Steaming services and Bluetooth speakers have completely changed how we consume music. Whether you listen to music around the braai or have people over for a party over the weekend, there’s a speaker type to suit your needs. I always carry a small portable Bluetooth speaker around the house, but I am very fussy about the type of speaker I use. I need superb sound fidelity with a good amount of bass to fill the gaps. It does not have to be incredibly loud, but when listening to music at medium volume levels, the sound must be crisp. I was quite happy with my love for small Bluetooth speakers, that was until I met the ULT Tower 10 at a launch event a few weeks back.
This mammoth speaker stands just over a meter tall and has slick styling and, of course, RGB lighting.
Sony brought the ULT Tower 10 to market as a high-end party speaker that can be used at home or in your small business or entertainment venue. There’s even a Sony wireless microphone included with the package, so you can use it for MC work, Karaoke, or if you have a small band. This speaker will work great for small performances.
Aesthetically speaking, this speaker will be the centre of the party. The RGB lighting emits beautiful colours at the top and bottom end of the speaker, but you can also switch them off for a more discreet look. The main control panel at the top of the speaker is where you manage your Bluetooth connection, select your audio input, and manage the RGB lighting. You can also use the Echo and Key controls to adjust how your vocals sound.
Above the control panel, a hidden flap hides the mic/Guitar jack and a volume control. At the back of the speaker, you’ll find another set of ports: Optical In, Audio In, and a USB Type-A port that can charge a device. You can also play music off a USB drive or smartphone without using Bluetooth.
Most of us will likely connect our phones via Bluetooth, load Spotify, and just rock out to the music—and that’s exactly what I did.
You can likely guess what the music sounds like just by looking at this beast; it’s loud—very loud. Sony also managed to pack an impressive number of speakers into this form factor to ensure a 360-degree wall of sound.
I listened to a variety of my favourite songs to gauge where this speaker sits in terms of performance and audio fidelity. Sound clarity, bass reproduction, and the high tones all sound superb. Listening to music straight from the app, some tunes sound much better than others, especially in the bass department, but this is due to music production rather than the speaker’s playback thereof. To mitigate this, you can use the Sony Music Center app to access the speaker’s equaliser and adjust the levels to your liking.
There is also a ULT button that allows you to select one of two modes: ULT1 for deeper, lower-frequency bass and ULT2 for powerful, punchy bass.
If you are more of an enthusiast, you’ll most probably connect your mixing deck to the speaker to control your music.
Indoors, the Sony ULT Tower 10 is a beast and we could not keep it at full volume for long, there’s just so much sound coming out of those speakers. Outdoors it was a whole different story. We had neighbours a few streets over complain on the local WhatsApp group about the noise. They thought someone was hosting a large party at 2pm in the afternoon.
You can also use the ULT Tower 10 to power your TV’s sound in your home theatre or living room. The TV Sound Booster function will adjust the audio to enhance sound effects and movie dialogue, bringing out a great audio-visual experience for people who want over-the-top audio in their house.
As good as this speaker is, my only complaint is that its lower volumes are not low enough. You can’t really use this speaker for gentle background music in a small space. The Sony ULT Tower 10 is made for events, big occasions, home theatres, and a good old house party. If you are a musician, this speaker will also serve you well and make small shows much easier to handle.
The other issue you may encounter is that this speaker is heavy. At just under 30kg, it is not easy to lug around. There are wheels at the base, so you can reposition it easily, but it’s quite a thing to move around from one place to another. It fills up a big car boot. One could almost justify using this as a bass bin for your car audio, but not quite.
Sony knew exactly who they were targeting when they designed the ULT Tower 10, and those audiences will love what this portable speaker has to offer. For the rest of us, there are other models in the new ULT range that are a little more modest and pocketable.
If you are in the entertainment business, then the Sony ULT 10 should be on your list. You can even connect two together for larger venues.
As a music fan, I loved playing with these speakers, my music sounded great. Sadly, I did realise that there is a set of speakers out there that is just too loud for my needs – this is it.
I guess you can call me old now.