I am not an audiophile, but I do really appreciate excellent audio. For reference, my audio gear are as follow:
1) The best speakers on a phone so far is my Samsung Note 20 Ultra.
2) For headphones I have enjoyed the Sennheiser HD700, HD650, HD600, HD598 and other 500 series, and for Bluetooth I am using the Sony WH-XM4 and the WF-XM3 truly wireless earbuds.
3) For speakers, I have used many Harman Kardon speakers (Soundsticks 1 & 2, Onyx 4 & 6), and am currently testing this Sony against the Harman Go + Play 2 and the Harman Aura Studio 3
The apps I used was Apple Music, and Tidal HiFi. I did not use the specific 360 Reality Audio files because I wanted a level playing field against the Harman speakers.
For this Sony, there is the simple stereo sound, and then with the surround sound function on. I like to quantify ratings so readers can have a clearer picture.
1) Stereo sound: Crisp highs - 7 out of 10; strong mids - 8/10; weak lows - 6/10
2) Surround sound: This feature boosts the highs, and especially the mids. It works about 60-70% of the time, meaning it affectively adds to the immersion and experience at that rate. On other songs, it turns it into a weird hollow audio experience that washes out the song.
Compared to the Harman speakers:
1) Stereo sound - after testing, I have found that the sound which best fits my ears comes from the Go + Play. The way the woofer disperses is much more agreeable than both the Sony and the Aura Studio 3. It sounds more meaty, and hits you at the right spot. The Aura Studio actually has a bigger woofer, but because the tweeters are smaller, the overall sound lacks the meaty mids of guitars and the overall affect of vocals. As for the Sony, the mids is where it shines, but because my listening preference is more bass-heavy (not anything as heavy as EDM or rap, but I enjoy most pop and specifically Asian modern pop), it lacks the punch at higher volumes.
2) Surround sound - here, the reverse is true. The Go + Play is the most front-sounding of the three speakers. The Aura Studio 3 does a better job since the tweeters are dispersed throughout its circumference. While the Sony beats them both while on surround sound mode. For the songs that works, anyways. The effect is quite dramatic. The most effective speakers are the three up-firing tweeters. If you use the accompanying Sony app, you can also change its frequency output, so that it fires out highs or lows (the default is mids). You can play around with it, but for me, the best experience is leaving it at outputting mids. And even with the surround sound effect off, the overall surround sound from the Sony still sounds best.
Now, don't get me wrong, I think OVERALL, the Sony actually does have the best sound. Even without the surround sound, its sound is the most balanced. But I chose to award the overall sound to the Go + Play 2 based on the totality of the package: It is portable, so you can place it on many surface styles to change the outcome of the sound. Want something crisp? Place it on a glass surface? Want to add more mids? Change to a wood surface? And want an overall warm and lower-frequency effect? Put it on your couch or bed. As great as the Sony is, it is meant for the middle of your room where the sounds can be dispersed fully, and for it to just stay there always and forever.
But most of all, is the $700 price. At that price, I would have expected something much much more. This is more of a experiment meant for early adopters and Sony loyalists. I mean I am almost one for all the Sony gear I own, but in the end even I couldn't justify the price. At most, this is a $500 speaker. I expect the price to reflect that for Black Friday, so maybe save your money and wait for then.
| 商品尺寸 | 30.96 x 28.09 x 39.37 cm; 4.9 公斤 |
|---|---|
| 包装清单 | 喇叭 |
| 连接技术 | 蓝牙 |
| 功能用途 | 360 种现实音频、高解析度音频播放;自动声音校准;可与 Alexa 和 Google Assistant 配合使用;Spotify Connect 和 Chromecast 内置 |
| 颜色名称 | 黑色//白色 |
| 兼容设备 | TV, Phones, Smartphone |
| 制造商 | Sony |
| 扬声器连接 | Bluetooth, Wired, and Chromecast Built-In |
| 无线通信技术 | 蓝牙 |
| 商品重量 | 4.9 kilograms |
