As an important product line of Sony’s bluetooth speakers, the SRS-XB series has always been selling EXTRA BASS subwoofer sound effects, and the speakers in this series also emphasize portability and protection. The new SRS-XB23 is a portable subwoofer wireless speaker with IP67 waterproof and dustproof characteristics.
The Sony SRS-XB series has introduced many special speakers. The new SRS-XB23 is like a cylindrical water cup, measuring 76mm × 218mm, which is equivalent to the size of a regular 350L water cup.
In addition to dustproof, waterproof and shockproof, this new SRS-XB23 speaker also has salt resistance and lanyard design. It is clearly designed for outdoor sports and fitness groups. It also supports stereo mode and party connection.
If you put it on the table and do not observe carefully, it is really easy to recognize this speaker as a water cup. As a portable positioning product, the Sony SRS-XB23 does not look very small. The Sony XB series wireless bluetooth speakers have smaller The size, but the weight control is still relatively good, the weight is only about 580g.
For outdoor activities, speakers that are too small are often not loud enough. It is necessary to ensure a large volume and a relatively heavy bass. The size of the speakers cannot be small. All in all, considering this design idea, the Sony SRS-XB23 is actually in volume control The above has been considered excellent, after all, two active speakers and two passive speakers are packed in such a small box.
In terms of color, according to Sony’s usual practice, there are black, pan-blue, gray-brown, olive green, and coral red to choose from. The three colors of pan-blue, gray-brown, olive green, and coral red are all medium colors. Morandi’s color style, the black in his hand looks more traditional.
The overall shape of the black version feels very concise. When you look up close, you will find that it has some rough feeling due to the application of materials. It looks like outdoor equipment. The package includes instructions, data cables, lanyards, and data cables for charging. It is a USB data cable with Type-C interface.
The design of the lanyard is convenient for the user to carry the speaker, or tie the speaker to the hiking bag, and then put it in the side pocket of the backpack.
The upper and lower ends of the front of the Sony SRS-XB23 speaker are made of plastic, and the surface has a rough matte texture. The middle part is covered with nylon-like materials. The design of the SRS-XB23 speaker can reach IP67 waterproof and dustproof, and it is dirty. It can be rinsed with water, and it has passed a drop test in accordance with MIL-STD810H Method 516.8-Shock. It is a relatively “sturdy” speaker.
The button control area on the side of the SRS-XB23 speaker lanyard is covered with waterproof rubber, and the rebound feeling of the button is still very good. There are status indicators for Standard power saving mode and PARTY queue mode at the bottom. Sony SRS-XB23 supports stereo mode, that is, you can use two SRS-XB23 speakers to form a stereo system; party mode can use wireless serial connection, so that multiple speakers (limited to SRS-XB23/SRS-XB33) can be formed Party system, for example, if you hold a party by the side of a relatively large swimming pool, the speakers in every corner of you play the same track. In addition, this speaker has a microphone and supports making and receiving calls.
Below the button is the charging interface. There is a 5V type-C interface for charging. The battery capacity is 2700mAh, the battery life is about 12 hours, and the complete charging time is about 4 hours. There are also three hollow areas at the bottom. If you have played or learned about the Sony XB series, you should know that this design has actually been applied to the XB10. The main purpose is to make the sound clearer when it comes out from below, and not to appear dull, and also to prevent the vibration of the diaphragm from driving the desktop to resonate.
The workmanship of the lanyard hole is pretty good, and the separate design of the power indicator switch and the bluetooth control switch will be much more convenient.
The silk-screened Sony logo on the top.
The material surrounding the passive diaphragm on the top looks like rubber, but it is actually plastic. The rubber is designed on the bottom of the speaker. It will be more stable when the speaker is placed. If the speaker is on the ground, it will also have a certain anti-collision effect.
In terms of speakers, Sony SRS-XB23 uses a very special shape of non-circular X-Balanced speakers, a total of two 42mmx51mm full-range speaker units, this speaker unit uses mica reinforced fiber cell (MRC) diaphragm, partial The design of the center optimizes the weight balance, widens the sound field, and helps to improve the clarity of the sound. X-Balanced speakers used to be mainly used in Sony’s high-end TV sets.
As can be seen in the above demonstration diagram, if a conventional circular speaker is used, the cabinet can only be placed in a speaker with a diaphragm diameter of 42mm, while a non-circular X-Balanced speaker requires a diaphragm area. It is much larger, and the response index will be more prominent theoretically. This is indeed a rare black technology.
In conjunction with the EXTRA BASS sound design, Sony SRS-XB23 is equipped with a passive diaphragm at the upper and lower ends to enhance the low volume and dynamic effect. If the volume is loud enough, you will see the vibration of the passive diaphragm.
Although Sony has not announced the acoustic indicators of the X-Balanced speaker unit, the Sony SRS-XB23 is still relatively high from the configuration of other hardware and sound effects software. The first is to support bluetooth 5.0 version, support SBC/AAC/LDAC codec protocol, LDAC is also a feature configuration that audio players are more concerned about. In addition, it supports S-Master digital amplification, Clear Audio+ sound effects, DSEE digital enhancement engine, and several exclusive technologies common to basic Sony acoustic products.
On the online side, you can install Sony’s Music Center APP to manage the speakers, mainly to set the sound and sound function. Music Center is actually compatible with many streaming media playback software, such as Spotify, Google Play Music, and so on.
Let’s talk about the sound of the Sony SRS-XB23. I personally think that the sound of this speaker is not bad, but there is a certain gap compared with the thick and layered sound of traditional HiFi speakers. Of course, the sound of a single speaker is not as surround as the 2.0 stereo sound, but the SRS-XB23 firstly has a louder sound. When the volume is turned on to the maximum volume, you will think “It is so loud, I want to turn it down.” . There is no reflection in the outdoor space. Generally speaking, the sound volume will be lower when the speaker is placed farther outdoors. Loudness is still very important for a speaker used outdoors.
As far as bass is concerned, SRS-XB23 has a certain sense of percussion and volume. Compared with some small-sized bluetooth speakers, Sony SRS-XB23 has a more low-volume sense. It is also possible to play some songs with a stronger sense of rhythm during outdoor sports. It will feel more, when the volume is high, you can see the passive diaphragm on the top beating, and it feels very cool.
Sam Smith—— I’m not the only one
The bass test song is Sam Smith’s I’m not the only one. You can hear the elasticity of the drumbeat. The low frequency extension is ordinary. This is mainly due to the limited speaker diaphragm size. The better place is that the bass is relatively good. Clear, will not affect the performance of high- and mid-frequency vocals too much.
Lights &Motion—— Fractured
The density of mid-to-treble is relatively sufficient. The Sony SRS-XB23 speaker is more prominent in the mid-frequency vocal part. The sound style of the treble is softer, and the resolution is ordinary. Generally speaking, it is in line with the price of this speaker. If a stereo is formed, the surround effect It will be better, and the overall listening experience will be better.
The Sony SRS-XB23 seems to be designed for outdoor use, but I think it is also very suitable for home use. For example, it can be used with a laptop. It will save space when placed upright. Its design is also quite unique and it feels very design sense. , It will look very stylish at home or in the studio.
In the audition, I feel that the transmission of LDAC is very stable. Compared with the traditional SBC, the bit rate of LDAC audio coding is much higher. But the early LDAC transmission is also susceptible to interference, and the sound is prone to intermittent situations, while the LDAC transmission of SRS-XB23 feels very stable.
The Sony SRS-XB23 is priced at $59.99 on the official website. Among Sony’s bluetooth speakers, it is positioned at the mid lower end level. However, Sony is still more sincere this time. Several important audio technologies are available. If you want a speaker suitable for outdoor, listening to music with friends in the night sky, SRS-XB23 should be a better choice.
In the category of outdoor speakers, many brands like to design the speakers to be very rough, which looks very “resistant to impact” and the appearance is more exaggerated, while the Sony SRS-XB23 looks much more elegant, like a gentleman, I think outdoor speakers are not necessarily brought out every day. If you occasionally put the speakers at home to listen to music, I think the shape of the Sony SRS-XB23 will be more suitable.
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