Our best speakers for summer

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Summer’s here! We hope you’ve got some awesome plans: maybe a picnic at the beach? A day by the pool or an all-night house party? Whatever you’re looking forward to, take one of our summer-ready speakers with you. Here are three of our favourites – all portable and wireless with powerful sound. These speakers have:

• EXTRA BASS™ – enhances low frequency sounds to boost the beat of your favourite tunes
• Long battery life*
• Durable and portable designs
• BLUETOOTH® wireless technology for quick and easy streaming
• NFC for one-touch connection with smartphones and other compatible devices
• Wireless Party Chain** – to connect and synchronise up to 100 compatible wireless speakers via BLUETOOTH®.

 

SRS-XB21

XB21 is one of our favourite speakers this year because it does just about everything you could want in a party speaker but it’s less than 20cm long. You can carry it in a handbag, or even fit it into a bottle holder!

Given that this is a piece of technology, you might be surprised by how robust XB21 is. It’s IP67 rated waterproof and has the unique feature of being dustproof – perfect if you want to use it on a sandy beach. If you drop it, there’s no need to panic because it’s also shockproof.

If you’re planning a party – or you go round for pizza and end up dancing until 3am – XB21 has some fantastic party features. It has flashing line lights that sync to the beat; it can even make fun sound and lighting effects if you tap it.

Find out more: SRS-XB21       Others in this range: SRS-XB31  SRS-XB41

SRS-XB10

XB10 is even smaller, weighing just 260g (approx). It’s small enough to fit in your pocket (and it comes with a strap so you can hang it up).

Despite its size, it’s capable of powerful sound. It’s also IPX5 water-resistant, which means it’s fine in light rain.

Like XB21, it comes in some rather jazzy colours. It will look great on your bookshelf (or anywhere else) and it’s ideal if space is limited.

Find out more: SRS-XB10

SRS-XB60

Couldn’t get to Ibiza this year? Then this is the speaker for you. It has party lights that let you create your club night at home: a bright strobe to light up the dancefloor, white LEDs that sync to the beat and multi-coloured flashing line lights. You can plug in a microphone too.

Though not as small as XB21, XB60 is compact and portable with a built-in battery and carry handles. The Sony | Music Center app lets you choose tracks, change sound settings and create playlists, all from your phone. The Fiestable plug-in puts you in charge of the light colours and lets you adjust EQ or activate DJ control. You can also share control with your friends; if you connect up to three smartphones via BLUETOOTH® wireless technology, you can access each music library to create your ultimate playlist.

 

Find out more:  SRS-XB60      Others in this range: SRS-XB40    SRS-XB90

Notes:
*Battery life: XB21 max. 12 hours, XB10 max. 16 hours, XB60 max. 14 hours. Battery life will be shorter when using high volume, EXTRA BASS and party lighting.
** XB10 is not compatible with Wireless Party Chain, but can connect wirelessly to another XB10 speaker.