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Pros
- Delivers rich, dynamic, crisp audio experience at moderate volumes.
- Built-in speakerphone.
- Can stream higher quality audio.
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Cons
- Distorts at top volumes.
- No playback controls on speaker itself.
Sony SRS-X33 Specs
| Bluetooth | |
| Channels | Stereo |
The Sony SRS-X33 ($129.99) is one of the more intriguing Bluetooth speakers we've tested lately. Despite its simple design and its affordable price, the SRS-X33 is very powerful for its unassuming size. And at moderate volume levels, it delivers some of the richest bass response we've heard from a portable speaker. It also utilizes the new Sony Bluetooth codec, LDAC, which allows the speaker to transmit higher data streams than the current Bluetooth standard, aptX. Unfortunately, the SRS-X33 distorts wildly at higher volumes, and it lacks playback controls. If you don't need to blast your tunes, though, the SRS-X33 can be considered a strong contender in this price range.
Design
The strangest thing about the SRS-X33's design is how heavy it feels—it weighs 1.6 pounds, which is substantial when you consider that it only measures 2.4 by 7.3 by 2.3 inches. It's still perfectly portable, but there's definitely some heft to it.
Available in black, blue, red, or white, the speaker's top panel houses all of its controls—there are buttons for Volume, Power, Bluetooth Pairing, Sound Enhancement (more on that later), and a Phone button for taking calls via the built-in speakerphone functionality. There are no playback controls, which is a bit annoying—you have to handle all track navigation and playback on your connected device. The front and back panels are all speaker grille, covering the system's two 34mm drivers. On the bottom panel, rubberized feet keep the speaker from dancing around on tabletops when the bass vibrations become intense.
A micro USB connection for charging and a 3.5mm Aux input are both located on the speaker's back panel; there's no 3.5mm audio cable included, unfortunately. But in addition to a USB charging cable, Sony includes a wall adapter, so you don't always have to pull juice from your computer—a rare inclusion for most portable Bluetooth speakers, oddly enough.
The SRS-X33 is compatible with NFC-enabled devices, and Sony estimates that its battery life is approximately 12 hours. Your results will vary depending on how loudly you play your tunes, among other factors.
Performance
The LDAC codec seems to be a major improvement on the current state of Bluetooth streaming. With the ability to transmit three times the amount of data as aptX, LDAC allows high-bitrate files (if you have them) to be enjoyed in all their splendor (or at least most of it).
The irony here is that the SRS-X33 doesn't allow you to enjoy the high-quality stream at louder volumes if you are listening to tracks with serious sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout." This track distorts heavily at medium-high to high volumes. At moderate levels, however, the distortion is a non-issue, and the SRS-X33 provides a rich, powerful bass response, matched with clear high-mids and highs.
On tracks that lack deep bass, like Bill Callahan's "Drover," the SRS-X33 delivers a stunning audio experience at medium volume levels, with crisp vocals and a lovely, palpable bass response on the drums that never overwhelms. Turn the speaker up too loud, however, and even this track distorts—the guitar strumming becomes mush. Simply put—this is not a track that should cause any speaker to distort. The good news is that the SRS-X33 gets loud enough to deliver clean audio even when its volume level is around mid-way. The highest volume levels, which is where the distortion becomes an issue, will not be necessary for all listeners.
Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild" provides a similar experience—at moderate levels, the audio is crisp, clear, and complemented by a full, rich bass sound that is surprising given the speaker's size. Crank the volume, though, and the beauty fades. Although this track doesn't actually distort, at top volumes, strange things occur—the subtle vinyl crackle becomes one of the loudest aspects of the mix, and the bass response lessens dramatically. There's some very obvious digital signal processing at work here.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, probably sound better than any other type of track through the SRS-X33. The lower register instrumentation has a lovely depth to it, giving the mix a bit more body than it would have through a flat-response style system. The higher register strings, horns, and vocals still maintain their place in the spotlight—the added bass depth doesn't skew the balance at all, really. And at top volumes, nothing weird happens to this track; that's because its overall volume level is a bit lower to preserve dynamics, so it can't become a victim of the speaker's heavy-handed DSP at top volumes.
It's possible to listen to audio with the "Sound Enhancer" button on—this is a feature that adds more digital processing to the mix, ostensibly to increase clarity. Typically, what we heard was an increase in high-mid and high frequency presence, which is a great way to make things sound more crisp and clear. The button feels a little gimmicky, but it avoids adding in any awful reverb effect or unnecessary fake surround sound. Using this button is a matter of personal taste—the speaker sounds fine with it on or off.
As mentioned earlier, the SRS-X33 is intriguing—at certain volumes, it sounds fantastic for its size and price, but at higher volumes, it can sound unlistenable. For $130, I still really like the Sony SRS-X33 when listening at moderate volumes. It's an excellent office speaker. If you want something to crank at parties or outdoors, however, this is not your best option. If you're looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker in this price range that has laudable bass response and doesn't distort like the SRS-X33 does, consider the Divoom Voombox Party ( at Amazon) , the Braven BRV-Pro ($149.99 at Amazon) , or our Editors' Choice, the Bose SoundLink Color ($80.49 at Amazon) . And if you're looking to spend far less, the JBL Clip+ ($69.95 at Amazon) offers a solid audio experience for its very low price.
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