Sony's best portable Bluetooth speakers just got three brilliant new models

(Image credit: Sony)

published 13 July 2022

Sony makes some of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy, and the 2022 line-up just got three brand new models that promise a typically Sony mix of sound quality, strong build quality and good looks. The new models are part of the same X-Series as the Sony SRS-XG500, which we praised for its sound: "we were blown away... it's clear and rich with plenty of punch to it."

There are three new models here: the SRS-XG300, which is the biggest of the three and is more like a boom-box than a typical Bluetooth speaker; this is the one you'll want for parties, as it has Mega Bass to boost the low-end thump as well as ClearAudio+ and Live Sound Mode. It supports Sony's party connect for multiple speakers and you can also use two as a stereo pair.

Despite the big sound you're looking at a whopping 24 hours between charges, and if you finally run out of power you can get another 70 minutes from just 10 minutes on charge. It launches in the US on Friday 15 July with a RRP of $350; it's already on sale in the UK for £259.

Little speakers, big sound

The other new models are the SRS-XE300 and the smallest of the trio, the SRS-XE200. The latter is IP67 for water and dust resistance and it's also shockproof; once again you've got party connect and stereo pairing options. Battery life isn't as good as in the largest Sony but it's still a very respectable 16 hours in the smallest Sony; the mid-range model is good for 24 hours.

The SRS-XE300 is $200 in the US and £169 in the UK; the SRS-XE200 is $130 and £139. I like the smallest one best: it comes in some more interesting colour options (cyan and orange) than the rest of the range's blacks and greys.

These aren't the most affordable options, I know: right now the best outdoor Bluetooth speakers in our round-up include models such as the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2, which is currently half the price of the cheapest Sony here. But I suspect they're aimed at very different kinds of buyers: the UEs are bold and brash while even the biggest of the Sonys is a bit more understated.

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Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).