Sony XB-33

amazon Sony XB-33 reviews

Unlike the XB-23, this year, there have been changes in the form of a complete ‘makeover’ when switching from a horizontal speaker to a vertical speaker; the two more expensive products, the XB-33 and XB-43, still retain the traditional design system. It can be said that the XB-33 has the opportunity to become the ‘default choice’ for fans of the loyal Sony eXtra Bass speaker line with the old design. So how is the actual quality of this speaker?

The box of the XB-33 is quite large, more square than the box of the XB-23.

As usual, accessories include paperwork and a USB Type-C charging cord.

Every year the Sony eXtra Bass series has a new design. This year is a pretty seamless design between plastic and braided fabric.

On the top of the speaker are control buttons, including the power button, Bluetooth, music play/stop button, volume control, Live Sound feature on and off, and where the NFC module is located for quick connection to the source.

Completely different from the older generation products, the two sides of the speaker have passive vibrating membranes open to the environment; when playing music, we can see them moving in and out rhythmically to help support the two side diaphragms. Despite having an exposed vibrating membrane like this, the XB-33 still retains its IP67 dust and water resistance, which means it can resist small dust and immersion in water, which is quite impressive.

The back has the remaining ports and buttons of the speaker. From the XB-33 and above, we have an additional USB port for charging, a feature that the XB-23 lacks.

Another feature that users of eXtra bass speakers are also looking forward to is the RGB LED strip running along the speaker body. Combined with the flash placed around the two internal diaphragms, these lights will create a more vibrant atmosphere, making the speaker’s design more eye-catching than ever.

Another big advantage of the XB-33 compared to the “junior” XB-23 is battery life. This speaker has a battery life of up to 24 hours, which is more than double the 12 hours of the XB-23! Surely long parties, weekend picnics will only be “simple” for XB-33. Perhaps because it has such a long usage time, Sony is confident to let users use the XB-33 as a ‘portable charger’ for other products.

Not only are there improvements in design and battery life, but the XB-33 also has a difference in sound quality compared to the XB-23. Every year, the XB-x3 series is always equipped with larger and more powerful drivers, so of course, the volume has also increased quite a bit. With the XB-33, I never let the volume exceed 50% when listening to music in my room because this threshold is already quite loud, not called ‘enough listening’ anymore. Therefore, the XB-33 is a home theater speaker and easy to bring to large spaces.

The volume increases, the bass of the XB-33 is also more ‘shabby’! The amount of bass of the XB-33 is quite a lot, and if you put it in too tight or resonant spaces, it will be buzzing. Therefore, the bass of this speaker will be best when placed in open, low-resonance spaces. Maybe I don’t need to describe too much about the bass of the XB-33 anymore; the strong, full sub-bass and mid-bass of the XB series has already become a name; it definitely won’t make you disappointed!

As usual, the vocalist of XB-33 will lean towards low-mid rather than high-mid, thereby better performing male vocalists than sopranos. Due to its horizontal speaker arrangement, the XB-33 has a thicker vocalist than the XB-23. In my opinion, it is also somewhat more natural. Both the high-mid and treble parts of the Sony speakers, I think, stop at a good level, not too deep so that the sound quality is only ‘full bass,’ but will still be weaker than LG’s XBoom GO speakers.

Compared to the XB-23, the XB-33 will trade off a vertical soundstage to create horizontal stereo sound. In my opinion, the arrangement of 2 channels will be more ‘standard,’ because this is the position of 2 listeners anyway, one channel on each side is quite ‘standard.’ But like the XB-23. This speaker can be heard horizontally and vertically when the speaker’s side is made quite flat; just doing so will cover one side of the passive diaphragm.

The high-mid, treble, and vertical soundstage reproduction can be upgraded thanks to the Live Sound feature that the company integrated into the XB-33, activated at the touch of a button. That can be considered an ‘available EQ’ for those who want more balanced sound quality, even just a little bit. Of course, we can still adjust more through the EQ included in the smartphone or downloaded Sony software.

The new standard for XB loudspeakers

Every year, I think the XB-2x series will be the standard, the speaker with the highest p / p of the eXtra bass speakers. But this year, the company decided to take the XB-23 series in a new direction, for different users than every year.

Therefore, the Sony XB-33 becomes a new standard, a versatile speaker that everyone should aim for if they have liked the previous generation product lines, do not want too big of a change. For those who want a ‘super loud’ speaker with even greater capacity, we will explore the XB-43 next time!

where can you get a Sony XB-33 online

Sony SRS-XB33 EXTRA BASS Wireless Portable Speaker IP67 Waterproof BLUETOOTH 24 Hour Battery and Built In Mic for Phone Calls, Black: Buy it now

Sony Extra Bass Portable Bluetooth Speaker Black – SRS-XB33/BC (Renewed): Buy it now

Sony SRSXB33 Extra BASS Bluetooth Wireless Portable Speaker (Blue) with Knox Gear Hardshell Travel and Storage Case Bundle (2 Items): Buy it now

Sony SRSXB33 Extra BASS Bluetooth Wireless Portable Speaker (Black) with Knox Gear Multipurpose Outlet Wall Shelf Bundle (2 Items): Buy it now