Party Rocker

The Sony one-box speakers have come a long way and the XV500 is the smallest of the lot. But does it rock?

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₹39,990 / sony.co.in 

■ The XV500 takes on a more rounded appearance in this refreshed avatar compared to the older XP500. It still holds the IPX4 rating, which is a good thing. The lights are placed in front where the grooves are and at the bottom. When it is on, it looks good and has a fun party speaker vibe.

■ The build quality is superb all around. It’s tough as nails but there are a few niggles. The XV500 doesn’t have any dedicated feet to rest on, and the groove on top to hold your smartphone doesn’t have any soft edges, so you risk scratching your phone when you place and displace it.

■ Most of these one-box speakers have one thing in spades - bass! With Mega Bass on it is bass city through and through. The lower frequencies dominate in this mode and envelope most of the range. But it isn’t distorted or muddled, it’s acceptable if you like this kind of application.