Sony is one of the best-selling brands in Bluetooth speakers and has a wide range for all kinds of uses, from super compact speakers like the SRS-XB13 series to the gigantic SRS-XV900. This time we’re going to talk about the model below the XV900, the new SRS-XV800. This model is a slightly smaller version but still delivers massive power along with karaoke mic inputs, lighting extras and extensive connectivity.
In this review, we will tell you all about the Sony SRS-XV800’s strengths and weaknesses after testing it extensively. If you want to know all the details about Sony’s new beast, read on.
Sony SRS-XV800 review
- Enormous power
- Powerful bass
- Wide sound stage
- Possibility to link with more speakers
- Mic inputs for karaoke
- Guitar input
- Optical TV connection
- Lighting effects
- Fiestable and Music Center app
- Splash water resistance
- TV Sound Booster does not convince us
- It does not have a display to see the tracks when you connect a USB
- We would have preferred an extendable handle to carry it better.
Sony SRS-XV800 main features
| Sony SRS-XV800 (YY7854E) | |
|---|---|
| Speaker configuration | 5 tweeters + 2 woofers X-Balanced |
| Omnidirectional Sound | Yes |
| MEGA BASS | Yes |
| Linking with more speakers | Yes up to 100 / 2 in stereo mode (only with XV800). |
| Compatible models for multiple playback | LSPX-S3, SRS-XP700, SRS-XP500, SRS-XG500, SRS-XG300, SRS-XB43, SRS-XB33, SRS-XB23, SRS-XE300, SRS-XE200, SRS-XV900, SRS-XV800 |
| Lighting effects | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Microphone / guitar input | Yes / Yes |
| Other connections | Auxiliary input, optical, USB player and charger. |
| Battery life | Up to 25 hours (depending on volume and activated functions). |
| Charging time | 3 hours |
| Dimensions | 317 x 720 x 375 mm (Width, Height, Depth). |
| Weight | 18.5 kg |
| Price |
Design
Let’s start the review with the design of this Sony XV800 series. The brand has made slight aesthetic changes from the previous generation XP700 model and now has a slightly more modern look.
We’re talking about a speaker of the so-called High Powered or High Power speakers, which always have a considerable size. In this case, this XV800 is not the largest of the Sony X family, as the XV900 above is. Anyway, it has also an important size.
It is therefore a loudspeaker designed for use in large rooms and for setting up parties either in the house or in the garden. Its main use will not be to be taken outside on a regular basis, but if you want to take it to a friend’s house or in the car to set up your party anywhere.
To make it easier to transport, it has a handle and wheels so you can roll it around the party. Whenever you need to move the speaker, just grab the handle and tilt it back. Admittedly, we’d have preferred a system with a retractable handle, like those found on other speakers, so we could carry it around like a suitcase.
At the top is the touch panel that controls all the functions. It has no display.
Light effect and control panel
See Sony SRS-XV800 price
IPX4 Splash-Resistant, 25 Hour-Battery, Built-in Handle and Wheels
To create a disco atmosphere, the SRS-XV800 features a system of lights that illuminate the top and bottom of the speaker. You have several types of effects that you can control by downloading the Sony Music Center app. These effects are also synchronized to the rhythm of the music for a more striking experience.
Also highlight its IPX4 water resistance, which will avoid ruining your party if it starts to rain or if you use it near the pool in summer and a drop escapes. Don’t expose it to jets of water as it doen’t support them, so it’s more likely to splash water. The IPX4 resistance is if you use it in vertical mode, in horizontal mode the certification is IPX2, so the resistance is lower. And most importantly, the water resistance is only effective when the cover is closed, so always keep that in mind.
Battery life
One of the great things about this speaker is its rechargeable battery, which allows you to use it both on AC power and in battery mode. The maximum battery life is up to 25 hours, but as always, it depends on the volume and the functions you have activated.
If you use it via Bluetooth, MEGA BASS mode is on, volume is at level 14, and the backlight is off, it can deliver those 25 hours of use. If you use it via cable and turn off MEGA BASS, the battery life will be even longer. On the other hand, if you use it continuously at maximum volume, activate the MEGA BASS mode and have the lights on, then the estimated maximum battery life is about 3.5 hours. These numbers are really good inc omparison to other similar models from the competition. Keep in mind that this is a high-powered speaker, so it scores very well in this regard.
Sony SRS-XV800 Party and Karaoke Speaker
To check the battery status, you can press the “Battery” button and you will hear a voice prompt telling you the percentage of battery life remaining. When the battery is low, the battery light will start flashing and the voice guide will also give you a warning.
As for charging, the truth is that it is done quite quickly. A full charge takes about 3 hours, and if you don’t have that much time, a 10-minute charge will give you up to 3 hours of use. It can achieve this figures as long as you use it at volumen 14 and with the lights off.
When it comes to charging, you can select the Battery Care mode, which limits the maximum charge capacity to about 90%. This is useful for prolonging battery life. The downside is that the battery life is shorter than when charging using the normal charging method. By default, Battery Care mode is not enabled.
Connectivity
The Sony XV800 is not short on connectivity, with a karaoke and guitar input, USB player and charger port, auxiliary input, optical input and, of course, Bluetooth connectivity. Bluetooth pairing with Android smartphones is super fast and easy thanks to the Google Fast Pair feature.
Slot to leave the cell phone – Review Sony XV800
The dual-microphone input lets you use this speaker for karaoke in a snap. You can also use one of the mic jacks to plug in a guitar instead.
Sony SRS-XV800 Bluetooth Speaker with Karaoke
The microphone and guitar inputs have independent volume and echo controls. Pressing the echo button several times increases the effect, and you also have a control to adjust the pitch of the voice in flat or sharp.
Thanks to the optical audio input, you can connect it to your TV to improve the audio if you don’t have a soundbar or home theater. The USB port allows you to plug in a flash drive and listen to music. Furthermore, you can use it as a power bank to charge a device such as your smartphone.
XV800 mic and guitar, USB, optical and auxiliary connections.
The new SRS-XV800 is compatible with the Sony Music Center and Fiestable applications. With Sony Music Center, you can select playlists, change lighting patterns and access all sound modes from the dance floor.
Meanwhile, Fiestable gives you access to fun options to help you create the best party atmosphere. You can create a playlist, control karaoke features including voice changer and echo. Besides, you can use DJ controls to add sound effects.
Sound
Now it is time to evaluate the sound performance of this Sony SRS-XV800 beast. The sound system that integrates this speaker is composed of three tweeters in the front, along with two 170 x 170 mm X-balanced woofers. There are two more tweeters at the top that are angled for a more expansive sound.
Sony XV800 omnidirectional upper tweeters for omnidirectional sound
X-balanced speaker units have a nearly rectangular diaphragm that not only maximizes diaphragm area, but also increases acoustic pressure for deeper, more powerful bass. They are also a good solution for lower distortion and greater vocal clarity for a richer listening experience.
Sony SRS-XV800 X-Balanced Speakers
Another key factor that makes the sound come alive is the popular MEGA BASS mode, which is typical of the brand’s speakers. When you enable this mode, the low frequencies are more present and the bass is much deeper.
It delivers considerable power, more than enough for large rooms and outdoor use. In a normal living room at home, you will never turn it up more than 30%, because the volume it can deliver is impressive. We tested it indoors at moderate volume and outdoors at maximum volume. At 100, the volume is thunderous and can handle quite a bit of distortion, and up to about 70% there is no noticeable drop in quality. From there, the sound loses definition. The bass flattens out and the treble starts to get a little annoying, but this is common and in this case we can say that it is still quite audible at full volume.
But one of the things we liked most about this speaker, and which is one of its strengths, is its omnidirectional sound, which brings the power of the sound to every corner of the room.
Sony SRS-XV800 omnidirectional sound system
It feels like you can listen equally well from any position. There are other speakers that have a very direct sound and you can hear them well when you have them in front of you, otherwise you lose quality. This is not the case with the Sony SRS-XV800, which performs really well in large rooms.
On the other hand, although the speaker is designed to be used in a vertical position, it can also be placed horizontally. Depending on the position of the product, a sensor optimizes the sound distribution using four of the five tweeters. Just make sure the side with the rubber feet is facing down.
Another advantage of the XV800 series is that it comes with an optical connection. This way, you can listen to it with your TV. Although it is ideal to use a soundbar with your TV, you can improve the sound of your TV by connecting this speaker. The improvement is especially noticeable during movies with a lot of effects, providing vibrant bass and a very immersive experience. We recommend downloading the Sony Music Center app to equalize the sound and reduce the bass a bit.
Apart from using it in the conventional way, which only makes the speaker sound and the TV audio is cut, it has the TV Sound Booster function for you to listen to the combination of both devices. You can do this via an optical cable or via Bluetooth and activate the feature from the Music Center app. We recommend doing it via cable to avoid the latency that is always present in Bluetooth connections. In any case, through the app you can adjust the audio synchronization with the TV to remove lag and keep it in sync. The first thing you need to do is select the PCM audio output on the TV for it to work.
Theoretically, this will allow you to enjoy enhanced sound, especially with music content and movies. While the TV Sound Booster feature is enabled, the three front tweeters are disabled to optimize the audio output for use with a connected TV. The sound from the TV itself is combined with the two rear tweeters and two X-balanced speakers of the SRS-XV800. This is a form of Sony Acoustic Center Sync that works with Sony sound bars and BRAVIA XR TVs.
TV Sound Booster for more immersive sound
You’ll notice that the sound is more direct and a little more enveloping as the sound waves bounce off the walls. However, in our case we found it annoying as the high frequencies become abrasive and exhausting to the ears after several minutes of listening. This may be a useful feature, depending on the TV and audio system you have integrated, but in our case we aren’t convinced. We prefer to use it in normal mode, so that only the speaker sounds.
Another very interesting feature is the ability to add more speakers at the same time. You can add up to 100 compatible Sony speakers. You can also connect just two, but have one play the left channel and the other the right channel for full stereo sound.
Sony X range speakers comparison
| SRS-XP500 | SRS-XV800 | SRS-XV900 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker configuration | 2 X-Balanced woofers and 2 tweeters. | 5 tweeters + 2 X-Balanced woofers | 2 X-Balanced woofers and 6 tweeters |
| Omnidirectional Sound | No | Yes | Yes |
| MEGA BASS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TV Sound Booster | No | Yes | Yes |
| Lighting effects | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone / guitar input | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
| Other connections | Auxiliary input, optical, USB player and charger. | Auxiliary input, optical, USB player and charger. | Auxiliary input, optical, USB player and charger. |
| Battery life | Up to 20 hours (depending on volume and activated functions). | Up to 25 hours (depending on volume and activated functions). | Up to 25 hours (depending on volume and activated functions). |
| Fast charging | Up to 1 hour and 20 min of use with 10 minutes of charging. | Up to 3 hours of use with 10 minutes of charging. | Up to 3 hours of use with 10 minutes of charging. |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IPX4 / IPX2 in horizontal | No |
| Dimensions | 275x572x295 (W, H, D) | 317 x 720 x 375 mm (Width, Height, Depth). | 410x880x439 (W, H, D) |
| Weight | 11.2 kg | 18.5 kg | 26.6 kg |
| Price |
Party speaker Sony SRS-XV800 Review
Review high power speaker Sony SRS-XV800
Without a doubt, the Sony SRS-XV800 is a speaker that we highly recommend to those who want a speaker with great power and sound quality for their parties.
Thanks to its speaker configuration with two top tweeters, it distributes the sound well around the room and the sound is very dynamic. As always, this type of party speaker is not a hi-fi for purists. However, we have to say that the Sony SRS-XV800 sounds really good. Lovers of electronic and urban music will appreciate the impressive bass it offers with MEGA BASS enabled, and those who prefer a more neutral sound can turn off the bass boost to have a more faithful sound for other types of genres. And if you want to take it a step further, you can download the Music Center app to adjust the bass, midrange, and treble to your liking.
It’s the perfect speaker for venues, bars or health clubs. If you have a very large room with high ceilings, you may want to consider upgrading to the top of the range SRS-XV900, or even better, you can combine two XV800s and place them around the room.
With the Sony Music Center and Fiestable apps, you can access many other features such as DJ effects, sound effects, and the ability to configure the sound and lighting effects.
It is a heavy speaker, but it is appreciated that it comes with a handle and wheels, although we would have liked to see an extendable handle like in other similar models.
In short, in our opinion, the Sony SRS-XV800 is a safe bet for lovers of parties and gatherings with friends.
See price Sony SRS-XV800
IPX4 Splash-Resistant, 25 Hour-Battery, Built-in Handle and Wheels
Sony SRS-XV800 Alternatives
As we told you, the Sony SRS-XV800 is a speaker that we definitely recommend for use at events, small party venues, or for gatherings with friends in the backyard. However, there are other interesting alternatives. Below we have listed the best alternatives to the Sony SRS-XV800.
JBL PartyBox 310
The XV800’s closest competitor is the JBL PartyBox 310, which is similar in price and size to the XV800. Both sound great and you will be happy with either one. As for differences, the PartyBox 310 is easier to transport as it has an extendable handle and larger wheels that allow you to carry it more comfortably.
Also, if you like flashy lighting effects, the JBL PartyBox 310’s lighting system stands out more with lights around the speakers.
However, it lacks an auxiliary port to connect to a TV, and its battery life is inferior.
See JBL PartyBox 310 price
LG XBOOM RNC9
LG also has a wide range of Bluetooth speakers and another great alternative to this Sony SRS-XV800 is the LG XBOOM RNC9. This model is bigger but delivers even more power up to 1000W. It has in total 4 speakers, including two 8-inch woofer and two tweeters. It also has a microphone and a guitar input for the karaoke function.
A special detail is that in addition to the multi-color LED lighting, you can connect up to 3 mobile phones so that their backlights also change to the rhythm of the music.
As for the comparison with the Sony XV800, it has DJ effects on the control panel, as well as a screen where you can see the information of the folders when you connect a USB, something that, as we have seen, the Sony does not have.
But the big disadvantage is that it is a speaker that doen’t have a battery, but must always be connected to light. With battery you have another model in LG like the XL7S that does have a battery, but it isn’t as powerful and would be more similar to the Sony SRS-XP500 that we’re now going to see.
See LG XBOOM RNC7 price
Sony SRS-XP500
If you don’t need that much power and you’re only going to use it at home, and it’s not that big, you can go with the inferior model, the . SRS-XP500. This model still offers high power and deep bass, but is smaller and easier to set up and transport.
See Sony SRS-XP500 price
IPX4 Splash-resistant with 20 Hour-Battery
