The XE200 is the latest wireless speaker from Sony. It is lightweight, medium-sized and waterproof. How does it work in practice and is it worth buying? About it in today’s material.
The Sony XE200 wireless speaker is a compact device that allows you to transmit sound from a mobile device via Bluetooth technology. Compared to traditional speakers, the Sony XE200 provides freedom of movement and allows you to easily carry it to any place. Not so long ago I tested its older brother – the XE300 model. You can read the XE300 review in this article. What’s the difference between the two models? The XE200 has three times less output power, is smaller, lighter, and has a smaller battery. What are the similarities? Appearance, IP67 waterproof class, or the ability to make calls.
Sony XE200 – first impressions
The loudspeaker is almost twice as light and slightly smaller than the XE300 model I tested. This makes it more mobile and easier to take with you, e.g. on a trip. It looks just as good – large rubber elements with a braid attract the eye. Low weight is an advantage, the speaker is easier to grab with one hand and move from place to place – it is not as slippery as its bigger brother.
Its irregular shape allows you to place it in almost any way, but again the problem is to clearly indicate what position is optimal for the best sound quality.
I like the Fast Pair technology from Google that this speaker supports. After turning it on for the first time, our phone immediately searches for the device, shows its picture and asks if we want to connect to it. It’s a super fast solution.
Sony XE200 – technical parameters
The speaker has dimensions of 195 x 75 x 77 mm and weighs less than 600 grams. Its output power is 10W. The device is equipped with the Line-Shape Diffuser technology, which helps to disperse the sound coming from the two passive radiators. The sound wave encounters narrow slits, thanks to which it disperses in such a way as to evenly reach the listener from each side. At least in theory.
The membranes also have an irregular shape. The circular diaphragm has been pulled out from one side. In this way, the surface area, sound pressure and bass were improved. Less diaphragm movement results in less distortion.
Sony XE200 has a built-in battery that fully charges in 4 hours. This allows you to listen to music for 16 hours. An interesting feature is the Ambient Noise Sensing function – if the speaker works outdoors at full power, the microphone analyzes the ambient noise level and controls the volume parameters. In this way, you can extend the time you listen to music by up to an hour. In turn, thanks to the Sony Music Center application, you can connect up to 100 speakers at the same time.
Sony XE200 – Sound quality
I must admit that the XE series did not come out from Sony. I don’t know if it’s the diaphragm modification, the introduction of the Line-Shape Diffuser, or the sealing of the speaker to make it watertight (or all at once). This is the second speaker in the series that just doesn’t sound right. The sound is very flat and lacks tonal range. The highs are heavily muffled and the bass is non-existent. This is quite a surprise, especially since I have tested other Sony wireless speakers in the past, I even bought one. Meanwhile, we have another great technology on paper that clearly didn’t work in the XE200. The speaker sounds like it was in the price range of up to PLN 100. At the time of writing the review, it costs PLN 599.