Speaker

Sony ULT Field 7 Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker review

When you take the new Sony ULT Field 7 out of its packaging, you get an impression of its claim to be best in class in the “roll-shaped party box” category. The design reminded us of an enlarged version of its predecessor, the Sony SRS-XG500, but it’s clear from the dimensions and specs that the new Sony is looking to shake the might of the JBL Boombox 3 reviewed by STEREO GUIDE last spring.

The ULT Field 7 is less suitable for use as a permanent ghetto blaster on the shoulder or on a well-trained arm. Although its battery life of up to 30 hours is predestined for this, there is no classic handle or shoulder strap. At 51 centimetres, the not exactly short castor is transported on small recesses in the ring-shaped feet, which may remind party professionals of aluminum beer kegs from the catering trade.

At 6.3 kilograms, however, the Sony reel is much easier to lift. However, thanks to water and dust resistance to IP67 plus the robust plastic rings with rubber buffers, there are no restrictions when used in the field. The last question remains: What does the abbreviation ULT in the name mean? This is the name of the bass boost button on the well-marked control panel, which can be pressed repeatedly in two different ways to boost the party beats. So either maximum bass or maximum kick bass for higher maximum volume in the middle and higher pitches.

2-way stereo with square bass drivers

The Sony developers have dispensed with the 3-way technology of the competition for their XL ghetto blaster: The Sony ULT Field 7 is a classic 2-way stereo loudspeaker and only drives two mid-range tweeters and two woofers with a total of 100 watts of impulse power. The latter are equipped with reinforced surrounds and an almost square membrane. The aim is to keep the dimensions of the roll portable while maximizing the membrane surface area. In combination with a deep separation to the two small cone drivers, this should even make a built-in subwoofer superfluous, because the square drivers can perform large strokes with impunity.

To ensure that the bass and level reserves are still worthy of an open-air party, two passive diaphragms with a diameter of around 15 centimeters work in the left and right rounding of the roll. They are illuminated with iridescent, twinkling LED rings to enhance the party feeling. Protruding rings with rubber coating protect the chassis and also act as floor stands and carrying handles. The rubber bumpers on the back of the party speaker are square so that the speaker can also be used lying down.

The two 45-millimeter-diameter cone mid-range tweeters are mounted on the outside of the front baffle and are fed with separate signals for stereo. With a distance of around 40 centimeters between the two, you shouldn’t expect any spatiality miracles. In addition, the left and right channels are only arranged in stereo anyway if the ULT Field 7 is operated horizontally. However, if you want to play back real stereo with two ULT Field 7 speakers paired via Bluetooth, you should operate the two speakers upright like floorstanding speakers in a hi-fi system. This not only sounds great, but also looks better.

Many connection options

The Sony is bucking the trend towards Bluetooth as the only playback standard with a cornucopia of options: In addition to a USB-A input for playback from a memory stick, there is an analog input on the rear as a 3.5 mm stereo jack and an additional 6.35 mm jack input for a microphone or electric guitar. A rotary knob can be used to adjust the level of vocals or instruments independently of the overall volume and an echo effect can be activated at the touch of a button. The Key control is used to adjust the pitch of the rest of the music playback to the live recording in six semitone steps. So karaoke can come!

Bluetooth will probably be the most used input option. Here the Sony shines with version 5.2 and the codecs AACSBC and LDAC. The latter is a Sony proprietary development that enables better sound quality compared to standard Bluetooth codecs. Some will miss codecs from the aptX family, but for a portable one-box system, the codecs shouldn’t be that important. LDAC has also been integrated into the operating system since Android 8.0 (Oreo), which means that many modern Android devices support the codec. Two Sony ULT Field 7s can be linked to form a fully-fledged stereo set, or several Sony Bluetooth speakers can be networked to form a party chain.

The ULT Field 7 can be charged using the mains cable supplied and a socket. The power supply unit is conveniently built in. The 30 hours of battery life is achieved with ULT Boost activated at just over 30 percent of the maximum volume. With the backlight activated, the runtime is still reduced to a decent 25 hours. At the maximum volume of all power guzzlers, however, it only takes 3 hours. For parties with a full light show, a power socket should therefore be nearby if possible. If you are looking for maximum battery life, you can activate an energy-saving function in the app that reduces the bass somewhat. However, with the powerful bass foundation of the Sony ULT Field 7, there is still enough punch left over for cultivated background sound.

App with many possibilities

The Sony Music Center app for Android and iOS offers a customizable graphic equalizer and the aforementioned “Stamina” function. This function activates an eco mode that extends the battery life, but at the expense of the maximum volume level and bass range. In contrast to ULT mode, which emphasizes deep bass, the Stamina function reduces the fullness of the sound. With very small Bluetooth speakers such as JBL’s new Go 4 and Clip 5, which also have a power-saving mode, the sound is thin and sharp. Sony’s Stamina function, on the other hand, maintains a sufficiently rich sound – unless you prefer strong bass beats. Sony has also given the ULT Field 7 a battery care function that only charges the battery to around 90 percent to increase its service life.

The app also offers stereo pairing for two identical speakers or a party mode with several speakers in synchronous operation for higher sound levels. There are also sound presets for stronger low bass (“ULT1”) and maximum volume levels (“ULT2”) as well as a graphic equalizer for individual sound adjustment. The switchable sound field optimization automatically detects the noise level around the speaker to automatically adjust the sound.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *