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-X88 Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£400Audio output power:90.00 WBattery life:?IP rating:?Bluetooth version:3.0Weight:2700 g

Sony SRS-X88 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.

7.3/10

Overall score

Score
7.3/ 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
Score components

80%

7.3

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–²Better than 82% of portable speakers
7.6

Value for money

Value for money
7.6/ 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
Score components

70%

7.3

Overall score

30%

8.4

Price

â–²Better than 50%
7.3

Technical score

Technical score
7.3/ 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
Score components

32%

7.6

Audio

20%

7.3

Battery

18%

6.2

Durability

16%

7.0

Connectivity

8%

8.8

Controls

3%

6.7

Design

3%

8.0

Smart features

â–²Better than 88%
?

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
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • No image
No image
Where to buy
    N/A~ £400
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
Loading...
Loading category ranking...

Technical Specifications of portable speaker Sony SRS-X88

Technical score
Technical score
7.3/ 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
Score components:

32%

7.6

Audio

20%

7.3

Battery

18%

6.2

Durability

16%

7.0

Connectivity

8%

8.8

Controls

3%

6.7

Design

3%

8.0

Smart features

7.3
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
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
Popularity:
Sony SRS-X88 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
7.6/ 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
Score components:

70%

7.3

Overall score

30%

8.4

Price

7.6
Audio output power
90 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 90 W which is higher than that of 87.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.5% of portable speakers.
Driver unit size
?
Number of drivers
5
This portable speaker has 5 drivers, which is more than 93.7% of portable speakers and equal to the number in 3.1% of portable speakers.
Frequency response tolerance
?
Lowest frequency
55 Hz
This portable speaker has a lowest frequency of 55 Hz which is lower than that of 55.2% of portable speakers and equal to that of 3.2% 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
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
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
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
?
Battery capacity
?
Charging time
?
Maximum charging input power
?
Built-in rechargeable battery
no
This portable speaker does not have a built-in rechargeable battery. 81.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Requires wired mains power and has no built-in rechargeable operating battery.
Show more
IP rating
?
Water resistance
no
This portable speaker is not water resistant. 61.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
no
This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant. 51.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Waterproof depth rating
?
Drop resistance
yes
This portable speaker resists accidental impacts. 67.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
On-device controls placement
?
Touchscreen
no
This portable speaker does not have a touchscreen. 0.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Smartphone app control
yes
This portable speaker supports smartphone app control. 46.1% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Compatible mobile app provides speaker control or settings.
Remote control
yes
This portable speaker includes a remote control. 85.1% 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
2,700 g
This portable speaker weighs 2,700 g which is heavier than that of 77.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.5% of portable speakers.
Height
11.1 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 11.1 cm which is shorter than that of 55.2% of portable speakers.
Width
35.9 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 35.9 cm which is wider than that of 88.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Depth
10.3 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 10.3 cm which is deeper than that of 62.4% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Carry options
none
Show more
Companion app name
Sony | Music Center
Firmware updates
yes
This portable speaker supports firmware updates. 52.9% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
Firmware update method
OTA; App; USB
Voice assistant support
no
This portable speaker does not support voice assistants. 26.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports direct voice-assistant control.
Spotify Connect
yes
This portable speaker supports Spotify Connect. 89.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

Sony SRS-X88 vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • 70 W more audio output power
    This portable speaker has more audio output power than the average portable speaker (90 W vs 20 W).
    90 W vs 20 W
  • 3 more speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has more speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (5 vs 2).
    5 vs 2
  • Supports Wi-Fi connectivity
    This portable speaker supports Wi-Fi connectivity, while the average portable speaker does not support Wi-Fi connectivity.
  • 20,000 Hz higher maximum frequency
    This portable speaker has a higher maximum frequency than the average portable speaker (40,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz).
    40,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • Includes a subwoofer
    This portable speaker includes a subwoofer, while the average portable speaker does not include a subwoofer.
    Has an integrated active subwoofer driver.
  • Has Chromecast built-in
    This portable speaker has Chromecast built-in, while the average portable speaker does not have Chromecast built-in.
  • 3 more adjustable EQ bands
    This portable speaker has more adjustable EQ bands than the average portable speaker (3 vs 0).
    3 vs 0
  • Supports AirPlay
    This portable speaker supports AirPlay, while the average portable speaker does not support AirPlay.
  • 70 W more audio output power
    This portable speaker has more audio output power than the average portable speaker (90 W vs 20 W).
    90 W vs 20 W
  • 3 more speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has more speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (5 vs 2).
    5 vs 2
  • 20,000 Hz higher maximum frequency
    This portable speaker has a higher maximum frequency than the average portable speaker (40,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz).
    40,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • Includes a subwoofer
    This portable speaker includes a subwoofer, while the average portable speaker does not include a subwoofer.
    Has an integrated active subwoofer driver.
  • 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.
  • 5 Hz deeper bass extension
    This portable speaker has deeper bass extension than the average portable speaker (55 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    55 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • Supports Wi-Fi connectivity
    This portable speaker supports Wi-Fi connectivity, while the average portable speaker does not support Wi-Fi connectivity.
  • Has Chromecast built-in
    This portable speaker has Chromecast built-in, while the average portable speaker does not have Chromecast built-in.
  • Supports AirPlay
    This portable speaker supports AirPlay, while the average portable speaker does not support AirPlay.
  • Supports LDAC
    This portable speaker supports LDAC, while the average portable speaker does not support LDAC.
  • 1 more USB ports
    This portable speaker has more USB ports than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • 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 DLNA media sharing
    This portable speaker supports DLNA media sharing, while the average portable speaker does not support DLNA media sharing.
  • Has Ethernet support
    This portable speaker has Ethernet support, while the average portable speaker does not have Ethernet support.
  • Supports AAC Bluetooth audio
    This portable speaker supports AAC Bluetooth audio, while the average portable speaker does not support AAC Bluetooth audio.
  • Has a power bank function
    This portable speaker has a power bank function, while the average portable speaker does not have a power bank function.
    Can charge another device only while the speaker is connected to mains power.
  • Includes a power adapter
    This portable speaker includes a power adapter, while the average portable speaker does not include a power adapter.
  • Resists accidental impacts
    This portable speaker resists accidental impacts, while the average portable speaker lacks an impact-resistance rating.
  • 3 more adjustable EQ bands
    This portable speaker has more adjustable EQ bands than the average portable speaker (3 vs 0).
    3 vs 0
  • Has an equalizer
    This portable speaker has an equalizer, while the average portable speaker does not have an equalizer.
    Offers user-selectable EQ, tone adjustment, or sound presets.
  • Supports fast pairing
    This portable speaker supports fast pairing, while the average portable speaker does not support fast pairing.
  • Supports party mode
    This portable speaker supports party mode, while the average portable speaker does not support party mode.
    Supports synchronized multi-speaker party/group playback.
  • Includes a remote control
    This portable speaker includes a remote control, while the average portable speaker does not include a remote control.
  • Supports playback mute
    This portable speaker supports playback mute, while the average portable speaker does not support playback mute.
    Speaker playback audio can be directly muted.
  • Has a sleep timer
    This portable speaker has a sleep timer, while the average portable speaker does not have a sleep timer.
    A selectable timer can stop playback or power the speaker down.
  • Supports multi-room audio
    This portable speaker supports multi-room audio, while the average portable speaker does not support multi-room audio.
    Supports synchronized multi-room playback.
  • Supports Spotify Connect
    This portable speaker supports Spotify Connect, while the average portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect.
  • Supports firmware updates
    This portable speaker supports firmware updates, while the average portable speaker does not support firmware updates.
    Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
  • Is not water resistant
    This portable speaker is not water resistant, while the average portable speaker is water resistant.
  • Is not rated as dust resistant
    This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant, while the average portable speaker is dust resistant.
  • 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 fewer microphones
    This portable speaker has fewer microphones than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • Does not have a built-in rechargeable battery
    This portable speaker does not have a built-in rechargeable battery, while the average portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery.
    Requires wired mains power and has no built-in rechargeable operating battery.
  • 2 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (3 vs 5).
    3 vs 5
  • Does not support stereo pairing
    This portable speaker does not support stereo pairing, while the average portable speaker supports stereo pairing.
  • 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
  • 4.44x more expensive
    Sony SRS-X88 is more expensive than the average portable speaker (£400 vs £90).
    £400 vs £90
  • 4.21x less popular
    Sony SRS-X88 is less popular than the average portable speaker (1 vs 4.21).
    1 vs 4.21
  • 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 fewer microphones
    This portable speaker has fewer microphones than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • 32 mm smaller built-in subwoofer
    This portable speaker has a smaller built-in subwoofer than the average portable speaker (69 mm vs 101 mm).
    69 mm vs 101 mm
  • 2 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (3 vs 5).
    3 vs 5
  • Alternative Wi-Fi standard
    This portable speaker supports Wi-Fi 1 (802.11b), while the average portable speaker supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n).
    Wi-Fi 1 (802.11b) vs Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
  • Does not have a built-in rechargeable battery
    This portable speaker does not have a built-in rechargeable battery, while the average portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery.
    Requires wired mains power and has no built-in rechargeable operating battery.
  • Does not have a battery level indicator
    This portable speaker does not have a battery level indicator, while the average portable speaker has a battery level indicator.
  • Is not water resistant
    This portable speaker is not water resistant, while the average portable speaker is water resistant.
  • Is not rated as dust resistant
    This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant, while the average portable speaker is dust resistant.
  • 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 stereo pairing
    This portable speaker does not support stereo pairing, while the average portable speaker supports stereo pairing.
  • 1,900 g heavier
    This portable speaker is heavier than the average portable speaker (2,700 g vs 800 g).
    2,700 g vs 800 g
  • 17.8 cm wider
    This portable speaker is wider than the average portable speaker (35.9 cm vs 18.1 cm).
    35.9 cm vs 18.1 cm
  • 2 cm deeper
    This portable speaker is deeper than the average portable speaker (10.3 cm vs 8.3 cm).
    10.3 cm vs 8.3 cm
  • 4 older
    This portable speaker was released earlier than the average portable speaker (2015 vs 2019).
    2015 vs 2019

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

I
independent.ie
12/07/2015
Summary of the review
T
trustedreviews.com
05/10/2015
Summary of the review
W
whathifi.com
04/01/2016
Summary of the review
S
soundvisionreview.com
12/08/2015
Summary of the review
A
audioreview.frieve.com
31/07/2025
Summary of the review
S
smh.com.au
17/08/2015
Summary of the review
A
areadvd.de
23/07/2015
Summary of the review
T
technikfaultier.com
16/12/2016
Summary of the review
L
lesnumeriques.com
23/06/2015
Summary of the review
O
on-mag.fr
21/03/2016
Summary of the review
I
id.nl
26/08/2022
Summary of the review
H
hifi.nl
16/10/2015
Summary of the review
H
hifi.nl
09/10/2015
Summary of the review
H
hifi.nl
09/10/2015
Summary of the review

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Sony SRS-X88

  • Excellent high-resolution sound quality with impressive clarity and detail
  • Extensive connectivity suite including Wi-Fi, AirPlay, Bluetooth, DLNA, and Google Cast
  • Powerful 90W output that gets surprisingly loud for its compact footprint
  • Sleek, minimal, and timeless physical design
  • Easy and straightforward initial setup process
  • Dual USB ports supporting both device charging and direct PC connection

What customers don't like about Sony SRS-X88

  • Narrow soundstage requires sitting directly in front of the speaker for the best stereo image
  • Lacks a built-in rechargeable battery, requiring a continuous AC wall connection
  • No option to block unauthorized users from interrupting streams on public/open networks
  • Mid-range can occasionally lack warmth, making some vocals sound a bit thin
  • The companion app (SongPal / Music Center) can feel clunky or restrictive to some users

Verdict

The Sony SRS-X88 is a premium 2.1-channel wireless speaker system delivering 90 watts of total system power through five dedicated drivers—including two 20mm super tweeters, two 40mm magnetic fluid midrange drivers, and a central 69mm subwoofer—complemented by dual passive radiators to produce a broad 55–40,000 Hz frequency response. Its core advantages include extensive high-resolution audio support (up to 192kHz/24-bit FLAC, WAV, ALAC, and DSD), diverse connectivity options (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with LDAC, NFC, AirPlay, Google Cast, Ethernet, and dual USB-A/USB-B ports), and advanced digital processing via the S-Master HX amplifier and DSEE HX upscaling. However, the system relies strictly on continuous AC power and entirely lacks an internal rechargeable battery, which severely limits its actual portability despite its compact design, while its older Bluetooth 3.0 standard offers a short operational range of just 10 meters.

Compare Sony SRS-X88 with other products in the Portable Speakers category

1Product to compare no. 1
VS
2Product to compare no. 2
VS
3Product to compare no. 3 (optional)

Graphic comparison of Sony SRS-X88 and other products in the Portable Speakers category

No results found