So, even though it has its issues, personally I really like the new Sony XV900. The XV900 is a great speaker to consider if you need something big for your man cave, but it also has the ability to follow you out doors thanks to its built in battery. Depending on your needs, the XV900 could be right for you. But today we’re going to compared the XV900 to both the JBL Partybox 710 and the Soundboks 3. Now this isn’t an apples to apple comparison… however, due to these speaker’s price ranges… I feel that they will be cross referenced a lot.
Now regarding pricing, the 710 has a retail price of $800, the XV900 has a retail price of $900 and the Soundboks 3 has a retail price of $1000. Now all of these speakers are up there when it comes to pricing… and I feel that each of these speakers have their own standout characteristics that could be a deciding factor depending on you needs. Nonetheless, if you want to pick any of these speakers up they’ll be linked down below, or you can always press on the YouTube shopping button.
Now first, we’re going to have to address battery life on these speakers. Now the 710 doesn’t have a built in battery… you can only use it while its plugged in. And when I first got this speaker, this was a major let down cause I assumed that it had a built in battery… but it doesn’t. And this only could be a major reason why some people will just stop considering this speaker.
But then there these other two speakers that do have a built in battery. Now the XV900 has an advertised battery life of 25 hours which at first glance seems very impressive. However, this advertised battery life of 25 hours is with this speaker playing at 30% volume, which is a decent listening volume, with its mega bass feature turned on, which is good, but with its light feature turned off. However, if you were to use this speaker with its light feature turned on, than sony claims that this speaker is only going to be good for 12 hours.
And at max volume, with the mega bass feature turned on and light feature turned on, sony claims that this speaker is going to be good for 4 hours… but with its light feature turned off, then you’ll might be able to get 5 hours out of it. If you plan on using this speaker at a higher volume, and if you’re trying to shake the walls in your house and have that light feature turned on… don’t expect to get anywhere near that 25 hours battery life.
But then there’s the Soundboks, and the battery life on this speaker is one of the main reasons while you might want to get this speaker. The Soundboks 3 has an advertised battery life 40 hours… and that’s with this speaker playing at 50% volume… which is significantly louder than the 30% volume on the XV900… and that’s while this speaker is playing with its power EQ. And at max volume, the Soundboks 3 has an advertised battery life of 5 hours.
But the really cool thing about the Soundboks 3 is that you can swap out the battery. So if you have multiple batteries you can just keep the party going. But this is also cool cause this is going to help extend the life of your speaker… cause if your battery ever dies on you like mine did after 4 years… you can just swap it out. So if battery life is very important to you, then the Soundboks 3 is the way to go.
But now, lets talk about the design of these speakers. If you’re looking for something super portable and rugged than you’ll want to go with the Soundboks 3 as well. The Soundboks 3 is the most rugged speaker here thanks its IP67 ratting meaning that it is both dust and water resistant… But also, the Soundboks 3 is the smallest speaker here and its the lightest weighing in at 34 pounds. So with this speaker, you’re going to have a much easier time of throwing it into you car, its going to be easier to carry it around, and you can carry this speaker by yourself. And the Soundboks is the only speaker here that has a top hat mount on the bottom. So if you want, you can always elevate this speaker as well. Where as with these other two speakers… they’re significantly larger and heavier… the 710 weighs in at 62 pounds and the XV900 weighs in at 59 pounds… and sometimes they can be a two man job if you plan on moving them around. Now, since the XV900 has that built in battery… you’ll might be tempted to take this speaker on the go with you… however, this speaker just isn’t as durable cause its softer plastic body and thin metal grill on the front are very quick to collect scratches… and since the XV900 doesn’t have any rubber grommets to protect its ports… its highly advised that you don’t get this speaker wet. And even though this speaker has built in wheels.. these wheels are really only useful on flat and smooth surfaces… cause if you plan on rolling this speaker on asphalt… you’re just better off picking it up from its handles and carrying it. The wheels on the XV900 are nowhere near as rugged or durable as the wheels on the Partybox 710. And even though the 710 doesn’t have a built in battery… it is a little easier to travel with this speaker cause its a little more durable than the XV900. The 710 doesn’t collect scratches as easily and its rocking an IPX4 rating, meaning that a little spill or rain isn’t going to hurt this speaker. So overall, if you’re looking for a large box speaker to take off the grid with you, then the Soundboks 3 is your best choice. This speaker is super durable and portable, its significantly smaller than these other speakers… and its got good battery life and you can always swap out the batteries. Now even though the 710 doesn’t have a built in battery… this speaker is more rugged than the XV900 thanks to its tougher plastics and IPX4 water resistance… but this speaker is also a little easier to travel with thanks to its wheels. And finally there’s the XV900. Even though this speaker has a built in battery… this speaker is better used while in you man cave… and if you do decide to take it out somewhere… you’re really going to have to baby it.
But next up lets address the light features on these speakers. Now personally I still find the the 710’s light feature is much more dynamic and impressive than the light feature found on the XV900. You’ve got more elements on it and there are very distinct lighting styles… you can choose if you want to deactivate certain parts, and in general, I really like the app on the 710. Its look much sleeker and you can much more easily customize your light feature if you want. However, I still really enjoy the light feature found on the XV900… now I don’t think that its as dynamic as the 710 and its app is nowhere near as sleek… but I really do like the floor lights on the XV900 cause it really helps give this speaker a much larger presence. So overall, I still find the light feature on the 710 to be more impressive… but I still really enjoy the light feature on the XV900.
But now lets talk about connectivity… Now with both the XV900 and 710, they can be connected to two devices at the same time so that you and a friend can both be DJ… where as with the Soundboks, it can only be connected to one device at a time.
But if you want to, you can always use a wired connection with any of these speaker cause they all still have a 3.5 millimeter audio jack. But also, both the 710 and Soundboks have an audio out jack… so if you have a spare audio cable lying around, you can always daisy chain any other speaker to these speakers and get them to play in sync. Where as with the XV900… you can’t.
But with both the XV900 and 710, they have USB A ports on them, so if you want, you can either charge your own devices… or you can also plug in a USB Stick and play music off of it. Where as the Soundboks doesn’t have a USB Stick.
But more importantly with all of these speakers you can plug in a pair of microphones and do karaoke. However, the key thing to keep in mind here is that with the both the 710 and Soundboks… you can adjust the sound of this microphone… where as with the Sony you can’t. But also, with both the XV900 and 710, they have dual water inch inputs… where as with the Soundboks, it has dual quarter inch and XLR combo inputs… so with the Soundboks, you’re going to be able to plug in more devices.
However, one unique thing the XV900 has going for it is that it has an optical port and it also comes included with an optical cable. So if you want, you can always hook it up to your tv. Now I don’t think that most people will use this… but it is an option.
But now lets talk about actually listening to music with these speakers. Regarding speaker set ups, the Soundboks 3 has dual frontward firing woofers, there’s a frontward firing tweeter, and we’ve got exhausts ports that shoot out the sides. However with the Soundboks 3, this is a mono speaker. The top woofer plays both mids and lows, where as the bottom woofer only plays lows. The idea is that this is supposed to create a more full sound profile. But then there’s the 710 which has a more typical speaker set up. You’ve got dual frontward firing woofer with exhaust an port that shoots out the back, and you’ve got dual frontward firing tweeters. And with the 710 you’ve got you left channel and your right channel. But finally there’s the XV900… this thing has a huge frontward firing woofer with exhaust ports that shoot out the front, we’ve got dual mid range drivers and there’s a total of 6 tweeters on this thing. You’ve go two on the front, one on each side, and there’s a pair that shoots out the back and upwards. And with the XV900, you’ve got your left channel and your right channel. But now we’re going to jump into the sound test. All of these speakers are playing at 75 volume. However, for the funsies, the Soundboks 3 is playing while in its bass plus EQ, the 710 is playing with its bass set to punchy, and the XV900 is playing with its mega bass turned on. However, so that the XV900 has a chance of keeping up with these other two speakers we’re also going to be using it while its plugged in, as well as while its running off of its internal battery.
So sound quality wise, all three of these speakers sound and perform very differently. Now in general, the Soundboks leans towards a brighter sound signature… even while in its bass plus EQ, the Soundboks 3 was noticeably brighter than these other two speakers. Now having this brighter EQ is very beneficial if you’re going to be using this speaker while outdoors cause its going to sound louder… But still, the Soundboks has a good amount of bass to it as well. The thing to keep in mind here though is that the bass on this speaker is mostly on the audible side. Its still going to rattle your insides… but not as much as lets say the 710. But more importantly, the Soundboks 3 is good for both indoor and outdoor use. It isn’t like its smaller brother, the Soundboks Go which I would only recommend for outdoor use cause in order for you to get any bass out of this speaker, you have to use it a much higher volume. With the Soundboks 3, you’re going to get an adequate amount of bass out of it even at those lower volumes. But then there’s the 710, now I feel that this is the best sounding speaker here cause it sounds the most balanced and the fullest. Also, with the 710, this speaker gets the loudest here and this speaker provides the most amount of wall shaking bass. So if sound quality is your main priority here… then you do want to go with the 710. But finally, theres the XV900, now personally I enjoy how this speaker sounds cause it doesn’t sound super warm like with Sony’s other speakers. Now the XV900 does sound noticeably warmer than the 710 and Soundboks 3… but this speaker still has really good instrument separation to it. The main draw back with the XV900 is that it just doesn’t get quite as loud as these other two speakers. Now let me just be clear… the XV900 gets plenty loud and you are going to need ear protection if you’re using this speaker at max volume… however, when compared to these other two options… the XV900 just struggles to keep up. While its running off of its internal battery, the XV900 is noticeably quieter than the other two speakers. However, if you use the XV900 while its plugged in you’re going to get a performance boost out of it. Its still not going to get as loud as the 710… but it does a better job of keeping up. The only real main draw back with the XV900 is that I do feel that bass on this speaker is a little lacking for its size. And since the XV900 has frontward firing exhaust ports, you can’t amplify its bass by simply placing it up against a wall like you can with the 710, which already produces a ton of bass, or like how you can with the Soundboks 3 and its exhausts ports that shoot out the sides.
Overall, if you’re looking for the best speaker here with the best sound quality and sound performance, then the 710 is the way to go. Simply from a performance standpoint, this speaker gets noticeably louder than these other two speakers and it also produces the most amount of wall shaking bass. But from a sound quality stand point, the 710 sounds the most balanced, open and full. And thanks to a recent firmware update, you can now directly adjust the EQ on this speaker. Because previously you could only choose between your different bass settings. But now you can adjust the bass, mids and treble on this speaker. Now you can also adjust the EQ on the Soundboks 3 to your liking… but in general this speaker does lean towards a brighter sound signature and its bass is mostly on the audible side. Now these characteristics can definitely come in handy for out door use… but for indoor use… they’re not the most ideal depending on the type of music you plan on listening to. And finally there’s the XV900, Now like I said, I like how this speaker sounds, but is does sound a little warmer than these other two speakers. But it still has good instrument separation. But if you want to, you can also go and adjust the EQ on this speaker to your liking. But still from a performance standpoint, the XV900 just doesn’t get as loud as these other two speakers and it just doesn’t put out as much bass. And even though while it is plugged in, you are going to get a performance boost out of it, it is still going to struggle to keep up when compared to these other two speakers. But regardless, I go have to make it perfectly clear that the XV900 gets plenty and it has plenty bass.
But finally lets talk about paring these speakers up with other speakers. Now with the Soundboks 3 you can either pair it up to another Soundboks 3 or to a Soundboks Go and you can have up to 5 soundbox’s paired together. And with Soundboks, you can get left and right stereo sound going with any two speakers, you don’t need to have two of the same speakers like you do with these other two speakers. Plus, you also have that audio out jack that I mentioned earlier.
But then there’s the 710. Now with the 710, you can wirelessly pair it up to either another 710, a 310, a 110 or even a Partybox encore, and get them to play in sync. However, you can only have a total of 2 speakers wirelessly paired to one another. Which I feel just isn’t enough. However, the 710 also has that audio out jack that I mentioned earlier. But more importantly, with the JBL Partybox 710, you can’t wirelessly pair it up to any of JBL’s smaller PartyBoost speakers. So if you have a Boombox 3, Boombox 2, Xtreme 3, Charge 5, Pulse 4, Pulse 5, Flip 5 or Flip 6… none of them will wirelessly connect to your Partybox.
But finally there’s the XV900, now the XV900 has Sony’s Party Connect. Meaning that you can pair it up to other Sony Party Connect speakers, like either another XV900, XP700, or XP500… and you can have up to 100 speakers paired together… But also with the XV900 you can pair it up to Sony’s smaller more portable speakers like either an XG500, XG300, XE300, XE200, XB43, XB33, or XB23.
But even though Sony’s Party connect gets the job done and its very accommodating… personally this is not my favorite speaker pairing protocol to use cause it can be a hassle sometimes. Sometimes it takes forever for all of your speakers to get paired up, sometimes all of your speakers don’t get paired, and sometimes echos do form. Now Party connect does fix these echos after awhile, but its only a matter of time before they come back.
But overall, Sony’s Party Connect is very accommodating and it gets the job done. But just be warned… if you plan on using this feature on a regular basis you could run into issues. And if you do run into issues, just know that its not just you. Where as with JBL’s speaker paring protocol, I never have any issues with it.
But with all of that being said, if you’re trying to choose between any of these speakers, depending on your needs, one is going to better than the other. If you need a large speaker to constantly take on the go with you, something that you can throw around and not worry about, and something that has a long battery life. Then the Soundboks 3 is the way to go. This thing is made to be out in the wild. Now if you want a large speaker and you want the best sound quality… then the 710 is the way to go. This speaker sounds the most balanced and it sounds the fullest here. But also, this speaker gets the loudest and has the amount of bass. Now even though the 710 has these huge wheels and it is water resistant… moving this speaker around can be a hassle, and also you’re going to have to be tethered to an outlet cause this thing doesn’t have a built in battery. However, if you want a hybrid of the two… something that you plan to mostly use at home and around the house… and plan on occasionally on taking it on the go with you… then the XV900 is a good middle ground. The XV900 gets plenty loud even while its running off of its internal battery, it has better sound quality than the Soundboks 3 and personally I really enjoy its light feature. So with all of these speakers… they’re all good, depending on your needs.