Whether you’re having a BBQ party or going to someone else’s, the Sony GTK XB7 Extra Bass Speaker might be the one for you.
The Sony GTK XB7 is built for bass-lovers
Featuring Sony’s EXTRA bass technology, your party will never be the same again. With two large 16cm woofers, the GTK XB7 brings a premium clubbing experience right to your door.
Producing high-quality sound, bags of power and massive low-frequency response, it’s the best speaker we’ve reviewed thus far for those seeking the extra bass.
Sony GTK XB7 out of the box
Out of the box, it’s very simple and straight forward with not much to unpack. Inside the box are your speaker, power cable, a remote control, manuals and warranty information – that’s all you need to get started.
Sony GTK XB7 Design
The GTK XB7 design is very pronounced and may not sit well if you have a minimalist design at home, in fact, we don’t think it’s the kind of speaker you leave out, it should only come out when you need to get people pumped for your house party.
Its housing is finished in a soft matte black rubberish material and the buttons available are very minimal. On both sides of the speaker, you have handles that make it very easy to move around.
It’s designed to be portable so you can take party anywhere
Weighing just 14 Kg, and measuring 326 x 650 x 340 mm (W X H X D), Sony wants you to be able to easily pick it up, put it in your car or taxi, and take your sound wherever the party is – it puts a whole new meaning to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).
Up top is where all the magic happens. There are five buttons available, one for powering the speaker on, extra bass which is the bass on steroids, and your volume keys.
One thing we love about the design is how they have also included a docking port, so you can simply place the music source there for everyone to choose from.
Elsewhere on top of the speaker, you have three LED indicator lights; one will light up when you have a USB device plugged in, the right one indicates audio in and the left one for pairing.
Behind the speaker is where all the ports are. You have your AC in for power, audio in and party chain ports, 5v – 2.1 amp USB which you can either use as an audio source or just to charge your smartphone. Above the USB port, there are two buttons to setup party chain or for adding extra speakers.
Not loud enough? You can add more speakers
Something awesome you can do with the GTK XB7 also is you can add more speakers to the setup, either creating a left and right channel or you can create a chain of speakers, making it even louder.
The GTK XB7 is a true party-speaker. Sony included club-like LED lights to create a musical illumination that synchronises with the rhythm of the beat, the power and speed. With multicolour patterns, ranging from pure white to rainbow colours, it’s magical.
Underneath the front grille/mesh are two large speakers and the four tweeters located on the corners. You can place it vertically or on its side without losing sound quality – the speaker will dynamically change which side is left and which side is right.
Sony GTK XB7 Performance
No doubt it has a well thought out design that not only looks good but also adds function but how does it actually perform once switched on?
With one-touch listening, you can stream your favourite tracks and playlists via Bluetooth and if you have a device that’s NFC ready, you can just tap to connect in no time.
Show off and pretend you’re a DJ with strobe lights
There’s also the Sony’s SongPal app that allows you to impress your part with sound effects. You can use it to Switch up lighting patterns, or activate DJ effects and EQ settings to pump up the atmosphere.
As if all that is not impressive enough, you can also charge your phone or tablet’s battery over USB while you’re playing music. If you don’t have all that wireless audio source, don’t worry; there’s also an audio input for connecting MP3 players or just about any other sound source.
Whether you’re playing music wirelessly or directly, the sound quality is not compromised at all.
The GTK XB7 features Sony’s LDAC audio technology. It ensures the highest quality wireless audio via Bluetooth. With 3x the data transmitted, LDAC provides an enhanced wireless listening experience for all your music.
Sony’s party speaker is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s loud, the bass is very punchy and can offer even more when you push the extra bass button and the LED party lights are just icing on the cake in making it a true party sound essential.
Pricing and availability
You can purchase the Sony GTK XB7 directly from Sony or Amazon for £279.
Overall
The GTK XB7 offers the performance you’d expect from Sony, a pioneer in the music industry. It’s fine-tuned to make sure your sound is uncompromised; treble sounds clean and bass sounds punchy, in fact, if you sound too close, you will feel it in your chest – you may need to let your neighbours know before you start disturbing the peace.
Pros:
- Serious bass, not to be messed with.
- Lot’s of connectivity options.
- Easy to lift and carry from location to location.
- Party lighting is a bonus.
- SongPal app is user-friendly.
- Ability to change EQ settings is welcomed.
- Available in three colours
Cons:
- If you don’t listen to genres that are all about the bass, then you may not find it as useful.
- The finishing on the box is a fingerprint magnet.
- Audio cable not included.
- It’s very antisocial if you live in a quiet neighbourhood.
- Not battery-powered and power cable is short.
I write about all things tech!