How loud is too loud?

Sony's new portable party speaker offers booming sound that may irk the neighbours but those 'raging' at home will love it.

SONY SRS-XP500: Rs 26,990

Pros

Cons

• Great battery life

• Heavy to lug around

• Powerful sound

• Onlyfront-facingspeaker

• Aux in, USB charging

• Karaoke feature

• Sound direction:Front-facing speaker

• Battery: 20 hours

• Quick charging: 80 mins playtime on 10 mins charge

• IP rating: ipx4

• Weight: 11.2kg

"Don't play that too loud, you'll wake up other family members!"

"The neighbours are telling us to turn it down!"

"Crank up the volume to max and let'sworkout!"

"Mama, let's playFloor is Lavaat full volume!"

These few exclamatory remarks have dominated my life ever since the Sony SRS-XP500 came home.Meet the new-age boombox, party speaker, giant audio beast. Call it whatever you want, Sony's new speaker offers powerful, immersive sound.

So much so that my humble bedroom was not prepared to be shaken to its core when we playedArenaby Fabian Mazur and Snavs, a high-adrenalin track for exercise.

Neither was my home prepared to listen toThe Floor is Lavawith such enthusiasm because we were all blown away with the beats and couldn't help but join my three-year-old in jumping and squealing with glee.

What I am trying to say is, I am not a "rager" or a "party animal" or any other millennial terms associated with the act of head-banging to loud music. And yet, even I couldn't resist the urge to invite my fully-vaccinated, mask-wearing friends over to enjoy some powerful beats on this speaker.

The speaker is priced at Rs 26,990 which is decent for a speaker this size with a bucket-load of features. Remember, flagship wireless earphones are known to cost more than this. So here is why the Sony SRS-XP500 is the ideal speaker for you if you like to entertain and enjoy music to its full potential.

Portable only if you exercise

The Sony SRS-XP500 is portable which means you can lug it around to parties and big gatherings in a post-pandemic elusive world. It doesn't need to be connected to a power source at all times thoughthe sound quality is much more impressive when it is tethered to power.

At 11.2 kilograms, it isn't something you can easily move around unless of course, you lift weights! It's a big black beauty if you will, with LED lights for those that like that kind of vibe. For an old soul like me, it was a real pleasure listening to someNora Jonesclassics with dimmed lighting and letting the LEDs set the mood.

For those wondering where to park this beast, you can set it up vertically or horizontally. The IPX4 rating guards the XP500 against water so if you're headed to a dinner with the XP500 as your date, don't panic if someone spills their beverage on it. Or in my case, when my son spilled Apple juice while dancing toCocomelonbeats.

Get creative

The market for party speakers, believe you me, is surprisingly large and well-documented with big brands diving into the space. It may be hard to justify spending money on a party speaker when we're mostly stuck at home avoiding a lethal infection.

So make use of the other features that the XP500 offers such as using the mic and guitar input to turn the speaker into a karaoke machine! This can be a great tool if you're calling a few guests over -- who are vaccinated of course -- and can make for great in-house entertainment.

Battery that won't give up

You had me at battery life! The XP500 comes with 20 hours of battery life and after 10 minutes of charge, gives you 80 minutes of uninterrupted play because of its Quick charging feature.

So if you're taking this out camping, on a holiday in the distant future or even enjoying some online workouts through the Bluetooth mode, the speaker won't let you down.

Sound which can wake up the neighbours!

Pro tip: this isn't for small bedrooms or spaces since you're bound to annoy other members and relatives unless you're disciplined with the volume. This is a testament to the powerful sound offered by the speaker. We used it while hosting a dinner with some friends and had plenty asking us about the features.

I used it for a few kickboxing and Zumba workouts and the immersive sound kept my energy levels high.

The tech here is packed in two high-efficiency Tweeters along with two X Balanced Woofers. Every thump, click, crack, yelp and yeah can be heard with pristine clarity!

Imagine what you could do with this speaker in a big party when it's safe to attend one?

The sound quality here leaves very little room for complaints (audio purists, here's looking at you) despite being a front-facing speaker alone.

Should you buy it?

This is a question that's difficult to answer at this point in time. Are we ready to party? Not yet, I think. The country has opened up, people are stepping out, to malls, restaurants, exotic destinations. So the market for such a speaker is ripe even now and if you are looking for one, the Sony SRS-XP500 is the new-age boombox for you priced well at nearly Rs 27,000.

While I recommend the product, I do not endorse disturbing others with loud music. Do not attend crowded parties at this point even as cases decline. So be adventurous, not careless.

Buy this speaker to enjoy amazing sound, be wary of the virus, and host a socially responsible gathering of fully jabbed friends who will enjoy the sound and belt out a few out-of-tune numbers with you!