It also has a large soundstage and a slightly boomy sound profile, which adds some extra bass to the mix. However, it still struggles to reproduce low-bass, so you won’t be able to feel the thump and rumble in bass-heavy music like hip-hop. It also does not include a graphic EQ for adjusting the sound. While the Sony SRS-XB13 is reasonably priced, most people prefer Sony’s smaller speakers because they are lightweight, compact, and easy to transport. This year, you can also get an IP67 rating, which makes them dust-proof and waterproof. The shape is essentially that of a large soda can: it’s wide, round, and short. It will most likely fit in a cup holder in your car, but thanks to the strap, it can also hang off your backpack. A grille protects a standard 1.5-inch driver at the top of the speaker, while a passive radiator on the underside improves bass response. The controls are located on the side, as is the hidden USB-C port that charges the speaker. A rubber bass and small gaps in the plastic base allow sound to pass through at the bottom of the speaker, a design feature borrowed directly from Sony’s 2020 speaker lineup. In terms of sound quality, the SRS-XB13 is far more balanced than in previous years. There’s a focus on the midrange, which makes vocals very clear, and a decent wallop of bass for a speaker this size. Sony told us ahead of launch that one of the big focuses for the development team this year was flatter sound quality, and that certainly feels like the case. Regrettably, it remains a single-driver system with a passive radiator on the bottom. That means there is no stereo separation and a small sound stage. Songs with a distinct left and right channel, such as Jimi Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower, sound flat on the SRS-XB13 unless you pair two of them together. Most genres of music sound significantly better with the new balanced sound quality, especially rock and alternative, but pop and EDM sound slightly worse. The driving bass line and harmonies in Joel Corry and David Guetta’s BED get lost in the mix. You should be able to fine-tune this with your phone’s built-in EQ or the Sony Music Center app, but don’t expect a miracle.
