Review: Sony SRS-X11 Portable Speaker

Review: Sony SRS-X11 Portable Speaker

Review: Sony SRS-X11 Portable Speaker

Sony's SRS-X11 is at the higher end of the micro wireless speaker market, which is rather crowded these days. In the recent ears, portable speakers were changed by smartphones and boomnoxes by wireless speakers. Sony may not be the first company that comes to your mind when you think of Bluetooth speakers, but it definitely has some interesting hardware in the line-up.

Design
Weighing 7.6 ounces or 215 grams and measuring 2.4 inches (6.1 cm) by 2.4 inches (6.1 cm), the X11 is smaller than a Rubik's Cube and seems well built, with enough heft to it to make you think it's got some substance. The rubberised material provides it a pleasant feel. The build quality is excellent. Available in multiple color options, the speaker has a soft-to-touch finish on both the back and top of the speaker, where you'll find the power button, volume controls and an answer/end button for the built-in speakerphone, which works OK.

Specifications
The speaker has a single driver with 10 W output.Additional features include and an audio input, NFC tap-to-pair technology for smartphones that support it, and the ability to join two speakers together wirelessly and create a left/right stereo pair or just double up the sound.

Performance
For its size, this compact speaker from Sony is impressively loud. With volume levels maxed out, it is hard to believe that the output is from this tiny thing.The speaker rates 10 watts of power, which is about double that of what these micro speakers typically claim. Like the Clip Plus and the Punk, there's enough bass to keep the speaker from sounding too thin, although you'll want to stick to more moderate volumes to prevent distortion.
The frequencies are distinguishable. However, it leans on the bass side due to the dual passive radiators. I favour bass over high-frequencies (treble). Therefore, it is a big plus for me.
Overall, I'm pleased with this device's sound output. 


Battery Life
The speaker packs-in a lithium-ion battery that lasts for around 10 hours of music playback over Bluetooth. Expect it squeeze out another hour with wired connection.