Even though the new Sony XB43 has some really meaningful upgrades like an all new speaker set up which genuinely does sound better and it now has USB C charging which does make life a little easier. I can’t help but feel that performance wise this speaker does leave you wanting more and its not as big of an upgrade as I would like when compared to the XB41.
Sony has for the most part updated their portable speaker line up for summer 2019. We have the new Sony XB12, the Sony XB22 and the Sony XB32. But weirdly enough, sony hasn’t released an updated Sony XB42… instead the year old XB41 is still Sony’s largest portable bluetooth speaker that doesn’t have a built in voice assistant like the XB501G or the XB402M. So if you’re think about picking one of these speakers up for this summer, lets see which ones right for you.
Sony has been killing it recently with their headphones. They currently have what are arguably the best premium ANC headphones on the market right now, and their redesigned Extra bass headphones are looking very promising. But their speakers on the other hand… that’s a different story. Technically, the new Sony XB32 does have some improvements over the Sony XB31… but I feel they should have done more.
I think Sony has been recently killing it with their headphones. Their 1000XM3’s are currently the best ANC headphones on the market and their WH-CH700N are a really good pair of budget friendly headphones packed with a lot of features. But their speakers on the other hand could use some work. Namely, their Audio clarity could be better and their Software and Wireless Party Chain feature could be more stable. So let's see what the new Sony XB501G is all about.
Last year when I first reviewed the UE Megablast I didn’t like it at all. But then when I resisted the Megablast 8 months later thanks to some software updates and new features, I liked it a little more even though it still had its problems. But now that we have the Boom 3 and Megaboom 3… I actually really like both of these speakers. I feel the Megaboom 3 is so good, it can actually keep up with the big boys like the Sony XB41 and JBL Xtreme 2.
If you’re in the market for a large portable speaker you’ll might be looking into popular options like the Sony XB41 or the JBL Xtreme 2… or you could be looking into the LG PK7 which essentially is a mash up between the XB41 and the Xtreme 2. You get a light feature and a speaker set up similar to the Xtreme 2. So lets see which of these speakers is worth your money.
When I first reviewed the UE Megablast a few months ago I didn’t like it at all. It had a whole bunch of missing features, it relied way too much on voice commands, and it just didn’t sound good. The megablast had way too much bass and no mids. But I decided to give the Megablast a second chance. And even though it still has its problems… it actually sounds really good now. So good in fact that I feel its actually up there with the JBL Xtreme 2 with a form factor smaller than the Sony XB41.
Both the JBL Xtreme 2 and Sony XB41 are all new for 2018. And if you're in the market for a new large portable bluetooth speaker then the JBL Xtreme 2 and Sony XB41 are your most popular options out there. Personally I really like both the Sony XB41 and JBL Xtreme 2, but depending on your needs one will might be better for you than the other. So watch this Sony XB41 Vs JBL Xtreme 2 video to find out which one is right for you!
