Sony SRS-XB3 Extra Bass Bluetooth speaker delivers that added punch

There are a lot of Bluetooth speakers on the market but it’s hard to find a device that ticks all the boxes in terms of sound quality, features, design and durability. The Sony SRS-XB3 is one of those speakers.

The Sony SRS-XB3 (XB is short for Extra Bass) is a rugged speaker with a compact design that can be used indoors and outdoors. It is 21.1cm long, 8.3cm wide and 8cm high and weighs 930g.

The device also has an IPX5 rating which makes it water resistant to poolside splashes and the rain.

With all of the controls are on the top panel, you can choose to sit the speaker on its base or on its side.

Under the hood, there are 48mm speakers and two passive radiators – including one that fires from the back of the product.

Pairing your device is quite easy either using Bluetooth or NFC (near field communication).

But when you hear it – you’ll fall in love.

The sound quality is exceptional – we expected nothing less from a company like Sony.

Audio levels from the SRS-XB3 are incredible.

If you were just hearing the music without seeing the speakers you’d be forgiven for thinking the sound was coming from a large speaker.

This Sony speaker certainly punches above its weight.

But what delivers the knockout punch is the Extra Bass feature – a result of the large 48mm full range speakers and light diaphragm that achieves high sound pressure for that deeper bass sound.

Other sound modes onboard include ClearAudio+ for your music and Virtual Surround Sound watching movies on your device.

When it’s paired to your smartphone it can also be used as a handsfree speaker phone as well.

And if you want to double up the sound even further you can use the Speaker Add function which allows you to link a second Sony speaker and create a left and right stereo pair.

As strange as it may sound, the battery is one of the product’s strongest features.

For one it will run for up to 24 hours on a full charge so your music can play all day.

But it doesn’t stop there.

On the back is a USB port which can be used to charge your smartphone – even while your streaming music from the same smartphone.

The Sony SRS-XB3 Extra Bass speaker is available now in six colours – red, yellow, green, blue, light brown and black – and is priced at $249.