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For a compact speaker that’s meant to be tossed right into a bag or clipped onto your backpack, the Sony ULT Area 1 holds up higher than you’d count on. It weighs about 1.4 kilos and comes with a carry strap, and it is IP67-rated, which means that mud, sand, and the occasional splash (or dunk) gained’t wreck your playlist. At $64.99 for a refurbished unit on StackSocial, it’s 50% off the unique value and nonetheless comes with a one-year guarantee. It’s listed as “Grade A,” so beauty put on needs to be minimal to none.
The sound will not be mind-blowing, however higher than common for one thing this measurement. You’ll get stable audio with a touch of bass, particularly once you hit the ULT button, Sony’s model of a bass increase that provides the music extra punch when wanted—simply take into account that maxing out the quantity and toggling the bass increase will drain the battery quicker. With out the increase, you’ll be able to count on as much as 12 hours of playtime; at full quantity with ULT on, that drops nearer to three hours. Nonetheless, for yard hangs, bike rides, or hotel-room DJ classes, it holds its personal.
What do you assume up to now?
You gained’t discover fancy touchscreen controls or a deep companion app, however there’s a fundamental management panel on the speaker for quantity, energy, pairing, and playback, and the app offers you a easy EQ and energy settings. That stated, Bluetooth 5.3, Google Quick Pair, and multipoint pairing are all supported, and it really works with each iOS and Android. You possibly can even join two of those collectively for stereo playback, which helps if you would like a bit extra depth. All issues thought-about, for $65, this Sony speaker is ideal for informal listening or bringing music on the go.
