would expect from a party speaker, Sony used Dual X-Balanced Speakers, which boast an innovative rectangular diaphragm, designed to maximise the speaker's surface area and increase sound pressure for deeper, more impactful bass with minimal distortion.

What's more surprising-or par for the course when it's Sony-is a feature called TV Sound Booster, which lets you repurpose the XV800's two rear tweeters and X-Balanced Speaker units to complement your TV's audio, by bouncing the sound off the walls to create a more immersive viewing environment.

On top of that, there's a karaoke and guitar input (two one-and-a-half inch inputs, one dual-purpose to support a guitar) to expand its usability. The speaker even has an echo feature and key change control built in.

The XV800 uses touch controls mounted on the top, which are illuminated as well for visibility and ease of use even in the dark. Lighting is a must for a party speaker, and the XV800 uses indirect illumination to this end.

The ambient lighting can be synchronised with the rhythm and beat of the music to create an atmosphere for the occasion.

On top of the impressive 25 hours of listening time, just 10 minutes of charging will provide you with three hours of playtime.

Worried that it's too heavy to be portable? The XV800 has a built-in carry handle and wheels to make it perfectly mobile, while the IPX4 rating gives it a little protection against liquid accidents.

The speaker gets additional support and controls through two apps. The Sony | Music Center app lets you select playlists, change lighting patterns, and adjust sound modes while the Fiestable app brings playlist creation, karaoke functions with Voice Changer and Echo, and DJ controls to add sound effects.

The XV800 will go on sale at selected retail shops and online stores from July 2023, with a suggested retail price of S$849. You can get it at an introductory price of S$799.

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This article was first published in Potions.sg.