Sony ULT Tower 5

The Sony ULT Tower 5 is a handy speaker that I use at every house party. With the ULT settings, I choose strong bass tones that provide a clear beat. Unfortunately, the lights do not provide sufficient illumination in the room.

Full sound The speaker delivers clear and full sound in the standard FLAT setting. In this setting, I hear the high tones of vocals and instruments clearly. The high, mid, and bass tones sound balanced, allowing me to listen to it for a long time. With the ULT button, I choose from 2 settings. In the ULT1 setting, the bass is much more prominent. I hear the beat of the music clearly, but it does not overpower it. I find this a good choice when I am hosting a house party and playing pop music. With the ULT2 setting, the bass tones are even stronger. Here, the balance really shifts towards the bass tones, causing the higher tones of vocals and instruments to sound less full. I find this a shame for pop music, but for techno tracks, I think this is a good setting. Finally, I choose the LIVE setting in the app. With this setting, I hear a slight echo in the sound. Additionally, the vocals sound louder and more prominent, making it sound as if I am hearing the music live. I just find it a bit annoying that the music briefly interrupts when I press the ULT button to switch to another setting.

Convenient size The speaker is a good size for house parties. For instance, it is suitable for birthdays at home or a housewarming. There are handles on the corners of the speaker that make it easy for me to lift. The ULT Tower 5 weighs about the same as a beer crate. I can therefore carry it without any problems, though preferably not for too long. The built-in lights create atmosphere, but do not provide enough light to illuminate my living room. There are rubber feet on the sides, allowing me to place the speaker on its side as well. I find this handy, as it allows for flexible positioning. This way, it fits better on its side in the corner of my house.

Extensive app In the app, I can choose from many different settings. In addition to choosing from the various sound modes, I can fully customize the sound to my liking with the 10-band equalizer. I turn on sound field optimization so that the speaker adjusts the sound based on the amount of noise it scans. This ensures the best sound. I also connect a second speaker via the app and configure what I want to do with the ULT button on the speaker. With the Party Pad, I choose from various sound effects. For instance, I add a horn sound or play only the high tones with the Isolator. I adjust the color of the lights with Party Light. If I connect microphones to the speaker, I control the sound per microphone in the Karaoke menu. Here too, I add effects such as a yell like ‘Come On!’.

I tested this speaker at both a party (large hall) and at home on the veranda during a house party. In both places, I received compliments on how cool/good this speaker is.

The lighting is a really nice addition that creates atmosphere, and I am very satisfied with the quality, especially the bass. Although the price is really super expensive for a speaker, the quality is high. I actually wouldn't expect anything else from a brand like Sony.

Truly a top-notch party box! I’ve taken it along to both a friends’ weekend and a festival weekend over the past few weeks, and it’s absolutely ideal for that. The size is nice and compact, so you don’t have to lug around an enormously heavy speaker. At the same time, it delivers surprisingly good and powerful sound. Connecting is quick and easy, and the battery lasts a good long time too. As far as I’m concerned, it’s highly recommended if you’re looking for a compact speaker that can still produce a lot of sound.