Last summer, Sony released the ULT Field 1, a new portable wireless speaker designed to accompany your summer merrymaking. It came out alongside a few other ULT-branded speakers, with the rest being much bigger party speakers. We’re guessing the compact model found a decent amount of success, since the outfit is now releasing bigger but similarly portable versions of the design, including our new favorite, the Sony ULT Field 3.
The mid-size model of the line (they also just released the bigger ULT Field 5), the speaker measures roughly twice the size of the original Field 1, allowing it to incorporate better hardware all throughout, from the drivers and the batteries to the various electronic parts. At 10.1 x 4.4 x 3.1 inches (length x height x depth), it’s still plenty portable, with a form factor designed to be carried in one hand for easily taking on the go.
The Sony ULT Field 3 is a portable Bluetooth speaker designed to bring pulse-racing party sounds in a compact profile. It houses a two-way active driver design that incorporates one tweeter, one woofer, and two passive bass radiators on each side to produce a sound the outfit describes as impressively powerful with crystal clear vocals. Built-in sound field optimization detects ambient noise, then automatically tunes the sound output to ensure clear sound even in noisy outdoor environments, while the signature ULT button found in the entire series lets you immediately boost the bass with a single press.
Designed for the outdoors, the speaker boasts IP67 waterproofing, ensuring you can take it around the water in the summer without any worries. It’s pretty rugged, too, with a shockproof build that, the outfit claims, can withstand the “knocks, bumps, and scrapes” of everyday use. Suffice to say, you can throw this is the beach bag and casually go about your day.
The Sony ULT Field 3 comes with a built-in mic with echo cancelling technology, ensuring you can use the speaker to take clear voice calls, as well as multipoint Bluetooth for pairing with up to two devices at the same time. It also supports Fast Pair with Android devices, power bank functions (you can charge your phone from its battery), and the ability to link up to 100 compatible speakers to produce a massive party sound using the dedicated Connect button. Additionally, you can pair with just another speaker to get yourself a two-channel stereo setup.
The onboard battery is rated for up to 24 hours of music playback, ensuring you can keep the thing running all day if you want your playlist to constantly ring in the air. It supports quick-charging, too, with the speaker gaining around two hours’ worth of playback in just 10 minutes of plugging in. The speaker, by the way, boasts to deliver optimal sound whether it’s stood up on one end or laid down on its side, while a detachable shoulder strap lets you carry it hands-free. It’s designed to work with the Sony Sound Connect app, which offers a seven-band equalizer, among other features.
The Sony ULT Field 3 is available now, priced at $199.99.
