Sony SRS-XV800 Review
If you’re looking to host a serious party, this could be exactly the type of speaker that you need
Verdict
The Sony SRS-XV800 is a versatile speaker for times when you need serious volume. If you host rocking parties or small-scale events, this could be the perfect companion.
Pros
- Excellent, impactful sound
- Lighting is more tasteful than most party speakers
- Versatile connectivity options
Cons
- Wheels are for smooth surfaces only
- Only IPX4 rated for water resistance
- Not the most exciting design
Key Features
- Music-reactive lightingThe lighting on the SRS-XV800 is bright, well-diffused and reacts quickly to the beat
- Works as a karaoke speaker or guitar ampIncludes dual microphone inputs, one of which can be used with an electric guitar
- Can be used with your TVThere’s an optical input and a dedicated TV sound mode on this speaker.
Introduction
The SRS-XV800 is one of the largest and most feature-packed party speakers in Sony’s current line-up, only outdone by the monstrous XV900. This one is about the size of your average household dustbin, and loud enough to wake the neighbours from three streets over.
If you’re looking to host a serious party, this could be exactly the type of speaker that you need. It’s battery-powered, wireless, and offers a variety of inputs for connecting to just about any source you could need.
Beyond being the centerpiece of a rocking party, though, there’s more versatility to this speaker. It’s equally at home being used as a PA, a karaoke speaker, or a guitar amp. It’ll even work with your TV, if you’re so inclined.
It retails for around £549 / $549, and at this price, there’s plenty of competition from the likes of JBL, Soundboks and more. I couldn’t wait to find out how it performs, so I’ve been listening to it, and here’s what I learned.
Design
- Subtle design, by party speaker standards
- Built-in wheels and carry handles
- Reactive RGB lighting and backlit control panel
The SRS-XV800 is a hefty piece of equipment, weighing in at around 18.5kg, and standing at almost two and a half feet tall. It’s fairly anonymous in its design, essentially looking like most professional speakers that you’d see on stage at an event.
It’s constructed from hardy dark grey plastics and it has a metal grille covering the speaker array on the front. A lot of products in the class choose to adorn the front with dazzling RGB lighting, and the XV800 does too, but it takes a more subtle approach.
Rather than encircling the speakers with forward-firing LEDs, the lighting is tucked away behind the grab handles on the top and bottom. It’s diffused and shines backwards towards the rest of the speaker housing. However, while its positioning is on the subtle side, the effect is still very impactful. The LEDs are very bright and vibrant, and they’ll definitely attract attention when the speaker is doing its thing.
The SRS-XV800 has a large battery pack inside, and therefore can be used outdoors away from any outlets. It carries an IPX4 rating for water resistance, which effectively means it’s protected from splashes of water. If it begins to drizzle, or someone’s not careful enough with their martini, then it should be fine – but it’s game over if this behemoth falls in a swimming pool.
As I mentioned, it’s a very big and heavy speaker, so it’s not something that you’re going to want to carry about with you, but Sony has taken some steps to make it easier to shift around. There are two large grab handles on the top, and one on the base, and I found that these worked well for carrying the speaker upstairs or putting it in the boot of the car. There are also two small wheels on the rear side, enabling you to drag the speaker like a suitcase. It’s a nice addition, but the wheels are too small to handle any rugged terrain, they’ll only really work on indoor surfaces like hardwood floors or tiles.
Most controls are found on the top panel, and they come in the form of backlit capacitive touch buttons, with only the on/off switch being a physical button. This touch panel works well enough, I never had any issue with it registering my input, but I would have preferred a volume knob for more precise control. The volume steps are quite large whether you use the touch buttons or the smartphone application.
Features
- Tonnes of connectivity options
- Wireless sync with Party Connect
- Microphone, guitar and TV sound support
The SRS-XV800 is extremely versatile in its connectivity. You can stream music to it wirelessly over Bluetooth 5.2 or use the plethora of wired options available on the rear panel. There’s a stereo mini jack, USB-A input, an optical port and two microphone inputs – one of which doubles up as a guitar input.
This means the SRS-XV800 is suitable for a variety of applications, and while I pretty much just used it like a massive Bluetooth speaker, it’s definitely a convenient option for public speakers and performers at small-scale events.
The optical input and dedicated “TV sound booster” mode mean that this speaker could be used in lieu of a soundbar, too. It’s a nice feature to have, but most people aren’t going to want something so large next to their TV, and try as it might, it’s never going to give you a proper surround sound feeling. This is something that I could see being used more effectively in a commercial setting, due to the high-volume output. It’d be very effective to amplify the sound of a TV at a tradeshow, for example.
There are two separate apps that work with the SRS-XV800, the Sony Music Center app, which you may have used with other Sony audio products, and Fiestable, which is one that I had never heard of before.
Sony Music Center offers a familiar companion app experience. Here, you can control the Party Connect function, which allows the speaker to wirelessly sync with other compatible Sony speakers, and you can create a wireless stereo pair if you happen to have two of these beasts at your disposal.
There are also controls for the lighting, EQ, power modes, inputs, Bluetooth connections and more. The most fun to play with is the lighting function. All of the available options are music-reactive, but the options allow you to control the type of colours that are used and whether they flash rapidly or fade more calmly. My personal favourite is the Strobe setting, and as the name suggests, it’s a very flashy and energetic effect that works great with electronic music.
The Fiestable app is somewhat less practical, and some of the features are a bit gimmicky, but there are plenty of fun options to mess about with at a party. Again, it’s the lighting control that enjoyed playing with the most. Here you get much more control over the illumination, including the ability to set specific colours, but Party Flash mode is the star of the show. In this mode, you can slide your finger towards the centre of a circle, and the closer you get, the more intense the strobing becomes.
The Fiestable app has plenty of other features, too. You can add reverb to the mic input when using the speaker for karaoke, there are DJ effects like a flanger and an isolator, and there’s even an option to control the speaker using the motion of your smartphone. It’s not something that I thought was particularly useful, but an interesting addition, nonetheless.
The SRS-XV800 boasts up to 25 hours of playback on a charge, but how long it lasts in practice will depend on your listening volume and whether you’ve got the lights flashing away. Sony’s documentation says it’ll shrink down to just 3.5 hours if you have it at max volume with the Mega Bass mode and lighting turned on.
I rarely got anywhere close to max volume, for the sake of my neighbours, and most of my listening was done at around 25% output. After hours of listening, the battery percentage barely dropped at all, so at normal volumes, that 25-hour figure seems very feasible. If you find that you have battery to spare, the USB-A port on the rear also works as a phone charger, another feature that’s sure to be a hit at gatherings.
Sound Quality
- Extremely loud output
- Warm and impactful sound
- Omni-directional sound output
The main thing that struck me about the SRS-XV800 is just how much power is on offer. Anything past 50% volume verges on uncomfortable in my (admittedly small) living room. If you need a speaker that can rock a campsite, sports hall, or a busy city street, then this is exactly what you’re looking for.
I would describe the sound as quite V-shaped; the bass is punchy and warm while the highs are very detailed without being shouty. My only complaint, as a bit of an audiophile, is that the vocals sound a little recessed, and obviously, being a single speaker, the soundstage is a little lacking.
That said, this speaker is designed for parties, and this sound signature works wonderfully for genres like house, hip-hop and metal. Playing God by Polyphia is a song that sounded particularly impressive through this system, there’s excellent fidelity to the guitar sounds and the bass notes have a thunderous weight to them.
While the soundstage might not be the most expansive, this speaker does an excellent job of spreading the sound in all directions. There are angled tweeters positioned on the rear corners that fire the sound behind the speaker, while three tweeters and twin X-balanced woofers fire from the front. This means that you don’t really have to worry about optimal positioning, it’ll sound good no matter where you place it.
There’s a Mega Bass button on the control panel, and activating it emphasizes the low frequencies a bit more, at the cost of some battery life. I think most people will prefer to have this turned on if they’re using it for parties, as it makes everything sound a bit livelier.
Interestingly, I found that the speaker was louder and more bassy when plugged in to wall power. So if you’re looking to turn the party up a notch, it’s worth plugging it in for the full effect.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You’re looking to get the party started
This speaker can deliver serious volume with an engaging and pleasant sound signature, all while bright LED lighting adds to the party atmosphere.
Portability is a chief concern
Technically it’s a portable speaker, but with a weight approaching 20KG and tiny wheels that are only usable on smooth surfaces, you won’t want to be lugging it very far.
Final Thoughts
The Sony SRS-XV800 is an impressive party speaker that I have very much enjoyed testing. It has a great sound signature, incredible volume output and a tasteful design that should fit well at just about any gathering.
Its versatility is one of its greatest strengths. The fact that you can use it completely wirelessly, as a karaoke speaker, a guitar amp or a TV sound system means that you can always find a use for this massive speaker.
It’s not perfect, however. I would love to have seen better wheels, the tiny ones used here are only suitable indoors, and better water resistance would have been nice to see, too.
The JBL Partybox 310 can currently be found at a slightly lower price, and it offers far better portability thanks to its pull-out handle and larger wheels. It also has flashier lighting, which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on your tastes. You’ll miss out on the optical input, though, so you’ll have a harder time using it with your TV.
The Soundboks Gen 3 is also worth considering, as it’s currently available for around the same price. There’s no lighting on this speaker, and no wheels either, but it’s louder, more durable and has an IP65 rating.
How we test
We test every wireless speaker we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested for more than a week
Tested with real world use
You might like…
FAQs
Yes, the XV800 has a function called Party Connect which allows it to wirelessly sync with other Sony speakers.
Using the supplied AC adapter, the SRS-XV800 can fully charge in around 3 hours. 10 minutes of charging should get you 3 hours of music playback.
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
