Firstly, this isn’t a sponsored post. I’ve been sent this by Sony to try out and, if I liked it, give my feedback. As a long-time fan of Sony, this was something I was more than up for.
I’ve always been obsessed with Sony innovation. As a teenager I was rarely without my Sony Clie NX73V PDA (or the SJ30 and UX50, the list goes on), and I’ve even just upgraded my camera this week from my Olympus E-PL7 to the Sony A6000 (I’ll do a post on that in the coming weeks, loving it so far).
The Sony GTK-XB5 High Power Home Audio System is part of their #ExtraBass line of products that deliver just that: extra bass. But beyond simply amping up those lower-end frequencies, the emphasis is also on the quality and clarity of the treble and centre-level sound.
Light show
I’ll be really honest, I’ve seen these before at Currys/PC World and didn’t give them much of a second look. Why? Well, I’m not a party animal, so strobes and coloured lights didn’t, and still don’t, really cut it for me. But once you turn them off, you’re left with one of the best speakers I’ve ever owned, and that list includes both Pure and Bose.
Wireless but pluggable power
The GTK-XB5 plugs into the wall and sadly isn’t battery powered, which, unless you throw house parties, does make me wonder why you’d want the light show. Otherwise I’d be up for taking it down to my local supermarket car park and blasting the theme from RuPaul’s Drag Race out the back of my Dacia Sandero. Speaking of which, I’ve put together an Extra Bass Spotify playlist. You’re welcome.
Device compatibility and NFC
The GTK-XB5 connects through Bluetooth as well as accepting L+R cable connections. I’ve had it working with my Galaxy S7 and Windows laptop, as well as plugging a Google Chromecast Audio into it, and it took them all fine.
If, like my Galaxy, your phone has NFC, download the Sony NFC app and all you have to do is tap the speaker to connect.
How extra is extra?
It’s loud. Like, really, really loud. ‘Normal’ listening volume has the speaker on full whack but the volume on whatever I’m playing from at around 4-5% max. There’s also a button to turn the Extra Bass on and off, which is a great consideration if, like me, you live in an apartment building.
The Extra Bass isn’t dull and 2D, it’s rich and well metered. At the same time, your music and lyrics sound crystal clear; you can hear every warmly sung syllable. The stereo sound works whether you have the speaker horizontal or vertical, giving you the best space options. Bear in mind this is not small, at 27.4 x 25.6 x 52.4 cm and weighing in at 7 kg.
Ooh, aah, a little bit more
More? OK, you can connect two or four of them together, wirelessly, to create true stereo or immersive surround sound. I’ve heard what one delivers, and I’d give my left arm to watch a Marvel film sat in the middle of four of these.
The Sony GTK-XB5 High Power Home Audio System comes in black, green, blue and red.
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