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

I do not always post about Sony's portable speakers but this one I mentioned in my CES 2021 post back in January. So why is this special? My primary interest lies more in the timing of FCC filing, press release and retail availability, since this information will be helpful for the WF-1000XM4 once it appears on the FCC. We are looking at a time frame of about 4 months, FCC appearance on November 12th, 2020, press release today and retail in April 2021. 

 

 

Apart from the SRS-XB13, we also got the Sony HT-S40R. I had initially assumed that it could be revealed at CES 2021, but it was not. The HT-S40R, or the wireless speaker appeared on the FCC on December 29th 2020, press release today and retail in May 2021. So again a similar ~4 months time frame, perhaps up to 5 months.

 

What could this mean for a possible WF-1000XM4 release? Well if it follows a similar pattern, then a late March/early April FCC appearance could mean we are looking at reveal in July/August 2021 and retail shortly after. The WF-1000XM3 was similar, late March FCC and then reveal in July, retail month later. 

 

I will point out the WH-1000XM4 was on the FCC in December of 2019, but it came out around 8 months later, but the pandemic might have been the cause of the longer time for release. So if Sony is targeting a Q3 release for the WF-1000XM4, they should appear on the FCC soon, hopefully next week. Do check out the Facts and rumours post for a more detailed breakdown when the new model could come out. 

 

Now back to the SRS-XB13.

I will not post the full press release, that can be found here, but I will go over the main facts and specifications. It will come in 6 colours (could be region dependent), and it will go on sale in April 221 for around 60 Euros. Battery life is decent, with the volume set at 26, 16 hours is the maximum playback, and volume at maximum (31), up to 6 hour of playback. There is no mention of fast charging on the product page or online guide.

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.