Buy Them Here
| Sony XB40 Pros | Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Pros |
|---|---|
| Extra Bass Feature | Amazing Build Quality |
| Sounds Better At Higher Volumes | Very Handy Mobile App |
| Longer Battery Life | Very Balanced Sound Signature |
| IPX5 Certified | |
| Can Be Used As A Powerbank | |
| Built In Lightshow |
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Sony XB40 Review
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The Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus and Sony SRS-XB40 are two very different looking wireless speakers. But You wanna know what isn't so different? The price! Although the Sony SRS-XB40 is much larger than the Bose and has a few other tricks up its sleeve, theres only a $50 difference between the two. And if you’re in the market for a new wireless speaker these are fairly new offerings. Unless you’re interested in the JBL Pulse 3 which should be releasing in a few days. Subscribe to the channel so you can get notified when that review drops.
Concerning price and colors both the Sony SRS-XB40 and Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus come in multiple color ways. The Sony SRS-XB40 comes in 3 color ways Black, Blue, or Red and retails for $248 over at amazon. The Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus comes in 2 color ways triple black and Lux Gray and retails for $299 over at amazon. I’ll have links in the description below if you want to pick either of these speakers up and I’ll keep them updated the best i can so you can get the best deal possible. You never know when these will go on sale.
Concerning form factor, these speakers are very different obviously. The Sony SRS-XB40 is your classic pill design and shoots music out in one direction. You can lay it flat or you can stand it on its side. The Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus on the other hand has a cylindrical design and shoots music out in all 360 degrees. If you want to get the best sound from the Bose you'll want to place it in the center of the room. But concerning build quality and materials the Bose SoundLink Revolve is the clear winner. It was a brushed aluminum outer with soft touch end caps that don't just feel great to the touch, they also make the speaker bump resistant and they also make the speaker look great. The Sony SRS-XB40 also has a soft touch outer casing and a metal grill, but the quality of the materials is nowhere near as premium as the Bose. So design and quality goes to the Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus. When you're not listening to music, the Bose will look great in any room.
Concerning tech, both of these speakers are using bluetooth 4.2 and can connect to multiple devices at the same time. Concerning wireless range the Sony XB40 will give you around 50 feet while the Bose Revolve will only give you 30 feet, 40 if you're lucky and with direct line of sight. They also both have rechargeable batteries. Sony advertises a battery life of 24 hours but with real world use we’re looking at a battery life of around 15 hours. At least thats what I’ve found. Bose on the other hand advertises a 16 hour battery life on their speaker but after using it i’ve managed to achieve an 8 to 10 hour battery life. These speakers are also water resistant. But the Sony SRS-XB40 is IPX5 certified while the Bose is IPX4 certified which means the Bose will be fine if it gets splashed by a little water but if you submerge it or hose it down it’ll get damaged. You cant submerge the XB40 either but it is a little more durable than the Bose. And concerning buttons both of these speakers allow you to control your music and use your voice assistant, but if you want to see that in action check out their individual reviews.
When it comes to sound quality these speakers are also very different. Like i said earlier the Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus shoots music out in all 360 degrees and it does a great job of evenly blanketing an area. It also has a very balanced sound signature and for its size it can get pretty loud. The Sony SRS-XB40 on the other hand only shoots sound out in one direction and its important to note that its a BASS Focused Speaker. Thats what the XB in the name stands for. with the extra bass feature turned on obviously its going to have a lot of bass, but can sound a little shallow at times. But if you’re listening to Hip Hop, Rap, or EDM the Sony SRS-XB40 will give you a very satisfying thump. The Bass on the Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus does leave you wanting more. Its the same issue i have with the QC35 wireless ear phones. So if you listening to music with a lot of bass its a no brainer, get the Sony. Concerning loudness, the sony is a little louder than the bose but just by a little bit. But at higher volumes the sony does out preform the Bose. when cranked all the way the Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus does sound a little drowned out. And when playing music at a moderate volume the Sony XB40 does have a lot more depth to it. The sound on the Bose is much more forward and the vocal separation is better and the highs are good but I feel the sony has more character to it.
Now i want to point out some major difference between these two speakers. If you haven't noticed by now, the Sony SRS-XB40 has built in LEDS that flash to the beat of your music. and you can adjust the light show from Sony’s app. Along with having a long battery life the XB40 also doubles as a power bank, so you can charge your phone if you're out camping or something. The XB40 also has a very clear wireless connection, so clear in fact its hard for me to tell the difference between a wired connection and a wireless connection on the XB40. With the Bose i can tell exactly when theres a wired connection and a wireless connection. But one plus the Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus has over the Sony is that its mobile app actually works. and being able to remotely turn on the bose from you phone is a big plus, i wish the XB40 could do that. Also, the Bose SoundLink Revolve also has a far superior micro phone on board which allow you to take phone calls.
But with all that being said, if you're a college student or if you're looking for a speaker to use in your bed room and take with you to barbecues, camping or to the pool I would say go with the Sony SRS-XB40. Its far more versatile, has that deep bass and its little louder. And its $50 cheaper. The Bose SoundLink Revolve is better suited if you’re looking for something elegant to place in your living room or around the house. It’ll have no problem filling a room but if you want to get a party really going it'll struggle a bit since the sound does drown at higher volumes. Personally I prefer the Sony SRS-XB40 over the Bose SoundLink Revolve+. Its more versatile, slightly cheaper and I prefer its sound over the Bose. But keep in mind I listen to a lot of Rap, EDM, Hip Hop and so on. So depending on your musical tastes the bose might preform better. Also don't forget to check out either of these speakers individual reviews I’ll have them linked below.
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