Sony is on a major roll this year. The tech company released the excellent WH-1000XM5 active noise cancellation headphones, ANC LinkBuds S, and recently launched its new Inzone gaming brand with H-series headphones and M-series monitors. Now, Sony is rebooting its portable Bluetooth speakers just in time for peak summer.
XG300, XE300, and XE 200 —
Sony's trio of new portable speakers replace several models in its XB speaker lineup. Starting at the top, there's the $349.99 XG300, which replaces the XB43. The Bluetooth 5.2 speaker comes in two colors (light gray and black) and has a unique handle that snaps and retracts into the body.
The XG300 is the largest and most powerful of the three speakers with a one-touch "Mega bass" button that boosts the low-end for a club-like audio experience. There's also a Live Sound Mode that Sony says makes music sound like it's coming from a concert venue.
This bad boy can be tossed around without worry; it's IP67 dust and waterproof, lasts up to 25 hours with Battery Care Mode and quick charges in 10 minutes for up to 70 minutes of music playback, and has improved call quality that Sony claims cancels echoes when two people are speaking. This latter feature sounds useful for using the XG300 as a conference call speaker.
Other bells and whistles include an adjustable lighting system that syncs with music and many welcome dedicated ports and buttons (USB-A port for charging other devices, USB-C, audio-in, and battery and light buttons).
The XE300 and XE200 (replacing the XB33 and XB23) are basically the same Bluetooth speakers with minor differences like battery capacity; they both use a new "Line-Shape Diffuser" that enables a wider listening area. The $199.99 XE300 comes in three colors (blue, light gray, and black) and the $129.99 XE200 in the same colors plus orange, which is exclusive to Target. Sony says it went with more off-tone colors instead of the EDM-inspired colors in the past. The XE200 also has a built-in lanyard strap, whereas the XE300 doesn't.
Both speakers are IP67 dust and waterproof; the XE300 is slightly more rugged with shockproofing. The XE300 battery lasts up to 24 hours with Battery Care Mode and the XE200 up to 16 hours. Both have the same 10-minute quick charging for 70-minutes of playback as the XG300. And both speakers have the XG300's echo cancelation feature for calls; these two speakers have a standalone Mic Mute button.
Speaker party —
Sony says all three speakers support Party Connect, which lets you connect up to 100 wireless speakers over Bluetooth for an immersive listening experience. Other than for a big event, it's unlikely anyone will ever get the chance to try this out. But if you own Sony speakers with Party Connect and want to add more for a surround sound experience, you totally can.
Release dates —
All three new Sony Bluetooth speakers are available for pre-order starting today. Best Buy stores will have them in stock starting tomorrow, July 12. We’ll have to test these speakers out to see if they sound as good as they do on paper.
