Sony introduces the SRS-XB13 wireless speaker
Sony introduces the SRS-XB13 - powerful EXTRA BASS sound in a compact speaker
- Compact speaker that packs plenty of punch and expansive sound
- Enjoy a speaker that is ready to go anywhere thanks to a multiway strap and durable design
- A long-lasting battery ensures your party doesn’t stop
The Bluetooth version is 4.2 unfortunately, but I guess enough for a wireless speaker though. The product page does mention that "When watching movies, there may be a gap between video and audio". I feel this depends on what application is used since some apps/devices compensate for the audio delay in Bluetooth, but for music or hands free calling, the delay should not be an issue. Bluetooth performance between the XB13 and XB12 should be identical, they use the same Bluetooth module, the Sunitec BM20A, which uses BES2000 Bluetooth chip.
The device features a USB type-C port for charging beside the controls on the side. These controls include the power button, Bluetooth button, play/call button and the volume keys. The speaker also supports Google's Fast Pair Technology for quick and easy pairing with Android devices, like a Walkman. More information about Fast pair can be found here.
A neat feature is the ability to join 2 SRS-XB13 speakers to get stereo sound. I would imagine this works like TWS headphones, with one speaker acting as the main unit and then the second speaker daisy chaining off the first, but this is only a guess. You need a distance of 1m for the initial pairing according to the guide. I guess you could use 2 speakers further apart in separate rooms but once paired, the each speaker plays a separate channel, L and R, so best to keep them closer together in one room.
I will point out this feature is also present on the SRS-XB12 which also had a Stereo mini jack IN. Do people think the removal of the jack was a good idea?
Finally, the speaker has a IP67 rating (identical to XB12), so it can survive a day at the beach but Sony does state not to place the device directly on sand, likewise, I would keep it out of the ocean and saltwater.
This is a good speaker if you need something now, but personally I would wait for LE Audio speakers, and the multi-stream function, hopefully we will see some by the end of this year, early next.
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