Sony just expanded its nascent Ult lineup of portable speakers in a big way, unveiling a list of new options that range from sensible and small to, quite frankly, absurdly large. While some might be hard to imagine in the hands of regular listeners, the smaller end of the scale seems really persuasive.
The biggest pair of the lot is the Ult Tower 9 and its wired version, the Ult Tower 9AC. These two are identical from a sound and design point of view, but the first version has battery power that can run for over 24 hours, while the latter needs to be plugged in to work.
The sheer size of the speakers makes that sound less of a compromise, to be honest, although with the wheels at their bass and an all-black design, I can't help but compare them to a wheelie bin in my head. The sound promises to be earth-shatteringly powerful, though, and the battery version will come in at £850 or €1,000, while the wired version costs £600 or €700.
Shrinking down in size, the Ult Field 5 is a far more normal-looking option that comes with an included strap and is still big and powerful enough to easily offer the audio for a big party. It has a nice lighting system to give it some personality, as well as an included carrying strap to acknowledge that it's still quite a unit. It'll cost £260 or €300, and come in either black or white.
Then there's the Ult Field 3, which I think looks like the speaker that will tempt the most people. It's still chunky enough to clearly make an impact in terms of sound, and also comes with a carrying strap. That said, it could also be slipped into a back easily enough, and seems more adaptable. It'll set you back £180 or €200, and comes in black, white or a lovely "forest gray" which verges on green.
I tested the Ult Field 1 a couple of months ago and found it to be a really creditable new option in the durable speaker market, so there's every reason to believe these new additions will be, too. They'll all come with the signature Ult button to unlock different sound signatures, although the bigger speakers will offer a few more options in terms of what the button actually does.
A final twist is the addition of the Ultmic1, a wireless microphone that can unlock some serious karaoke potential with an included receiver that can connect to any of these new speakers. It means that any of these Ult speakers with the microphone could be an all-in-one solution for those looking to perform in public, too.
All of these new launches should be available this month, although that might vary slightly depending on where you live. They're also a recommitment from Sony to the new Ult sub-brand that it created in 2024, which looks like it's going to keep on going.
