Sony srs-xb, 23, 33, 43, reviewSummer is the perfect time to source out a new Bluetooth speaker. And ahead of nearly every summer season, Sony releases new versions of it’s uber-popular Extra Bass lineup of wireless speakers. This year I had the opportunity to get hands-on with the newest iterations: the Sony SRS-XB23, Sony SRS-XB33 and Sony SRS-XB43. I’ll tell you all about them, what they can do, how they sound and whether you might want to pick one up not just for summer but to bring the party with you all year.

Review of the Sony SRS-XB23, Sony SRS-XB33 & Sony SRS-XB43

There are three speakers in this series; each a bit different from the other. Naturally, as they step up in size and power, they also step up in price too.
These are often billed as ‘party speakers’ thanks to their power, portability and—on the larger two—built in LED lighting effects.

Similar but different 

The three speakers in this line are similar but different. The two larger ones, the Sony SRS-XB33 and Sony SRS-XB43 can be used standing on their ends or lying on their sides. They have a flat front and flat base. The Sony SRS-XB23 is a cylinder. Each has a rubber door protecting other buttons and connectors in the back.

Sony srs-xb, 23, 33, 43, reviewSpeaker Power

Not surprisingly these speakers step up in wattage and volume as they get bigger. Sony doesn’t make finding sound specs easy for the 23 or 33—I couldn’t find anything but the SRS-XB43 sound specs which are: 2 x 16 watts, 2 x 0.79” woofers, 20mm tweeters.

Waterproof/Dustproof IP rating

The Sony SRS-XB23, the SRS-XB33 and the full sized SRS-XB44 are all rated against water and dirt penetration. They have the rating IP67, which means each is fully protected from dirt and dust and can withstand water and even salt water.

Lighting effects of the Sony SRS-XB23, Sony SRS-XB33 & Sony SRS-XB43

The larger two speakers have built in lighting effects that will flash and pulse to the beat of what’s playing. The SRS-XB33 has two behind-the grill lights and LED colour-changing banding around the edges. The SRS-XB43 has four lights under the grill and the same LED colour changing banding. The XB22 has no lighting options (unlike the original XB21).

Sony srs-xb, 23, 33, 43, reviewSony Music Centre and Sony Fiestable apps

Why there’s two, I don’t know. To get the most out of these speakers, you’ll need not one but two apps: the Sony Music Centre app allows you to adjust some settings and check detailed battery levels, etc. But if you want control over the lighting on the XB 33 and 43, you’ll also need the Sony Fiestable app. There’s a bunch of different colour options, flashing effects and more which you can set or play with live. This is definitely fun and will be even more so for younger users.

Oddly, it seems to me these features all used to be available in the Music Centre app, and why Sony is splitting this function up is beyond me.

Sound quality of the Sony SRS-XB23, Sony SRS-XB33 & Sony SRS-XB43

Let’s get down to sound: these speakers sound excellent. Not surprisingly the power and overall audio quality steps up as you go up the line, with the XB43 the biggest, baddest and most powerful of all.

Sony srs-xb, 23, 33, 43, reviewEven so, each of them, even the wallet-friendlier and more compact XB23 sounds good. My preference was definitely for the XB43. I thought it sounded bigger, louder, more resonant, deeper and more detailed, with substantially more bass. The XB33 by comparison sounded a bit thinner. No, you probably wouldn’t notice this unless you had them both side by side switching between them. But if audio quality is paramount, you’ll want to go big here.

There’s obviously a lot of bass and you can feel it in a table or surface. I had the XB43 camping with me and used it extensively outside and it was easily able to fill our area with sound.

Vocals sound clear on each of the speakers, and the overall sound is well balanced. Only high fives here when it comes to audio quality of these speakers.

Sony srs-xb, 23, 33, 43, reviewCommon features in the SRS-XB lineup

Though there are some differences between each speaker, they do each have some common features.

Sony Extra Bass

Sony’s Extra Bass technology is the key feature of these speakers; it’s what they’re named for, and what the “XB” in the name stands for.

EXTRA BASS technology essentially lets you get more bass out of your music. The Sony EXTRA BASS headphones and speakers use what’s called an Electro Bass Booster to make the lower tones of bass lines more prominent. This battery-powered enhancer digitally improves lower end frequencies in the music and that in turn boosts bass. The feature can be turned on or off to suit your music or mood.

Sony srs-xb, 23, 33, 43, review

Live Sound

Live Sound is another feature of the XB-33 and 43 portable speakers. Activating this function is done with the touch of a button on the top of the speakers. Live Mode is apparently supposed to give you a more live and in person sound. I wouldn’t say it enhanced the sound, but it did change it, making the music less bass-heavy and leaned it more towards the high end. For me personally this setting did nothing for me.

In case you’re keeping score, a previous option that allowed you to smack the speakers and get crazy sound effects, Party Booster, appears to no longer be available on these speakers.

Party Connect/Party Chain

These speakers have a feature called Party Connect (formerly Party Chain), which essentially lets you connect and group multiple speakers to the same source. With compatible Sony devices, you can connect up to 100 (100!!) speakers in the chain. Not only will the music play across devices but the lights match up too.

I’ve got full instructions here, but the gist of it is you turn on one speaker, (this will become your main speaker) press the ‘Party’ button, then turn on the next speaker, press the button and so on down the chain. I tried this out and am happy to report it was easy.

To de-connect them, push and hold the party button on any of the speakers that’s not the main one.

Sony srs-xb, 23, 33, 43, reviewStereo Pairing 

You can also pair two speakers to create a stereo pair. The full instructions are here, but I couldn’t get this to work after about half a dozen attempts. The steps are rather finicky and after each try, my phone would become disconnected and wouldn’t reconnect while the stereo pairing lights were on. I tried using the app to make the stereo pairing connection and just got constant error messages. During my testing period I was unable to make stereo pairing work correctly. Hopefully Sony will have this patched in a future app or firmware update.

USB charging/power bank

There’s built in USB charging on all three models so you can keep your phone juiced up.

Battery life of the Sony SRS-XB23, Sony SRS-XB33 & Sony SRS-XB43

The battery life in these speakers is decent, but hasn’t improved at all since I first reviewed this lineup about 2-3 years ago.

SRS-XB23: 12 hours battery life
SRS-XB33: 24 hours battery life
SRS-XB43: 24 hours battery life

Setting up the Sony XB speakers

Setting the speakers up is super simple. Power on by pushing and holding the power button. That will put it into pairing mode for your first use, which will be confirmed with a verbal prompt. And flashing blue LED light. Go to your phone or device’s Bluetooth menu, select the speaker and tap to connect. I went through this numerous times with several speakers and it worked perfectly every time. If you need to re-enable pairing, just push the Bluetooth button.

Sony srs-xb, 23, 33, 43, reviewOverall review of the Sony SRS-XB23, Sony SRS-XB33 & Sony SRS-XB43

Overall, these are great speakers. They sound great, they’re a breeze to set up and use too (and even getting the party chin feature going was easy). If there are any downsides, it’s with little things like the need for two apps to control both settings and lighting effects.

Erin Lawrence
Erin Lawrence
Editor TV and Home Theatre
Erin is a journalist, writer, and TV producer with a fascination for technology and a love of gadgets. Check out her blog TechGadgetsCanada.com
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545 COMMENTS

  1. I love Sony as it always seems to be that reliable brand you can trust. We have a few of their small Bluetooth speakers and they are great. Would love to add the Sony SRS-XB43 to our home between my teenage kids and husband it would be well loved.

  2. Sony is and always has been a leader in technology and quality. I would like to add the Sony a7 III Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera with 28-70mm OSS Lens Kit to our home for my wife. I would be happy to win Sony SRS-XB43 EXTRA BASS Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker.

  3. When I see “SONY”, I know it is a brand I can trust for quality and being technology forward. The Sony 65″ 4K UHD HDR LED Android Smart TV would be a welcome addition to my household …. and I would love to win the Sony SRS-XB43 EXTRA BASS Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker.

  4. I love love love the sony catalogue. Always innovators of tech. From my Ericsson to Experia to my consoles to appliances. Already picked up a ps5 so now just waiting on the pulse 3d headphones!!!

  7. My parents always told me Sony made good televisions and sound products
    I could use some good speakers please and thank you

  9. I always had Sony televisions due to their quality so a very large Sony 4K television would be nice thank you

  10. What I like about this line of speakers is vocals sound clear on each of the speakers, and the overall sound is well balanced.

  13. We have been a Sony family since my first walkman in the 80s. When I got my first job, it was a Sony 20 inch tv that I purchased. Sony to us means trust and quality. I’d like to add a Sony 4K TV to our home.

  14. Sony has always brought to mind quality workmanship. I have owned many a Sony tv, I still own a vintage cd, tape deck, a walkman and clock radio! Would love some a speaker. Firstly for working out, it would mean no more yanking the wired earbuds Out of my head when I swing my arms on the treadmill! Also could use this In the backyard. Thx for the review!

  15. I love SONY because it’s a brand I can depend on. I would like to add the SRS-XB33 Base Speakers because of the extended battery life.

  18. I would love to add the Sony SRS-XB33 EXTRA BASS Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker! Sony has the best quality and it’s waterproof!

  19. Thanks for the review Erin. As I was reading I thought they might be complicated to set up, so was happy to see the ease of set up. We have always liked Sony, having owned a Sony TV for as long as I can remember. We are presently looking to add a Sony soundbar. These speakers would be great for outdoor entertaining..

  21. I love Sony because it’s reliable brand that I grew up with. The product of theirs I would like in my home is the PS5!

  24. I love the quality of products Sony puts out, They consistently very good.

    I would love to add the PS5 to my gaming collection.

  29. My next purchase will be the Sony 65″ 4K UHD HDR LED Android Smart TV (XBR65X950H) to replace my 3D Sony tv. I wonder if I can hook the Sony SRS-XB43 to get a boost in the sound?

  30. Love the quality of Sony products! These speakers look good, especially the ones with lights! Looking forward to the PS5, as well!

  31. I love Sony’s long history of making a wide range of high quality electronics. I’d love one of their OLED TVs such as the XBR77A9G Master Series 77 inch.

  32. Sony’s quality is always top shelf.
    From TVs to speakers & gaming, Sony is a leader in quality and innovation.
    I would love these Sony speakers to pair with my Sony TV.

  33. These all sound amazing, I would go for the XB33, I like the quality of Sony products. The battery charge is great too!

  35. I love Sony because it is a name you can count on, reliable and long lasting products. I would love to have the Sony SRS-XB43 EXTRA BASS Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker in Blue

  36. Sony has been around forever, great products you can count on. I would love to have the Sony SRS-XB43 EXTRA BASS Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker in blue

  39. I love Sony because they are a reliable brand. They have lasted so long and there’s a reason for it. I would love the Sony SRS-XB43 speakers.

  40. I love Sony because they always been one of the leaders in Technology and Entertainment. I would live to have the newest PS5.

  44. I am actually a huge Sony fan. I’ve owned three different Sony Xperia phones and i currently own a Android Sony t.v., bluetooth headphones,a soundbar, and a Playstation 4. They make top notch quality products in my opinion. Being a gamer, the next Sony product im looking forward to is the Playstation 5.

  45. Shame you couldn’t get stereo mode to work, hopefully Sony comes out with a fix! Otherwise they look great, I’d love to test them out.

  46. Great review! Gatta love Sony, they always deliver and their products are always high quality. Can’t wait for my Best Buy ordered PS5 to arrive!

  47. Awesome review! Sony always makes such high quality and long lasting products! And I can’t wait to add a PlayStation 5 to my home… eventually!

  48. Great review! I’d love any of these speakers! I run musical theatre in my school and having some speakers for students to use for scenes and atmosphere would be sweet! Thanks for the chance. Sony speakers are top notch. They are always innovating and I also cannot wait for the PS5 and the Pulse headset!

  49. Every electronic I own is from Sony. From headphones to tv to home entertainment system, PlayStation, laptop. I’m never disappointed with what they create for us tech lovers. This is no exception, this looks like the typical Sony creation, sleek, and minimalistic, love the LEd light. Battery lasts long enough, definitely looks like a must buy for ppl who love to travel.

  50. These look pretty cool! I was using Sony Extra Bass bluetooth headphones for a while and I really liked them. I will check these out when I look for Bluetooth speakers next.

    Thanks for the review!

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