Sony ULT Area 1: Highly effective private sound for outside enjoyable

This yr, Sony launched a brand new line of hyper-bass-focused audio merchandise below the ULT POWER SOUND moniker. The ULT Area 1 is the smallest of the three ULT POWER SOUND Bluetooth audio system the corporate presents now, however don’t let its diminutive measurement idiot you! Typically, massive issues are available in little packages; you’ll discover that the ULT Area 1 is one such “little bundle.” 

Need one thing extremely cell however giant sufficient to broaden your cellphone’s sound for a visit to the park or seashore? The ULT Area 1 could also be simply what you are on the lookout for.

Sony ULT Area notes

This eight-inch lengthy or tall (it may be used mendacity on its facet or standing on finish) Bluetooth speaker helps Bluetooth 5.3 and some Bluetooth audio codes like SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs. For a mono speaker setup, the one tweeter and single woofer items produce a satisfying quantity of readability and heat audio with ULT enabled. That’s the backlit button on the highest of the speaker, the place you’ll additionally discover the opposite controls. 

The facility button and Bluetooth pairing buttons even have standing indicator lights; subsequent to these, you will have the play/pause/name button and the quantity buttons. There’s additionally a helpful carry strap on the unit’s prime edge, which might broaden if essential. The rear of the gadget has a rubber plug/cap, which helps it keep that IP67 ranking and maintain water and mud out of the USB-C port.

With an IP67 ranking, you possibly can simply take Sony’s ULT Area 1 to the seashore and on different dusty, soiled excursions worry-free. Nonetheless, I’d advocate shopping for it in one of many different colours as a result of the off-white will look “well-traveled” fairly shortly. These different colours are black, forest grey, and orange.

The speaker helps multipoint connections (two at a time) and can be utilized as a stereo pair when related to a different ULT Area 1 unit utilizing Sony’s Music Middle app. And talking of that app, it is really fairly fundamental right here. Its most essential options would be the skill to manage the sound and make a stereo pair you probably have two items.

Controlling the sound is fairly fundamental in comparison with the choices you get with the ULT WEAR headphones. On this case, you possibly can solely flip ULT on or have it off and use your individual customized sound through the three-band EQ. Nonetheless, since you may seemingly be outside with this small speaker, the nuance you possibly can management with an EQ with extra bands will seemingly be misplaced to the ether and inaudible.

Sony ULT area take a look at

Let’s set up one thing from the beginning: this isn’t a celebration speaker to your nation barn summer time soiree or sundown seashore bonfire. This can be a “private speaker” with sufficient quantity for a small group of some friends to hit the seashore and have a kickback or to take to the park and chill out to some Coltrane. Possibly you pack it, take it to the AirBnB you and your buddies rented to your week-long getaway, and use it within the yard. Sufficient to offer some environment and transfer your booties however nowhere close to loud sufficient to elicit “disturbing the peace” calls to the police from neighbors.

To check the audio high quality, I took the speaker to a couple parks and to the seashore. I used it alongside my JBL Cost 4, which is at the moment my and my spouse’s favourite take-along moveable speaker. After my testing, the ULT Area 1 will completely be our new go-to.

I went to at least one park subsequent to a busy essential avenue the place a live performance was continuing in one other part of the park. I attempted to get as distant from that as potential, however the music coming from that part was nonetheless audible. Right here, I walked about 30 toes away from the speaker earlier than the audio was masked by visitors and different noise.

The second park I visited was through the morning, round 10 a.m. The native personal colleges use it for his or her PE area, and it simply so occurred that there have been round 50 highschool college students there that morning. Right here, I used to be capable of get roughly 50 toes away from the speaker earlier than the vocals grew to become considerably indecipherable.

Evaluating the FIELD 1 to the Cost 4, I can let you know that the ULT operate positively makes a distinction. I ought to be aware that the Cost 4 makes use of a much less dynamic Bluetooth codec, SBC, whereas throughout my testing, the Area 1 used AAC, which has extra “decision.” I can even let you know that the ULT Area 1 sounds higher when that operate is activated than when it isn’t. The sound is flatter with ULT off, however turning it on instantly imbues presence and depth to the sound, making the music fuller and extra sturdy close-up and at better distances like 50 toes.

The ULT Area 1 does help LDAC, which is a pleasant addition, however I used to be unable to get it to work with that codec utilizing a Pixel 7 Professional and a Galaxy S22 Extremely, which each help LDAC. You will have higher luck than me.

We’ve mentioned “auditory masking” in different articles right here, so maintain that in thoughts when utilizing a speaker like this outside. On the seashore, the sound of the waves will compete with the upper frequencies in a few of your music. Orchestral music, for instance. Backside-heavy songs sounded nice after I listened to my music within the park, and instrumental music like R&B, which nonetheless had extra mids and bottoms, additionally sounded nice. Nonetheless, music from the Chevalier rating misplaced components of the combo at 50 toes away within the park. Tender sections of violins had been inaudible at that distance, so that you’ll wish to be nearer if classical is your jam.

The one challenge I discovered with the sound output from the Area 1 was that whenever you flip the quantity as much as its max and play a observe with a extremely heavy backside finish, like Skrillex’s “Mumbai Place,” I bumped into an honest quantity of distortion. That mixture was a bit an excessive amount of for this small unit.

Other than music, the speaker may also be used for cellphone calls, video calls, and no matter audio is output out of your cellphone. I discovered the quantity glorious, and the individual on the opposite finish mentioned I sounded clear. What can also be clear is the accuracy of the battery life that Sony claims you’ll get. I let the speaker play with ULT activated the quantity stage set to 25 (it has 50 steps of quantity), and the Area 1 lasted slightly below 12 hours. Turning ULT off will get you extra playback time do you have to want it.

Must you purchase the Sony ULT Area 1?

The Sony ULT POWER SOUND collection of audio system brings the BOOM! However, on this case, that “BOOM” really interprets to a fuller sound for outside use. Couple that with an IP67 ranking for water and mud ingress, strong battery life, and a small footprint with good sound output, and you’ve got a speaker effectively value contemplating to your summer time outside shenanigans.

You may take a look at our roundup of the most effective Bluetooth audio system when you want one thing bigger than what this presents, however for many informal get-togethers, the Sony ULT Area 1 is a superb choice for moveable Bluetooth audio.