So both the JBL Xtreme 4 and Sony ULT Field 5 have some very big upgrades over their predecessors. And if you’re looking for a large portable Bluetooth speaker, then both of these are good options. However, these two speakers are very different from one another, so today we’re going to compare the JBL Xtreme 4 to the Sony ULT field 5 and we’re going to see which one is right for you.
Regarding pricing, this is going to be a deciding factor for some people cause this is a pretty big difference here. The JBL Xtreme 4 has a retail price of $380… pretty up there, but it does like to go on sale for $350. But the Sony ULT Field 5 has a retail price of $330, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go on sale on a regular basis as well. Nonetheless, if you want to pick either of these two speakers up they’ll be linked down below or you can always press on the YouTube shopping button. And if you want to further support the channel then you can always pick up some merch.
So first theres the design of these speakers. Now both of these speakers are durable and portable. Both of these speakers have mostly fabric wrapped bodies so that can stand up to constant abuse from bumps and scrapes, both of these speakers are water proof so water isn’t going to be an issue… and both of these speakers come included with a shoulder strap, which genuinely makes carrying these speakers around super easy. Now both of these carrying strap are very high quality… however, the Xtreme 4 does have the added benefit of having a built in bottle opener, which does come in handy if you have a social life.
But a very small detail regarding the durability of these speakers is… the USB C port on the Xtreme 4 is exposed, where as the USB C port on the ULT Field 5 is covered. And I point this out cause if lets say you take these speakers to the beach, lake or pool and if they get wet… before you can. Charge the Xtreme 4 back up you want to make sure that its dry. Or else you’re going to get a red blinking light on the front. Where as with the ULT field 5. Since its covered, you dont have to wait. I know this is a very niche scenario, but I point it out cause I have had to deal with this in the past.
But a much bigger design difference between these two speakers is that the ULT Field 5 has a built in light feature. And I feel that the built in light feature on the ULT Field 5 is actually worth using again. So if you want something thats also going to liven up the mood, then youll might want the ULT Filed 5. However, if you do decide to use the light feature on this speaker, that is going to take its toll on the battery life.
Now when it comes to battery life, the Xtreme 4 has an advertised battery life of 24 hours where as the ULT Field 5 has an advertised battery life of 25 hours… however this advertised battery life of 25 hours on the Sony is with the light feature turned off, which I do feel is fair. But real world use with both of these speakers playing at 80% volume, and thats with the ULT field 5 playing with its light feature turned off and with ULT 2, the Sony is good for about 12 hours and the Xtreme 4 is good for about 14. Not bad for either of these two speakers.
But what really make the Xtreme 4 stand out here is, you can actually remove the battery on this speaker. So if you want you can get multiple batteries and keep the party going, or if you get to the point where your speaker can no longer hold a charge, instead of buying a new speaker, you just need to get a new battery.
However, removing the battery on the Xtreme 4 isn’t as easy as removing the battery on the Partybox 320 or 120. With the Xtreme 4 you’re going to need Alan keys, and the Xtreme 4 has this set up so that it can keep its IP68 rating. So swapping out the battery on the Xtreme 4 is doable, but its not super convenient. But it can be done.
But when it comes to actually chargning these speakers, like I mentioned earlier both of these speakers charge via a USB C port, which is great. And with both of these USB C ports you can use them to charge your own devices which is super convenient. However, this is the only port that you’ll find on the Xtreme 4, and with both of these speakers, you can’t use these USB C ports as a wired connection. However, the ULT Field 5 does have an audio jack… where as with the Xtreme 4, you can only use it wirelessly.
But with the Xtreme 4, it does come included with a complete charging cable, and if you use this speaker while its plugged in, you are going to get a performance boost out of it, its going to get louder and its going to have more bass. Where as with the ULT Field 5, it only comes included with a USB C to USB C cable… so you’re going to have to use your own wall adaptor. But if you have a 20 watt adaptor you are also going to get a performance boost out of it while its plugged in.
But when it comes to Bluetooth connectivity, both of these speakers can be connected to two devices at the same time so you and a friend can both be DJ. Latency is not an issue so you can use them to watch videos with on your phone, but when it comes to audio codecs, the Xtreme 4 only has support for SBC. Where as the ULT Field 5 has support for SBC and AAC.
But with all of that out of the way, lets talk about sound. Regarding speaker set up, the Xtreme 4 has dual frontward firing woofers, dual frontward firing tweeters and dual passive radiators that shoot out the sides. Where as the ULT Field 5 has a single frontward firing woofer, dual frontward firing tweeters and dual passive radiators that shoot out the sides. And with both of these speakers you can go into their apps and make your own EQ. But now we’re going to jump into the sound test. Both of these speakers are playing at 75% volume while unplugged, the Xtreme 4 is running its stock EQ and the ULT Field 5 is using ULT 2.
Sound Test
So like you may have just heard, these two speakers do sound fairly different from one another. With the Sony ULT field 5, I feel that this speaker sounds a lot more balanced and fuller than the Xtreme 4. With the Xtreme 4, I feel that this speaker is putting a larger emphasis on the highs than the ULT Field 5… and the mids sound a little empty or hollow by comparison. Where as with the ULT Field 5, first off the highs aren’t as pronounced. And the bass that comes out of the Sony is deeper and it resonates more. But more importantly there is much better detail in the mids, so the instrumentals are a lot more pronounced and the vocals are much more defined. Overall, I feel that the Sony ULT field 5 sounds better than the JBL Xtreme 4. And when it comes to max volume performance, these speakers are very similar as well. However, the Xtreme 4 may appear to get a little louder at max volume… but thats cause it puts a stronger emphasis on the highs. Where as with the ULT Field 5, this speaker conintues to sound fuller even at max volume. And like I mentioned earlier, with both of these speakers, if you use them while they are plugged in, you will get a performance boost out of them. They are going to get louder and they are going to have more bass. Overall both of these speakers are going to be good for like house parties of like 10 people. But in general, I do prefer the sound of the Sony ULT Field 5 cause I feel that it sounds fuller and it also have better performing bass.
But finally lets talk about pairing these speakers up with other speakers. Now with both of these speakers if you have two of the exact same speakers then you can always pair them up and get them to play in left and right stereo mode.
But with the Sony ULT field 5, its using Sony’s party connect. So you can pair it up to other sony speakers that are also using party connect like either an ULT Field 7, XG500, XG330, XE300, XE200, XB43, XB33, XB23 or to another ULT Field 5 or ULT Field 3 and you can pair up to 100 speakers together and get them to play in sync.
But also, you can pair your smaller Sony speakers to any of Sony’s larger speakers that are also using Party connect like either an ULT Tower 10, ULT Tower 9, or XV800, XV500 or to an XP700 or XP500. The only unfortunate thing here is, you cant connect your ULT Field 1 to an ULT Field 5… and I really think that this is unfortunate cause this is my favorite small portable bluetooth speaker…
And then theres the JBL Xtreme 4 which is using Aura Cast, and you can pair it up to other JBL speakers that are also using aura cast like either another Xtreme 4, or to a charge 6, flip 7, clip 5 or go 4… and you can also pair it up to JBL’s partybox that are also using aura cast like either a Partybox encore 2, partybox 120, 320, 520 or Partybox ultimate and you can get them to play in sync.
But also, something that makes the JBL Xtreme 4 very special here is that you can also pair it up to JBL’s older speakers that are using Partyboost like either a Boombox 3, Boombox 2, Xtreme 3, Pulse 5, Pulse 4, Charge 5, flip 5 or flip 6. And this is a big deal cause the Xtreme 4 is currently the only JBL Auracast speaker that can also connect to JBL’s older party boost speakers. So if you have any of JBL’s older party boost speakers, then you’ll might want to go with the Xtreme 4.
But also, the idea of aura cast is that you’ll be able to pair your JBL Xtreme 4 with now JBL speakers that are also using aura cast. However in my exerpiance, I have noticed that Aura cast isn’t as stable as JBL’s Partyboost or Sony Party connect. Nonetheless, I still think that Sony is a good option to go with as well, cause if you do plan on growing your collection of speakers… you also have a large eco system to choose from.
So with all of that being said, if you’re looking for something durable and portable, then both of these speakers are good options. However with the Sony ULT Field 5, I do feel that this speaker sounds better cause it sounds fuller in the mids and the bass hits harder. Plus it also has a redesigned light feature that I feel is actually worth using now. But with the JBL Xtreme 4, you can swap out the battery if you want or need to. It can also be paired up to Auracast speakers or to JBL’s older party boost speakers. However the JBL Xtreme 4 does have a more premium price. So I do prefer the Sony ULT Filed 5 here, it sounds better and its a little more affordable.