OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
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VS AVERAGE
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Scored using Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
Explore Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0

Sony SRS-BTS50 Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£130Audio output power:5.00 WBattery life:10 hoursIP rating:IPX2Bluetooth version:3.0Weight:400 g

Sony SRS-BTS50 Review: Compare 130 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Portable Speakers category and whether it is worth buying.

6.1/10

Overall score

Score
6.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of products in the Portable Speakers category, based on technical analysis and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference for identifying the best products in the Portable Speakers category.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
Score components

80%

6.1

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–¼Worse than 87% of portable speakers
7.2

Value for money

Value for money
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 85% of models
Score components

70%

6.1

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

â–¼Worse than 85%
6.1

Technical score

Technical score
6.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components

32%

6.3

Audio

20%

5.3

Battery

18%

6.7

Durability

16%

5.9

Connectivity

8%

5.4

Controls

3%

9.1

Design

3%

4.8

Smart features

â–¼Worse than 79%
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 71% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • No image
No image
Where to buy
    N/A~ £130
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of portable speaker Sony SRS-BTS50

Technical score
Technical score
6.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components:

32%

6.3

Audio

20%

5.3

Battery

18%

6.7

Durability

16%

5.9

Connectivity

8%

5.4

Controls

3%

9.1

Design

3%

4.8

Smart features

6.1
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 71% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you prefer products in the Portable Speakers category that have been chosen and reviewed by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Popularity:
Sony SRS-BTS50 has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than 59.2% of products in this category.
1.0
Value for money
Value for money
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 85% of models
Score components:

70%

6.1

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

7.2
Audio output power
5 W
Market range: <4 W – >100 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 5 W which is lower than that of 80% of portable speakers and equal to that of 8.9% of portable speakers.
Driver unit size
39 mm
Market range: <38 mm – >101 mm
This portable speaker has a driver unit size of 39 mm which is smaller than that of 89.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Number of drivers
2
Market range: <0 – >5
This portable speaker has 2 drivers, which is more than 24.5% of portable speakers and equal to the number in 45.5% of portable speakers.
Frequency response tolerance
?
Lowest frequency
20 Hz
Market range: <20 Hz – >120 Hz
This portable speaker has a lowest frequency of 20 Hz which is lower than that of 84.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 14% of portable speakers.
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
3
Market range: <3 – >5.3
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 3 which is older than that of 85.4% of portable speakers and equal to that of 6.5% of portable speakers.
Maximum Bluetooth range
10 m
Market range: <10 m – >30 m
This portable speaker has a maximum Bluetooth range of 10 m which is longer than that of 4.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 70.2% of portable speakers.
Bluetooth profiles supported
A2DP; AVRCP; HFP; HSP
Bluetooth LE Audio
no
This portable speaker does not support Bluetooth LE Audio. 2.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Battery life
10 hours
Market range: <6 hours – >24 hours
This portable speaker has a battery life of 10 hours which is shorter than that of 53.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 12.9% of portable speakers.
Battery capacity
1,050 mAh
Market range: <900 mAh – >6.6k mAh
This portable speaker has a battery capacity of 1,050 mAh which is smaller than that of 86.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.6% of portable speakers.
Charging time
3 hours
Market range: <2 hours – >5 hours
This portable speaker has a charging time of 3 hours which is shorter than that of 35.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 35.1% of portable speakers.
Maximum charging input power
10 W
Market range: <5 W – >30 W
This portable speaker has a maximum charging input power of 10 W which is higher than that of 44.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 26.1% of portable speakers.
Built-in rechargeable battery
yes
This portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery. 18.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
IP rating
IPX2
This portable speaker has an IP rating of IPX2 which provides worse ingress protection than 98.9% of portable speakers and the same ingress protection as 0.9% of portable speakers.
Water resistance
yes
This portable speaker is water resistant. 38.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
?
Waterproof depth rating
?
Drop resistance
?
Show more
On-device controls placement
top; rear
Touchscreen
no
This portable speaker does not have a touchscreen. 0.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Smartphone app control
?
Remote control
no
This portable speaker does not include a remote control. 15% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Fast pairing
yes
This portable speaker supports fast pairing. 77.6% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Weight
400 g
Market range: <200 g – >5.6k g
This portable speaker weighs 400 g which is lighter than that of 73.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.4% of portable speakers.
Height
7 cm
Market range: <5.79 cm – >29 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 7 cm which is shorter than that of 80.1% of portable speakers and equal to that of 1.1% of portable speakers.
Width
17.5 cm
Market range: <7.6 cm – >37 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 17.5 cm which is narrower than that of 52.4% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.4% of portable speakers.
Depth
6.5 cm
Market range: <4.3 cm – >19.97 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 6.5 cm which is shallower than that of 68.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 1.4% of portable speakers.
Carry options
strap
Show more
Companion app name
?
Firmware updates
no
This portable speaker does not support firmware updates. 47.2% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Firmware update method
?
Voice assistant support
yes
This portable speaker supports voice assistants. 73.6% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports direct voice-assistant control.
Spotify Connect
no
This portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect. 10.8% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

Sony SRS-BTS50 vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • 40 Hz deeper bass extension
    This portable speaker has deeper bass extension than the average portable speaker (20 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    20 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • Provides 360-degree sound
    This portable speaker provides 360-degree sound, while the average portable speaker does not provide 360-degree sound.
    Provides omnidirectional 360° sound radiation.
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • Has a noise-canceling microphone
    This portable speaker has a noise-canceling microphone, while the average portable speaker does not have a noise-canceling microphone.
    Uses microphone noise/echo cancellation for calls or voice.
  • Has built-in stereo speakers
    This portable speaker has built-in stereo speakers, while the average portable speaker does not have built-in stereo speakers.
    Provides true stereo output within the unit.
  • Supports aptX
    This portable speaker supports aptX, while the average portable speaker does not support aptX.
  • Supports fast pairing
    This portable speaker supports fast pairing, while the average portable speaker does not support fast pairing.
  • Supports NFC Bluetooth pairing
    This portable speaker supports NFC Bluetooth pairing, while the average portable speaker does not support NFC Bluetooth pairing.
  • 40 Hz deeper bass extension
    This portable speaker has deeper bass extension than the average portable speaker (20 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    20 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • Provides 360-degree sound
    This portable speaker provides 360-degree sound, while the average portable speaker does not provide 360-degree sound.
    Provides omnidirectional 360° sound radiation.
  • Has a noise-canceling microphone
    This portable speaker has a noise-canceling microphone, while the average portable speaker does not have a noise-canceling microphone.
    Uses microphone noise/echo cancellation for calls or voice.
  • Has built-in stereo speakers
    This portable speaker has built-in stereo speakers, while the average portable speaker does not have built-in stereo speakers.
    Provides true stereo output within the unit.
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • Supports aptX
    This portable speaker supports aptX, while the average portable speaker does not support aptX.
  • Supports NFC Bluetooth pairing
    This portable speaker supports NFC Bluetooth pairing, while the average portable speaker does not support NFC Bluetooth pairing.
  • 1 more paired devices remembered
    This portable speaker remembers more paired devices than the average portable speaker (9 vs 8).
    9 vs 8
  • Supports AAC Bluetooth audio
    This portable speaker supports AAC Bluetooth audio, while the average portable speaker does not support AAC Bluetooth audio.
  • Includes a power adapter
    This portable speaker includes a power adapter, while the average portable speaker does not include a power adapter.
  • Supports fast pairing
    This portable speaker supports fast pairing, while the average portable speaker does not support fast pairing.
  • 400 g lighter
    This portable speaker is lighter than the average portable speaker (400 g vs 800 g).
    400 g vs 800 g
  • 5.4 cm shorter
    This portable speaker is shorter than the average portable speaker (7 cm vs 12.4 cm).
    7 cm vs 12.4 cm
  • Supports voice assistants
    This portable speaker supports voice assistants, while the average portable speaker does not support voice assistants.
    Supports direct voice-assistant control.
  • 9 % higher total harmonic distortion
    This portable speaker has higher total harmonic distortion than the average portable speaker (10 % vs 1 %).
    10 % vs 1 %
  • 1,550 mAh less battery capacity
    This portable speaker has a smaller battery capacity than the average portable speaker (1,050 mAh vs 2,600 mAh).
    1,050 mAh vs 2,600 mAh
  • 15 W less audio output power
    This portable speaker has less audio output power than the average portable speaker (5 W vs 20 W).
    5 W vs 20 W
  • 2 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (3 vs 5).
    3 vs 5
  • 11 mm smaller main driver
    This portable speaker has a smaller main driver than the average portable speaker (39 mm vs 50 mm).
    39 mm vs 50 mm
  • Worse ingress protection
    This portable speaker has worse ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IPX2 vs IPX5).
    IPX2 vs IPX5
  • Does not support True Wireless Stereo
    This portable speaker does not support True Wireless Stereo, while the average portable speaker supports True Wireless Stereo.
  • 5 °C higher minimum operating temperature
    This portable speaker has a higher minimum operating temperature than the average portable speaker (5 °C vs 0 °C).
    5 °C vs 0 °C
  • 4.21x less popular
    Sony SRS-BTS50 is less popular than the average portable speaker (1 vs 4.21).
    1 vs 4.21
  • 4.7% worse value for money
    Sony SRS-BTS50 offers worse value for money than the average portable speaker (7.2 vs 7.5).
    7.2 vs 7.55
  • 9 % higher total harmonic distortion
    This portable speaker has higher total harmonic distortion than the average portable speaker (10 % vs 1 %).
    10 % vs 1 %
  • 15 W less audio output power
    This portable speaker has less audio output power than the average portable speaker (5 W vs 20 W).
    5 W vs 20 W
  • 11 mm smaller main driver
    This portable speaker has a smaller main driver than the average portable speaker (39 mm vs 50 mm).
    39 mm vs 50 mm
  • 3,800 Hz lower microphone frequency limit
    This portable speaker has a lower microphone frequency limit than the average portable speaker (3,600 Hz vs 7,400 Hz).
    3,600 Hz vs 7,400 Hz
  • 100 Hz shallower microphone bass response
    This portable speaker has shallower microphone bass response than the average portable speaker (200 Hz vs 100 Hz).
    200 Hz vs 100 Hz
  • 2 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (3 vs 5).
    3 vs 5
  • 1,550 mAh less battery capacity
    This portable speaker has a smaller battery capacity than the average portable speaker (1,050 mAh vs 2,600 mAh).
    1,050 mAh vs 2,600 mAh
  • 2 hours shorter battery life
    This portable speaker has a shorter battery life than the average portable speaker (10 hours vs 12 hours).
    10 hours vs 12 hours
  • Worse ingress protection
    This portable speaker has worse ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IPX2 vs IPX5).
    IPX2 vs IPX5
  • 5 °C higher minimum operating temperature
    This portable speaker has a higher minimum operating temperature than the average portable speaker (5 °C vs 0 °C).
    5 °C vs 0 °C
  • 5 °C lower maximum operating temperature
    This portable speaker has a lower maximum operating temperature than the average portable speaker (35 °C vs 40 °C).
    35 °C vs 40 °C
  • Does not support True Wireless Stereo
    This portable speaker does not support True Wireless Stereo, while the average portable speaker supports True Wireless Stereo.
  • 6 older
    This portable speaker was released earlier than the average portable speaker (2013 vs 2019).
    2013 vs 2019

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

E
expertreviews.co.uk
18/12/2013
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-BTS50 review | Expert Reviews
A
abramkj.com
18/10/2013
Summary of the review
Review of Sony SRS-BTS50 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
P
pocketpc.ch
14/12/2014
Summary of the review
Review: Sony SRS-BTS50 Bluetooth Speaker
(Translated)Show original
L
lesnumeriques.com
09/01/2014
Summary of the review
Review: Sony SRS-BTS50 Portable Speaker - Les Numériques
(Translated)Show original
D
darty.com
22/11/2013
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-BTS50 Small Bluetooth Speaker Review - Darty & You
(Translated)Show original
0
01net.com
08/11/2013
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-BTS50 review: A disappointing mini speaker
(Translated)Show original
A
avmagazine.it
30/11/2018
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-BTS50 wireless Bluetooth speaker - AV Magazine
(Translated)Show original
H
hardware.info
24/04/2014
Summary of the review
Bluetooth speaker docks review part 2: portable speakers
(Translated)Show original

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Sony SRS-BTS50

  • Rugged, splash-proof, and durable design well-suited for outdoor use
  • Convenient and fast pairing via integrated NFC tap-to-pair technology
  • Strong battery performance offering up to 10 to 15 hours of continuous playback
  • Intelligent dual-positioning design featuring a G-sensor that automatically switches between normal and surround sound modes
  • Good, clear room-filling sound profile that stays distortion-free even at high volumes
  • Lightweight and highly portable structure complete with a dedicated metal loop/D-ring for secure gear attachment
  • Multi-device pairing support that allows linking multiple Bluetooth sources simultaneously without dropping connections
  • Built-in microphone enabling reliable speakerphone capabilities for clear voice and hands-free calls
  • AptX codec support ensures high-quality and low-loss wireless audio compression on compatible devices

What customers don't like about Sony SRS-BTS50

  • Noticeable lack of rich, low-end bass performance compared to larger competitors in its class
  • Bluetooth connectivity can become unpredictable, unstable, or choppy beyond a 20-foot range
  • Annoying loop notification that repeatedly broadcasts a vocal 'No Bluetooth connected' audio alert if the connection drops
  • Complete lack of built-in hardware equalizing (EQ) or alternative sound customization options
  • Relies on a proprietary charging plug adapter rather than standard, universally available USB cables
  • Maximum volume capability leaves some users wanting more as it does not get as loud as comparable alternatives
  • The package misses external accessories like a dedicated carrying pouch, carabiner, or utility strap

Verdict

The Sony SRS-BTS50 is a compact, 400g portable wireless speaker featuring a 2-channel system with two 39mm drivers delivering a maximum output power of 5W (2.5W + 2.5W). It is designed for active outdoor use with an IPX2 splashproof rating, a fabric mesh cover, a built-in metal hook loop, and an integrated G-force sensor that automatically switches between standard directional sound and an expansive surround sound mode based on physical orientation. Key pros include hassle-free Bluetooth 3.0 streaming with NFC tap-to-pair technology, AAC and aptX codec support for high-quality wireless audio, an auxiliary mini-jack input, a built-in microphone for hands-free calls, and a reliable rechargeable battery offering up to 10 hours of continuous playback. However, notable cons include its outdated proprietary charging connector rather than a universal micro-USB port, occasional acoustic echoing or booming effects on busier music tracks, and an intrusive automated voice prompt that repeatedly loops when the paired device goes out of range.

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