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Scored using Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
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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-XB31 Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£130Audio output power:12.00 WBattery life:24 hoursIP rating:IP67Bluetooth version:4.2Weight:890 g

Sony SRS-XB31 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.

7.1/10

Overall score

Score
7.1/ 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–² Better than 76% of models
Score components

80%

7.1

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–²Better than 76% of portable speakers
8.0

Value for money

Value for money
8.0/ 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–² Better than 82% of models
Score components

70%

7.1

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

â–²Better than 82%
7.1

Technical score

Technical score
7.1/ 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–² Better than 83% of models
Score components

32%

6.1

Audio

20%

6.7

Battery

18%

9.1

Durability

16%

6.9

Connectivity

8%

8.5

Controls

3%

8.4

Design

3%

5.9

Smart features

â–²Better than 83%
?

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-XB31

Technical score
Technical score
7.1/ 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–² Better than 83% of models
Score components:

32%

6.1

Audio

20%

6.7

Battery

18%

9.1

Durability

16%

6.9

Connectivity

8%

8.5

Controls

3%

8.4

Design

3%

5.9

Smart features

7.1
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-XB31 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
8.0/ 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–² Better than 82% of models
Score components:

70%

7.1

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

8.0
Audio output power
12 W
Market range: <4 W – >100 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 12 W which is lower than that of 62.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 3% of portable speakers.
Driver unit size
48 mm
Market range: <38 mm – >101 mm
This portable speaker has a driver unit size of 48 mm which is smaller than that of 56.4% of portable speakers and equal to that of 3.3% 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
?
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
4.2
Market range: <3 – >5.3
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 4.2 which is older than that of 53.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 17.8% of portable speakers.
Maximum Bluetooth range
30 m
Market range: <10 m – >30 m
This portable speaker has a maximum Bluetooth range of 30 m which is longer than that of 85.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 10% of portable speakers.
Bluetooth profiles supported
A2DP; AVRCP; HFP; HSP; SPP
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
24 hours
Market range: <6 hours – >24 hours
This portable speaker has a battery life of 24 hours which is longer than that of 88.1% of portable speakers and equal to that of 6.4% of portable speakers.
Battery capacity
3,000 mAh
Market range: <900 mAh – >6.6k mAh
This portable speaker has a battery capacity of 3,000 mAh which is larger than that of 58.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 3.8% of portable speakers.
Charging time
5 hours
Market range: <2 hours – >5 hours
This portable speaker has a charging time of 5 hours which is longer than that of 87% of portable speakers and equal to that of 7.7% of portable speakers.
Maximum charging input power
5 W
Market range: <5 W – >30 W
This portable speaker has a maximum charging input power of 5 W which is lower than that of 58.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 38.5% 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
IP67
This portable speaker has an IP rating of IP67 which provides better ingress protection than 80% of portable speakers and the same ingress protection as 19.1% of portable speakers.
Water resistance
yes
This portable speaker is water resistant. 38.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
yes
This portable speaker is dust resistant. 48.6% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Waterproof depth rating
1 m
Market range: <0 m – >1 m
This portable speaker has a waterproof depth rating of 1 m which is deeper than that of 52.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 47.4% of portable speakers.
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
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
no
This portable speaker does not include a remote control. 15% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Fast pairing
no
This portable speaker does not support fast pairing. 22.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Weight
890 g
Market range: <200 g – >5.6k g
This portable speaker weighs 890 g which is heavier than that of 52.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.2% of portable speakers.
Height
8.7 cm
Market range: <5.79 cm – >29 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 8.7 cm which is shorter than that of 69.2% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.3% of portable speakers.
Width
23.1 cm
Market range: <7.6 cm – >37 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 23.1 cm which is wider than that of 65.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Depth
8.1 cm
Market range: <4.3 cm – >19.97 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 8.1 cm which is shallower than that of 51.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.7% of portable speakers.
Carry options
none
Show more
Companion app name
Sony | Music Center; Fiestable
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
App
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-XB31 vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • Better ingress protection
    This portable speaker has better ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IP67 vs IPX5).
    IP67 vs IPX5
  • 20 m longer Bluetooth range
    This portable speaker has a longer Bluetooth range than the average portable speaker (30 m vs 10 m).
    30 m vs 10 m
  • 2 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (3 vs 1).
    3 vs 1
  • 12 hours longer battery life
    This portable speaker has a longer battery life than the average portable speaker (24 hours vs 12 hours).
    24 hours vs 12 hours
  • 1 m deeper waterproof rating
    This portable speaker has a deeper waterproof depth rating than the average portable speaker (1 m vs 0 m).
    1 m vs 0 m
  • 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.
  • Claims MIL-STD-810 compliance
    This portable speaker claims MIL-STD-810 compliance, while the average portable speaker does not claim MIL-STD-810 compliance.
  • 5.4% better value for money
    Sony SRS-XB31 offers better value for money than the average portable speaker (7.95 vs 7.5).
    7.95 vs 7.55
  • 20 m longer Bluetooth range
    This portable speaker has a longer Bluetooth range than the average portable speaker (30 m vs 10 m).
    30 m vs 10 m
  • 2 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (3 vs 1).
    3 vs 1
  • 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.
  • Supports AAC Bluetooth audio
    This portable speaker supports AAC Bluetooth audio, while the average portable speaker does not support AAC Bluetooth audio.
  • 12 hours longer battery life
    This portable speaker has a longer battery life than the average portable speaker (24 hours vs 12 hours).
    24 hours vs 12 hours
  • 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.
  • 400 mAh more battery capacity
    This portable speaker has a larger battery capacity than the average portable speaker (3,000 mAh vs 2,600 mAh).
    3,000 mAh vs 2,600 mAh
  • Better ingress protection
    This portable speaker has better ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IP67 vs IPX5).
    IP67 vs IPX5
  • 1 m deeper waterproof rating
    This portable speaker has a deeper waterproof depth rating than the average portable speaker (1 m vs 0 m).
    1 m vs 0 m
  • Claims MIL-STD-810 compliance
    This portable speaker claims MIL-STD-810 compliance, while the average portable speaker does not claim MIL-STD-810 compliance.
  • 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.
  • 3 more EQ presets
    This portable speaker has more EQ presets than the average portable speaker (3 vs 0).
    3 vs 0
  • 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.
  • Supports voice assistants
    This portable speaker supports voice assistants, while the average portable speaker does not support voice assistants.
    Supports direct voice-assistant control.
  • Supports firmware updates
    This portable speaker supports firmware updates, while the average portable speaker does not support firmware updates.
    Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
  • 2 hours longer charging time
    This portable speaker has a longer charging time than the average portable speaker (5 hours vs 3 hours).
    5 hours vs 3 hours
  • 5 W lower charging input power
    This portable speaker has lower charging input power than the average portable speaker (5 W vs 10 W).
    5 W vs 10 W
  • 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
  • 8 W less audio output power
    This portable speaker has less audio output power than the average portable speaker (12 W vs 20 W).
    12 W vs 20 W
  • 0.8 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4.2 vs 5).
    4.2 vs 5
  • 4.21x less popular
    Sony SRS-XB31 is less popular than the average portable speaker (1 vs 4.21).
    1 vs 4.21
  • 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
  • 2 mm smaller main driver
    This portable speaker has a smaller main driver than the average portable speaker (48 mm vs 50 mm).
    48 mm vs 50 mm
  • 4.21x less popular
    Sony SRS-XB31 is less popular than the average portable speaker (1 vs 4.21).
    1 vs 4.21
  • 8 W less audio output power
    This portable speaker has less audio output power than the average portable speaker (12 W vs 20 W).
    12 W vs 20 W
  • 2 mm smaller main driver
    This portable speaker has a smaller main driver than the average portable speaker (48 mm vs 50 mm).
    48 mm vs 50 mm
  • 0.8 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4.2 vs 5).
    4.2 vs 5
  • 2 hours longer charging time
    This portable speaker has a longer charging time than the average portable speaker (5 hours vs 3 hours).
    5 hours vs 3 hours
  • 5 W lower charging input power
    This portable speaker has lower charging input power than the average portable speaker (5 W vs 10 W).
    5 W vs 10 W
  • 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
  • 5 cm wider
    This portable speaker is wider than the average portable speaker (23.1 cm vs 18.1 cm).
    23.1 cm vs 18.1 cm

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

T
theaureview.com
20/07/2018
Summary of the review
Tech Review: Sony SRS-XB31 turns up the bass for an excellent portable party speaker
G
gadgetguy.com.au
31/10/2018
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-XB31 Portable Bluetooth Speaker www.pickr.com.au
S
samma3a.com
23/10/2018
Summary of the review
Sony XB31 Portable Speaker Review - Samma3a Tech
T
techguide.com.au
12/06/2018
Summary of the review
Sony Extra Bass SRS-XB31 speaker – enjoy great sound and a light show well
P
pickr.com.au
03/08/2018
Summary of the review
Review: Sony SRS-XB31 wireless speaker - Pickr
S
sonntagmorgen.com
01/01/2026
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-XB31 Review 2026
(Translated)Show original
L
lesnumeriques.com
21/08/2018
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-XB31 portable speaker review: sleeker design than ever...
(Translated)Show original
L
leclaireur.fnac.com
25/06/2018
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-XB31 Lab Test: The Sound and Light Show All the Way Into the Pool
(Translated)Show original
G
gamelegends.it
08/12/2018
Summary of the review
Sony SRS-XB31 Bluetooth Speaker Review
(Translated)Show original
T
tweakers.net
18/03/2019
Summary of the review
Bluetooth speakers under 200 euros - Eight popular speakers compared
(Translated)Show original

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Sony SRS-XB31

  • Powerful bass response and high maximum volume capability tailored for social settings.
  • Excellent durability featuring an IP67 waterproof, dustproof, and rustproof rating.
  • Versatile built-in party lights and strobe effects that sync to the music rhythm.
  • Functions as a portable power bank via its full-sized USB Type-A output port.
  • Convenient physical connectivity options including a built-in 3.5mm auxiliary audio input jack.
  • Seamless wireless connectivity supported by easy NFC pairing and high-quality LDAC codec compatibility.

What customers don't like about Sony SRS-XB31

  • Battery life drops significantly from the advertised 24 hours to just 4-6 hours with lights and extra bass enabled.
  • Audio frequencies can sound muddy or over-emphasized at high volumes, occasionally drowning out mids and treble.
  • Relies on an outdated micro-USB port for charging rather than a modern USB-C interface.
  • Lacks a dedicated hardware button for the Extra Bass feature, requiring a convoluted button combination or app access to disable.
  • The Sony Music Center companion mobile application is frequently criticized for being clunky or limited in functionality.
  • The Party Booster tap-to-play virtual instrument features are often perceived by users as a gimmick.

Verdict

The Sony SRS-XB31 is a highly durable portable wireless Bluetooth 4.2 speaker weighing 890 grams and measuring 231mm x 87mm x 81mm, equipped with dual 48mm full-range drivers, a passive radiator, and a frequency transmission range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Prominent characteristics include its IP67 waterproof, dustproof, and rustproof rating, an integrated multi-colored line light with flashing strobes, and a built-in power bank functionality via a USB-A port alongside its micro-USB charging input and 3.5mm stereo mini-jack. Main pros consist of a massive battery life of up to 24 hours in standard mode (14 hours in EXTRA BASS mode), support for high-fidelity audio codecs like LDAC and AAC, and the capability to link up to 100 speakers using Wireless Party Chain. However, its main cons include an over-emphasized, heavy bass signature that can cause muddy mid-to-high frequencies, a lack of modern USB-C charging, and flashing party lights that occasionally fall out of sync with the music rhythm.

Compare Sony SRS-XB31 with other products in the Portable Speakers category

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