Sony SRS-BTX500

Premium design ; Room-filling audio ; USB charging

Poor battery life ; Price ; It's bulky

Clear and sharply defined sound ; Punchy rhythm and agile timing ; Solid, weighty character ; Good build and finish

Rivals sound more open and detailed ; Bright edge to the sound

So, where does that leave the SRS-BTX500? WOn the one hand, we like the convenience and portability but, despite that wonderfully clean sound and snappy timing, the Sony just doesn’t have the levels of emotion and subtle depth to compete with its rivals.

Sounds amazing, looks great, built-in battery, NFC for Bluetooth pairing is a dream come true, simple to use, loud

Easy to leave on and thus drain the battery

There can't be much argument that nearly £300 for a portable Bluetooth speaker is a lot of cash. But that said, the sound quality from this Sony is nothing short of amazing. It's also a fantastic speakerphone and we think it looks ace too.

The Sony SRS-BTX500 is a sleekly designed Bluetooth wireless speaker that offers impressive sound for its size, and has a built-in rechargeable battery for on-the-go use, and speakerphone capabilities. A carrying case is included and there's a USB port...

The speaker's fairly expensive and the battery life is OK but not great.

A worthy peer to speakers by Bose and Jawbone, the Sony SRS-BTX500 is one of the best premium portable Bluetooth speakers you can buy.

Very good sound quality, Easy Bluetooth pairing, Speakerphone function, Clean, sleek design

So-so battery life, A bit heavy

That said, it certainly holds its own -- in terms of sound quality and functionality -- in a really crowded market. It's one of the best-sounding portable speakers we've seen (and heard). I'm not talking just room to room. This thing would be just as...

Stylish design, Bluetooth connectivity, USB port for smart phone charging, Good audio quality

Too large & heavy for travel, Battery life could be better

NFC ; Wijds geluid (voor een kleine speaker) ; Apt-x ; Vormgeving

Speakerfoonmodus