Sony has just announced a trio of new speakers in its new line of audio products called the ULT Power Series. This is an attempt to reduce some of the confusion associated with the company’s naming conventions and XE-Series products. Both lines are included in the ULT Power Series brand. To match this new branding, each of the following speakers includes something called an ULT button, which provides a bass boost.
The ULT Field 1 is your standard portable Bluetooth speaker. It is compact and comes in a variety of colors including black, white, gray and orange. The battery lasts about 12 hours per charge and the housing is IP67 water, dust and shock resistant. Like many of these ultra-portable Bluetooth speakers, the design allows users to hold it on its end or lay it on its side to take advantage of space. There is also a built-in microphone for hands-free calling. The speaker is priced at $130 and will be available at major retailers later this spring.
ULT Field 7 is basically a more powerful version of Field 1. It is larger but still portable and has two dedicated ULT buttons. One provides deeper bass in the low frequency range, while the other brings powerful, punchy bass. There’s also plenty of ambient LED lighting that syncs with the music.
The battery lasts for 30 hours, which is fantastic, and includes quick charging capabilities. Thanks to its built-in microphone port, it’s also advertised as a karaoke machine. Finally, Sony says people can connect up to 100 of these things to create a cacophony that will piss the pants off their neighbors. But these neighbors will probably live in a magnificent mansion, because just one Field 7 costs $500. They will go on sale this spring.
The ULT Tower 10 is, as the name suggests, a Bluetooth tower speaker designed for residential use. This speaker connects wirelessly to stereo systems and TVs for enhanced audio and includes the same two ULT bass boost buttons found on the Field 7. There’s also a sound optimization feature that detects local noise and adjusts settings to match the environment.
The speaker boasts versatile synchronized lighting that Sony says “makes listeners feel like they’re at a music festival.” There are two microphone inputs for separating karaoke duets, and the speaker is actually equipped with a wireless microphone. Listeners can also connect up to 100 compatible speakers simultaneously, including the Field 7. This is one expensive tower speaker, so it’ll set you back $1,200 when it’s released at the end of the season.
