The Sony SRS-XP700 is a large camera. It has a lot of power. It’s not cheap. These aren’t exactly the phrases that come to mind when thinking of a portable wireless speaker, but here we are. This isn’t your typical speaker.
Sony has released three new high-end speakers in India, the SRS-XP700 being one of them. The other two are the SRS-XG500 and SRS-XP500. The SRS-XB13 is an entry-level model in the same line-up. In June, it was released in India. The SRS-XP700 and SRS-XG500 are both priced at Rs 32,990, but they are worlds apart. Meanwhile, the SRS-XP500 is a scaled-down version of the SRS-XP700 that attempts to bring many of its features and design to a more reasonable price range.
Design, ergonomics
The speaker is encased in metal rails and has two handles, one at the top and one at the bottom. Because it weighs a lot, 16.9 kg to be exact, lifting it one-handed is a difficult chore, if not impossible for some. The upside is that the Partybox 310 is even heavier. Almost 20 kg. The JBL speaker, on the other hand, attempts to disguise its larger dimensions by resembling a suitcase with a telescoping handle and real wheels. The flexibility of the SRS-XP700 is where it makes a great comeback. It includes bumpers on the bottom and sides so you can prop it up like a boombox either vertically or horizontally. All of the controls are located on the top of the screen (switching over to the side when the speaker is placed in the landscape).
Sony has included a button to adjust the bass straight from the panel, in addition to the normal power, Bluetooth (version 5.0) connection, play/pause, and volume up/down buttons. The ports are located on the rear, hidden behind a sturdy and secure protective cover. Two USB-A connections for charging mobile devices, two 1/4-inch microphone inputs with separate volume knobs (one of which may be used to plug in a guitar, thus turning the speaker into an amp), a 3.5mm audio connector, and a power socket round out the features.
Performance
Two 6.6-inch woofers and three 2.3-inch tweeters are stacked in the speaker, all of which are forward-firing. Depending on where the speaker is positioned, only two of these tweeters are active at any given moment. This is for the sake of uniformity. There’s also a fourth rear-facing 1.9-inch tweeter (next to the control panel) that only works when the speaker is positioned vertically. The SRS-XP700 has a distinct advantage in terms of battery life. It has a playing time of up to 25 hours. The Partybox 310 has an 18-hour time limit. Obviously, this is in perfect circumstances, but the difference is significant. With the unique wire, the Sony speaker charges faster, allowing you three hours of use on a ten-minute charge.
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