For three months I tried to find the faults of this speaker, but it failed. Sony SRS-XB31 - review

Initially, I was skeptical about it - a small speaker with flashing LED diodes, full of strong bass. In addition, white. Who is buying white speakers? Certainly not me. After three months of everyday listening to Sony SRS-XB31, I still find it difficult to find some major flaws.

Sony SRS-XB31 is a relatively small (231 × 87 × 81 mm) and lightweight (890 g) wireless speaker that resists rust, water, dust and falls. Against the background of the competition (mainly JBL Charge 3 ) the device is also distinguished by colorful LEDs, flashing to the rhythm of the music. This is currently one of the most interesting speakers of this type on the market. The Sony SRS-XB31 test took me up to three months, but thanks to this I could see exactly how it works.

Sony SRS-XB31 is resistant to water, dust and falls

SRS-XB31 has a rather interesting, one-color solid. The producer boasts that the external material was made in Japan, which is to guarantee its high quality. Because of the color I was very worried about its resistance to dirt.

And indeed, the material can be easily soiled, which should not be surprising, because it is white. Fortunately, you can easily wash it - be it a simple cloth or just washing under a stream of water. Thanks to this, the speaker looks like new after three months of everyday use.

[caption id = "attachment_838151" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] Sony SRS-XB31 is water resistant. It can be washed under a tap or a shower. [/ Caption]

The device meets the IP67 standard , i.e. it is resistant to dust and water, and in addition can survive the fall of 1.2 meters. At the bottom of the structure there are four round rubber feet, thanks to which the loudspeaker does not scratch underneath, nor tapping on standing. It is also stable, it does not slip even on glass.

On the back you will find a small compartment with several buttons and USB sockets (output for charging eg a telephone), microUSB (input for charging the loudspeaker) and a minijack port. The chamber is closed with a rubber flap that tightly adheres to the structure.

At the same time, a set of buttons covered with rubber - on / off, plus, minus (to adjust the volume) and a button for receiving calls, as well as a diode signaling Bluetooth connection (blue) and operating mode (white) - are located at the top.

The Sony SRS-XB31 delivers two 48 mm drivers and a woofer, and the sound quality is amazingly good.

The loudspeaker's power is impressive for such a small device. XB31 quietly fills the room with sound. However, I am more impressed by the sound quality, which is really good and the color is clear and contrasting.

The device offers a sound frequency in the range of 20-20000 Hz. The loudspeaker connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth, and thanks to the "Sony Music Center" application you can change the character of the sound. And this change is really noticeable. As a standard, XB31 attacks with a deep, booming bass, but you can change it and get a much clearer, transparent sound.

In the settings of the application, you can choose between "Standard", "Extra Bass" and "Live Sound", plus a basic equalizer, which also works realistically and changes immediately in the sound.

The "Standard" setting is rather flat and not very interesting. The loudspeaker completely changes its sound after choosing the EXTRA BASS mode, which effectively raises already strong bass. I permanently set the "Live Sound" mode giving less bass, but it offers space and saturated sound.

This is due to the DSP technology and the positioning of speakers at an angle, thanks to which the sound travels better in space. To my surprise, it really works, and the differences between the different modes are really noticeable.

Sony SRS-XB31 can easily take with you on holiday, on the pitch or even on the beach, without fear of damage in a simple way.

His mobility and readiness to work in the field is confirmed by the fact that the speaker can play without charging for up to 24 hours. And if there is such a need, it can also be an emergency powerbank, charging via USB such as a smartphone. Just in time when you take electricity in the forest or on the beach.

[caption id = "attachment_838160" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] Sony SRS-XB31 also accompanied me while playing basketball. [/ Caption]

We can also invite him to the party, and he will make sure that it is not boring. Not only is it effectively publicized, but its LEDs flashing to the rhythm of the music will provide interesting visual effects, like a colorful ball hanging from the ceiling.

The color of the diodes is variable and adapted to the rhythm of the music. In addition, in the middle on both sides, single white lights were placed, performing the function of a stroboscope. This function can be turned off - either in the application or manually on the back. It all makes an impression, although you have to like such visual fireworks.

However, I used it mainly at home, where it was almost completely replaced by small speakers.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about it, and the bass sound seemed too intense. Today, with the diodes turned off, the Sony SRS-XB31 is my main speaker for listening to not only music, radio, but also watching YouTube and my favorite NBA games. It is like a small soundbar, which I keep under the 27-inch monitor. And in this role it performs perfectly.

I listen to music or the radio all the time. Being in a large room where I work, I did it with old but proven Logitech speakers connected to the Bluetooth adapter. However, when I went to the bathroom, kitchen or bedroom, I played music mainly from a smartphone. Now I just take SRS-XB31 with me and have better sound quality. Importantly, the smartphone is then hooked to the charger on the desk. And what if someone calls? The loudspeaker has a microphone, you can answer a call if you need one button.

A shortcoming of wireless devices is the instability of Bluetooth communications. Here the connection works perfectly.

After initial pairing, the speaker connects to the smartphone or laptop in a few seconds and is ready to work. In the case of many other Bluetooth devices that I have at home, unfortunately I have problems - and I have to restart them to connect, and these themselves sometimes disconnect. In the case of the Sony SRS-XB31 tested, such problems are practically non-existent. I can not say a bad word about the range - the loudspeaker can easily handle a 50-meter flat, and in the open space, the game away from the smartphone even a dozen or so meters away.

Sony SRS-XB31 - review. Is it worth buying?

Sony SRS-XB31 is one of the most popular wireless speakers on the market. No wonder - it's a successful design that offers a lot. What's more, its price falls. When I received the loudspeaker for tests in August, the device cost about PLN 600. Today, you can buy them for around 490-500 PLN, which is really a reasonable amount for such a good equipment. During the tests I tried to find some real, significant defects in SRS-XB31. I tried but I failed. And let it be the best review of this speaker.

For three months I tried to find the faults of this speaker, but it failed. Sony SRS-XB31 - review