stereoguide.com
  • Home
  • Bluetooth Speakers
    • Home/Indoor
    • Mobile/Outdoor
    • Stereo Speaker Sets
    • Bluetooth Speaker Ranking
  • Headphones
    • In-Ears
    • On-Ear/Over-Ear
    • Noise-Cancelling
    • True Wireless
    • Headphones Ranking
  • Hi-Fi
    • WIFI Onebox
    • WIFI Stereo
    • Soundbars
    • Hi-Fi Ranking
  • Car-Hi-Fi
    • Car Hi-Fi reviews
    • Car-Hi-Fi reports
    • Car Hi-Fi Ranking
  • Guides
    • Buying Guides
    • Technology
    • Acoustics
    • Streaming
  • About us
    • Our approach
    • About us
  • English
stereoguide.com
  • Home
  • Bluetooth Speakers
    • Home/Indoor
    • Mobile/Outdoor
    • Stereo Speaker Sets
    • Bluetooth Speaker Ranking
  • Headphones
    • In-Ears
    • On-Ear/Over-Ear
    • Noise-Cancelling
    • True Wireless
    • Headphones Ranking
  • Hi-Fi
    • WIFI Onebox
    • WIFI Stereo
    • Soundbars
    • Hi-Fi Ranking
  • Car-Hi-Fi
    • Car Hi-Fi reviews
    • Car-Hi-Fi reports
    • Car Hi-Fi Ranking
  • Guides
    • Buying Guides
    • Technology
    • Acoustics
    • Streaming
  • About us
    • Our approach
    • About us
  • English
stereoguide.com
Home » Bluetooth Speakers » Mobile/Outdoor » Sony SRS-XG500 review
Home/Indoor Mobile/Outdoor

Sony SRS-XG500 review

Carry the real party to wherever you like
Stefan SchickedanzBy Stefan Schickedanz14. January 2022
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email
In the test: Sony SRS-XG500 on a table
The Sony Sony SRS-XG500 Bluetooth speaker is almost a small PA. (Photo: Stefan Schickedanz)

STEREO GUIDE review

88%
88%
Top Performer

+ Rich, deep and clean basses
+ clear, quite natural voice reproduction
+ Huge level reserves
+ power supply, microphone jack and USB powerbank, two apps available
+ USB playback possible
+ light organ
- Mega Bass function inflates basses unnaturally and costs precision

Buy at Amazon*
  • Sound: Tonal Balance / Transparency
    8
  • Sound: Bass / Dynamics
    8.8
  • Ease-of-use / Connectivity
    9.6
  • Price/Performance
    9

With the Sony SRS-XG500, the PlayStation makers from Japan throw a real sound sumo into the ring. With almost 6 kilos of combat weight, it gives less the smart companion for on the go. Rather, he competes as a party performer with all sorts of gadgets. Its most visible feature is undoubtedly the light organ, which gives the passive radiators on both sides for the bass colorful illuminated rings. This function can be controlled via the Sony Music Center app. Playlists can also be created and karaoke functions can be used via the Sony Fiestable app.

The battery of the almost half-meter wide sound machine is rated for up to 30 hours of operation, but this is rather theoretical for high volumes and light effects. However, a small beach party can easily be managed with the XXL Bluetooth speaker. And if it should be a pool party: The Sony SRS-XG500 offers IP66 water and dust protection.

Because the round Sony, equipped with a practical carrying handle, arouses high level expectations with its stately appearance, the developers use the available space in the baffle to the fullest with X-Balanced Speaker Unit. Behind the PR term are two low-mid speakers with rectangular diaphragms. The Japanese placed the two tweeters on the very outside to conjure up the widest possible stereo stage from the one-box system.

Connectivity also for microphone: Karaoke can come!

The Sony SRS-XG500 is also generous with the connections. In addition to an AUX input with a 3.5 mm jack for analog sources, the heavyweight also has two USB-A ports. One can be used to play music from USB sticks while the other is used to charge your smart device like a power bank. This is convenient when the battery quickly drains when playing via Bluetooth.

Speaking of Bluetooth: The Sony does not support AptX. But it accepts AAC besides SBC and LDAC after all. This should please Apple users because they can then stream their songs from the iPhone or iPad to the SRS-XG500 without sound-reducing conversion.

With light organ: Passive radiator of the Sony SRS-XG500
LED light rings are embedded in the fabric-covered bass radiators. (Color: Stefan Schickedanz)
Sony SRS-XG500 passport radiator
Here, the Sony SRS-XG500’s light organ pulsating in time with the music has changed color. (Photo: Stefan Schickedanz)
Bass of the Sony SRS-XG500
And here it shines in rich green. (Photo: Stefan Schickedanz)

Besides the Sony Fiestable app for playlists, there is the Sony Music Center app. It can be used not only to control the lighting effects of the wireless speaker via Bluetooth or to switch on sound effects. Besides the normal standby mode, you can also activate a Bluetooth standby mode, which then only stops transmitting. Thus, the speaker does not save as much power as in standby, but at least it reduces the consumption to 1.5 watts.

A power when it comes to celebrating

You can also connect up to 100 Sony speakers that support Party Connect mode via Bluetooth to create a small PA. Want some karaoke? The SRS-XG500 even allows for a real live performance. For this, it provides a 6.35 mm jack input for microphones or guitars. The top configuration even includes a power adapter that allows charging the barrel wrapped in wool-like fabric in ten minutes for at least three hours of playtime.

Connections of the Sony SRS-XG500
The buttons for light and sound effects protect themselves on the back with a flap that also covers the extensive ports. (Photo: Stefan Schickedanz)
Sony SRS-XG500 keypad
The top-mounted buttons are perfectly marked and allow quick access to the most important functions. (Photo: Stefan Schickedanz)
Power supply of the Sony XG500
An external power supply unit is included in the scope of delivery. (Photo: Stefan Schciekdanz)
Sony SRS-XG500 from the side on a table
Imposing: The Sony SRS-XG500 is almost half a meter wide and weighs almost 6 kilos. The wool-like fabric still makes it look quite elegant. (Photo: Stefan Schickedanz)

The operation also proved to be practical. The buttons are easily recognizable and pressing the Start/Stop button twice, for example, skips to the next track on the smartphone connected via Bluetooth. However, the Sony Music Center app did not run overly stable on our iPhone 11 Pro.

Rich sound without end

The Sony sounded extremely sonorous in the listening test. The most important thing, of course, was its clear, clean and balanced voice reproduction. At least that’s true for seasoned test editors with many years of hi-fi background. And yes, we also love rich bass. For party people, they are even essential for this type of device. Again, Sony’s SRS-XG500 delivered exactly as its martial appearance suggested. He got exceptionally low in the bass cellar and could play remarkably loud without showing signs of strain. Its good punch is likely to heat up parties. You don’t really need to activate the bass boost. Because with that, not only the precision in the bass itself suffered. The low-frequency emphasis also pushed the lead vocals into the background, overlapping the midrange and costing transparency. But if quantity is more important than quality when it comes to bass, the Sony can make quite an impression with Bass Boost (“Mega Bass”).

At least the bass remains quite clean even during such escapades, which we savored with the disco classic “Spacer” by Sheila, for example, and does not distort like some competitors, which also include the Sharp GX-BT480 .

Also noteworthy: For a one-box system, the Sony SRS-XG500 produces a stately large sound stage or rather sound cloud. It fills even a large living room with rich sound.

The various sound modes are, as usual, a matter of taste. For example, “Live Sound” may be quite nice with some tracks in some moments, but we older gentlemen still liked the unadulterated “Clear Audio” setting best. (Which is not only due to associations with the German record player manufacturer of the same name from Erlangen).

Conclusion and alternatives to the Sony SRS-XG500

The Sony SRS-XG500 is one of the best Bluetooth speakers we know. This is especially true for the sound. But the equipment and operation are also absolutely top. Even if it is not quite in the same weight class, the JBL Xtreme 3 would be the best option – as an inexpensive alternative (which does not happen every day to a brand manufacturer like JBL). If you need more level and bass power for parties and are willing to spend more, you can reach for the JBL PartyBox 310. If you are looking for something similar to the Sony in terms of sound, but do not value parties with microphones and light shows, you can even get a strong DAB tuner for a comparable price in the Teufel Boomster.

  • Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: 350 Euro
  • Dimensions (W x H x D): 46 x 25.6 x 21.5 cm
  • Weight: 5.6 g
  • Battery life up to 30 hours
  • Features: IP66, Mega Bass, Analog AUX input, Microphone input, Party mode with light effect sync, Powerbank, 2 USB-A ports, Apps.
  • More at: www.sony.de
  • Sony SRS-XB43 review
  • JBL Partybox 310 review
  • Sony SRS-XG 300 review

For links on this page STEREO GUIDE may receive a commission from the merchant – for example for the links marked with *.

Stefan Schickedanz, STEREO GUIDE
Stefan Schickedanz

The founder of STEREO GUIDE has been testing for over three decades as a hi-fi expert for print and online magazines such as AUDIO, VIDEO, stereoplay and LowBeats. In addition to cultivated music playback, he likes fast cars - including classic cars - with rich sound. He also reports regularly on this topic, not least on this platform.

Related Posts

Marshall Middleton review

Please set off this bass firework only outdoors!

Marshall Middleton review

Tronsmart Halo 100 review

The smile it takes: maxi bass for a mini price plus facial expressions

Tronsmart Halo 100 review

Bose Soundlink Micro review

One for the Road: Probably the most portable Bose speaker

Bose Soundlink Micro review

Sony SRS-XB23 review

Want some tube sound for less than 100 bucks?

Sony SRS-XB23 review

Comments are closed.

Recent Posts
  • Marshall Middleton review
  • Tronsmart Halo 100 review
  • JBL Quantum 910 review
  • Yamaha TW-E7B TWS review

Marshall Middleton review

Please set off this bass firework only outdoors!

Marshall Middleton review

The still compact Marshall bar is a true bass and dynamic wonder for outdoor use. In the home, on the other hand, it does not fit everywhere.

Tronsmart Halo 100 review

The smile it takes: maxi bass for a mini price plus facial expressions

Tronsmart Halo 100 review

The Tronsmart Halo 100 offered great sound with rich bass for the price of smaller Bluetooth speakers in the test. But his style is not so adult.

JBL Quantum 910 review

One for all? This gaming flagship offers top-notch connectivity

JBL Quantum 910 review

JBL´s top-notch gaming headphones offer a bunch features such as head-tracking and ANC. Soundwise, one has to take tought decisions…

Yamaha TW-E7B TWS review

Classic hi-fi gear in a nutshell open for EQ tweaking

Yamaha TW-E7B TWS review

These NC TWS offer pretty extended dynamics, rich bass and natural NC. If you experience somewhat brittle mids: use the powerful in-app EQ.

Bose Soundlink Micro review

One for the Road: Probably the most portable Bose speaker

Bose Soundlink Micro review

The mobile Bluetooth speaker Bose Soundlink Micro scores with water resistance and is the ideal companion in backpacks and handbags.

Sony SRS-XB23 review

Want some tube sound for less than 100 bucks?

Sony SRS-XB23 review

The Sony is an elegantly tube-shaped decently-sounding bluetooth speaker and offers full-fledged playback indoors as well as for outdoor use.

Bose Soundlink Flex review

Flex sells: maximum dynamics from a flat speaker?

Bose Soundlink Flex review

The Bose Soundlink Flex showed strong points as being the most mature sounding flat speaker. But it is certainly not the most audiophile one.

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review

Finally: audiophile sound plus Noise Cancellation

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review

The Gen 4 of Sennheiser´s wireless traveler´s headphones offer excellent noise-canceling and audiophile natural sound, but less effects.

Klipsch Heritage Groove review

Lots of dynamics with retro style

Klipsch Heritage Groove review

The Klipsch Heritage Groove offers fine retro design and sound characteristics alkik: For its size, it proved to be pretty dynamic and speedy.

Logitech G935 review

Add some sci-fi style taillights to your gaming experience!

Logitech G935 review

Logitech´s G935 gaming headset is a bit outdated in terms of battery life but offers premium surround sound, software and some lightshow.

Skullcandy PLYR review

Call it a comeback with really unique design

Skullcandy PLYR review

Skullcandy´s multi-platform wireless headset turned out to offer outstanding wearing comfort and great software but is also versatile.

Review: Marshall Woburn 3 with HDMI

Tower of power - will it replace your hi-fi-system?

Review: Marshall Woburn 3 with HDMI

Marshall´s Woburn III does not look any different than its predecessor. But it was the bass-richest onebox system ever and lots of fun.

Beyerdynamic Xelento 2 Wireless review

Shiny finish, awkward concept, sensational sound quality win!

Beyerdynamic Xelento 2 Wireless review

An awkward concept, but a sensational win in terms of sound quality: Beyerdynamic´s Xelento Wireless 2 Gen is a true audiophile masterpiece.

Marshall Stanmore 3 review

The new Marshall plan brings rock´n roll to you!

Marshall Stanmore 3 review

The Marshall Stanmore 3 is a really mature bluetooth speaker. It is easy to operate and gets you plenty of bass, SPL and live feeling.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

Raising the bar and entering a new world

Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

Get the max of music experience in Apple´s small world: The new AirPods Pro 2 are simply best in-ears for iPhone offering cool new features.

  • Home
  • Data protection
  • Imprint
© 2023 Stereo Guide

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Manage cookie consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and service.
Functional Always active
Technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the lawful purpose of enabling the use of a particular service expressly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a message over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access used solely for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, the voluntary consent of your Internet service provider, or additional records from third parties, the information stored or accessed for this purpose alone generally cannot be used to identify you.
Marketing
Technical storage or access is necessary to create user profiles, to send advertisements, or to track the user on a website or across multiple websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Settings
{title} {title} {title}