Gadgetory

hey what is going on YouTube now quick sidenote let me know in the comments section down below what you want to see reviewed it doesn't have to be speaker related I just need some help since I've been away for so long so alright folks this is the sony xba-40 1 this retails for $249 but it is on sale I've personally paid $200 click on my affiliate links down that video description below for the most updated prices in real time you never know when these things might go on sale out of Jimmy with Jim's review and I'm here to help you make that purchase decision welcome everyone to another review this video is sponsored by me visit the website jim's review calm and signup with a free account now I might have a comparison video with this speaker and JBL and they're quite shortly alright folks back to the reviews now go to the physical features first this thing looks and feels amazing now with complete mesh all around the entire speaker similar to the JBL extreme 2 or UE mega boom if it was more rugged but retains a very clean look now keep in mind the auto drivers are still forward-facing and provides directional front-facing audio to clarify there's no speakers on the side or on its rear so you're not getting the full 360 degree audio experience the biggest improvement and was lacking on the last model the XP 41 like its competitors are now ip67 certified maybe this is dust proof but more importantly to me this can now be fully submersible in water up to one meter for up to 30 minutes the bigger question for the hose and the lake or at the deep end of the pool who can't swim like me if it drops in does it float from my test thank God it does now the one other unique water resistant feature sony claims it's also rust proof which is a first for me bring this to the ocean and if you get salt water on here sony claims it's not a problem now like in the buns on the very top everything is on your screen for your convenience please pause the video if you need to they're tactile clicky no issues from my testing two buns worth mentioning though the first is live sound which is on the very top this simulates 3d audio giving you a wider soundstage i'll get into the audio test a bit later in this review a second but it's quite discreet here but it's party mode you can tap either end of the speaker on the top and the bottom and the X p41 creates a beat how you activate this is on the very back just give it to karate chops one two like so and then again I leave you front the size or so you tap it and you get this beat going this is discretion it is pretty much relative I think a lot of people are not fond of this I don't know if you ever gonna go to the club or I don't you probably gotta get pretty drunk to start enjoying yourself and cuz being in front of everybody slamming your damn Bluetooth speaker anyways that's your call that's up to you guys moving to the back this is not a big issue and as much as I love Sony extra bass speakers the additional buttons located behind this water resistant flap is a slight nuisance especially to check the battery level the other buttons are not too bad there's WPS for a wireless party chain you can pair over a hundred these speakers together if you want to fill up a room or an event and if your friend neighbor or someone that also owns a new Sony speaker you can tap Add to pair with other newer models the XP 4131 and 21 and from my experience they worked perfectly fine with the older models this was tough since Sony support and Sony's instruction manuals quite horrible here but I did find a solution I was able to pair both my sony xba-40 one together I'm happy to report it works though and I provide directions on my website the link will be in the video description down below now finish up the physical features this is a first for a large bluetooth speaker at least to me not only is there a wall adapter that you used to charge the speaker but it also includes a micro USB input to charge it that's convenient now next up here is a three-and-a-half millimeter input for physical connections and last is your traditional USB port to charge your phone or device it's basically using the speaker like a power bank now at a topic of batteries sony claims up to 24 hours with the leds off which is best-in-class bidding out the JBL extreme tube and ue Megu I did my test at 50% volume with the LEDs on now letting it play until it was official dead the results are on your screen now the sony xba-40 one offers bluetooth 4.0 which is perfectly fine for most average users testing this with my samsung s a+ i was able to get a range up 84 Lior feet with two walls in between my phone and the speaker before the audio started to crackle last but not least let's talk about the LEDs now I think they look really good and it's nice to see some lighting and the side profile it's not as abundant of course as the JBL pulse 3 but compared to most bluetooth speakers out there Sony and JBL appears to be the only two companies really pushing RGB lighting now you can always turn them off if you want the counts are bright enough and gives a nice glow in transition a strobe effect appears to be the same or identical to what it was on the previous models but other than that the light strip is pretty much straight forth now the customization is done through Sony's Fiesta Bowl app access through the music app and it was an OK experience simply offering different color choices to choose from but nothing like having the lights scroll in directions that you want or maybe pulse it exactly the way that you wanted to as well in the end I stuck with the presets offered and the quality lights was already enough for me it already looks good on its factory settings sorry folks enough about the physical stuff here let's get into the quick audio test be sure to put on your headphones or earphones as I'll be using by neural microphones offering you some of the best audio tests out there and before I start be sure to throw down some of fire emojis let's see you guys light up that comment section alright folks here we go alright folks make sure you got your headphones or earphones on here goes test number one and these are with mine by newer microphones here we go all right first up the sony xba-40 one is fitting for small dorm rooms to mid-size apartment at 50% volume it was comfortable and still loud enough to be enjoyable pushing it up to 70% and higher this will surely fill large areas if your price limit is 200 to 250 dollars the XP for the one is your best choice right now beating the competition in regards to price to volume and especially portability now if you're needing something for outdoor use or a super big room or event getting to Sony XP 31 s for the same price and pairing them or it be bigger but older now XP 60 for the price of 250 is the way to go if loudness is your priority and portability is not now jumping into bass if you're into genres of EDM hip-hop anything Basie the sony xba-40 one sounds damn good most of the time for large Bluetooth speaker categories comparing to the likes of the JBL extreme to UE mega boom bose soundlink revolve plus the XP 41 is bass here it's more thumping you can practically hear the bass in the next room I particularly like it and I know most average consumers out there will enjoy this too now my reviews do target the average consumer so I'm not trying to be an audio snob but the only issue that I did notice though when you do turn this up to fill those large rooms when vom is super high that's when you hear the the quality slightly diminished with vocals becoming slightly recessed the vocals are just not as strong now said going into the mid-range err I do wish the mid-range was slightly brighter for us to interpret a bit more detail after that vocal work could be a bit more forward this can be improved though if you are using an equaliser but overall for the mid-range most people will find a speaker perfectly fine and sounding amazing for those more peculiar will hear the nuances but with my testing my assessment it's not a big deal it's not a deal-breaker for most people again this speaker will be exceptionally great now high-hat cymbal crashes and such had a good bit of roll-off preventing that sharp tingey experience with very high frequencies it could use a bit more Sparkle up top but overall it doesn't get that air piercing audio and I personally didn't have any listening fatigue whatsoever now as for the sound stage like most Bluetooth speakers it is lacking in this department I was expecting life mode to enhance it but man I think life mode was a dud now some may like it and yes it does give a more spatial audio experience more simulated further suffering its audio but vocals and the mid-range in general loses so much more detail in for Dennis it sounds it just doesn't sound like it's good quality I personally liked it on its regular stock setting from the factory so do I recommend the speaker oh yeah I do despite the cheesy party mode which don't help me socially he now offered waterproofing and knowing that it floats though the extra micro USB port to charge for convenience and the go anywhere the newly updated style is a huge plus for me all around and dang if you like bass this is the way to go but how does it compare the JBL extreme - and possibly others you got to sign up on Jim's room comm I'll have it up there shortly folks be sure to LIKE and subscribe down below and comment with those fire mogees and follow me on Facebook or Instagram I'll see you guys later bye