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For a compact speaker that’s meant to be tossed into a bag or clipped onto your backpack, the Sony ULT Field 1 holds up better than you’d expect. It weighs about 1.4 pounds and comes with a carry strap, and it’s IP67-rated, meaning that dust, sand, and the occasional splash (or dunk) won’t ruin your playlist. At $64.99 for a refurbished unit on StackSocial, it’s 50% off the original price and still comes with a one-year warranty. It’s listed as “Grade A,” so cosmetic wear should be minimal to none.
The sound won’t be mind-blowing, but better than average for something this size. You’ll get solid audio with a hint of bass, especially when you hit the ULT button, Sony’s version of a bass boost that gives the music more punch when needed—just keep in mind that maxing out the volume and toggling the bass boost will drain the battery faster. Without the boost, you can expect up to 12 hours of playtime; at full volume with ULT on, that drops closer to 3 hours. Still, for backyard hangs, bike rides, or hotel-room DJ sessions, it holds its own.
What do you think so far?
You won’t find fancy touchscreen controls or a deep companion app, but there’s a basic control panel on the speaker for volume, power, pairing, and playback, and the app gives you a simple EQ and power settings. That said, Bluetooth 5.3, Google Fast Pair, and multipoint pairing are all supported, and it works with both iOS and Android. You can even connect two of these together for stereo playback, which helps if you want a bit more depth. All things considered, for $65, this Sony speaker is perfect for casual listening or bringing music on the go.
