I have a quick question for you. How much are you willing to spend on your next Bluetooth speaker? If you are going to answer above Rs.5000, then maybe you don’t have to spend that much. Because today we are reviewing Sony’s all-new SRS-XB13 Bluetooth speaker, which is priced at Rs.3,990 and could very well be your next purchase for that pool party you have planned.
Friends, I have been using this for the past two weeks or so and today am going to help you make an informed purchase decision on the same. So, without further ado, let’s quickly dive into it.
Design & Build
Let’s start with the design of the Sony SRS-XB13. A mouthful name, right? While Sony could make do with a better nomenclature, they surely know how to make extremely good looking gadgets. Plus, I know how to make them rugged. The XB13 is no different, as it comes with an IP67 rating, which makes it dustproof and waterproof.
The hard plastic body makes sure it has a solid build and is said to be extremely durable. Also, it offers a UV coating on the outer surface reducing the possibility of scratching the body. The XB13 is made for rough outdoors. The base of the speaker is fitted with a rubber circle, which allows it to stick to the surface. Further, there’s plenty of room for the bass as Sony has created a platform keeping bass just above the ground. More about bass in the Audio Quality section.
Notably, the speaker is not too heavy at 252g, making it easy to carry in your backpack inside. Or interestingly it has this lanyard, which allows easy attachment to your backpack like this. It also comes in handy should you want to hang it on your door handle or anywhere else.
Giveaway Announcement: Now it’s time for the Giveaway Announcement. We are giving away 3 units of XB13 Bluetooth speakers in collaboration with Sony. Answer me this: Which favourite soundtrack would you like to enjoy with Extra Bass with Sony SRS-XB13?
Also, Go check out the video description for more giveaway details to Participate and Win one Bluetooth speaker.
Buttons
What about the ports and buttons? Well, when you undo the gasket, you will find a USB Type-C port to charge the speaker. The five buttons array can be seen housing buttons to power on/off, turn on/off Bluetooth, play/pause, decrease volume and increase volume. All these buttons are fitted with rubber housing.
Talking about the functionalities, you can notice it has a built-in mic for a better hands-free calling experience when your phone is not close to you. Calls can be answered using the play/pause button. Speaking about pairing the speaker, it’s easy to do so. All you have to do is press the Bluetooth button once and it should show up on your smartphone Bluetooth setting screen. Interestingly, Sony has added Fast Pairing Support, which allows you to quickly connect with the speaker as a pop-up appears as soon as you turn on the speaker.
Audio Quality
Before I talk about the sound quality, let’s quickly breeze through the specs. So, the XB13 has a speaker unit that has a 46mm diameter. The unit can operate across a frequency range from 20Hz to 20 kHz and connects to compatible devices via Bluetooth version 4.2. What I liked about the sound profile was that the bass output is quite wild and it tends to bring out the best music experience both indoors and outdoors. The Vocals Sound Clear be it any genre of music you listen through this speaker. I have personally been listening to a lot of BTS and tracks like “Butter” really shine on the XB13 speaker. Beats were quite accurate and sounded fun to listen to. Furthermore, the treble is quite sparky and energetic as you’d want on any premium wired speaker. The XB13 gets audaciously loud and it will easily fill a moderately sized room with a fuse.
Battery Life
Speaking about the battery life, I got around 12 hours of battery life at 80% volume level, which isn’t quite great when compared to the 16 hours claim from the company but isn’t bad either. It’s good enough. Notably, it takes up to 2 hours to completely charge the battery from zero using a type-C cable given within the retail box.
Verdict – Should you buy?
Summing up the review, I have ditched my Mi Outdoor Bluetooth speaker for Sony’s XB13. Primarily because it allows me to change tracks easily and also go back to the previous track using triple press on the play/pause button. Further, it can also act as a stereo speaker setup, since it has a stereo pair function. These are some of the neat functionalities that most small Bluetooth speakers lack. You are paying a premium for these conveniences. And it’ll be worth it.
Akhil Kapoor
Living and breathing technology. From unboxing to reviews, I strive to be your one stop buying guide to purchase the tech product that's best suited for you.