Just when I thought there was a limit to how loud a Bluetooth speaker could get, Sony turned the dial up to eleven. The overhauled ULT Tower trio of party speakers look purpose-built to keep the neighbourhood up at night, with the range-topping ULT Tower Max promising a gargantuan 2150W of power.
Sony’s design team has brought some cohesion to the range, meaning the ULT Tower 5, ULT Tower 7 and ULT Tower Max are now all spitting images of one another. Inspired by stage monitor speakers, the imposing all-black speakers can be stacked either horizontally or vertically, with a durable outer casing that should make them ideal for lugging between house parties. The Tower 7 and Tower Max also have larger built-in wheels with more tread than before for easier movement.
Turn ’em on and colour-changing LEDs illuminate the front of each speaker; whereas the old models had a handful, now even the compact ULT Tower 5 gets a generous 56. The ULT Tower 7 steps up to 72 and the ULT Tower Max caps out at 100. They flash in time with the music and can sync together when using multiple ULT speakers, either as a stereo pair or as part of a Party Chain.
This uses Auracast tech now, meaning it can also share inputs between speakers – and the ULT trio have plenty of ’em. Each speaker gets pro-grade XLR in and out, along with RCA input for connecting a single speaker to something like a DJ mixer, USB-C, and a USB-A port for direct playback from a flash drive. XLR lets you hook up a mic for impromptu karaoke sessions, with Sony’s SoundConnect app giving you control over echo and pitch shift.
Whichever ULT Tower model you go for there’ll be ample amounts of audio on tap: even the entry-grade Tower 5 gets two tweeters, a 230mm woofer and an ‘ULT duct’ bass port, along with 300W of power. An internal battery is apparently good for up to 20 hours of playback.
The Ult Tower 7 steps up to four tweeters – two at the front and two at the rear – then adds dual mid-range drivers and steps the woofer up to a 280mm unit. A bigger battery keeps the party going for around ten hours more, to roughly 30. The ULT duct sticks around, and amplification hits 420W.
The Tower Max triples down on 280mm woofers with two at the front and one at the rear, along with four tweeters and two mid-range drivers, plus an ULT duct. All-in it’s pushing an incredible 2150W. Unsurprisingly it’s mains-powered only.
Sony tapped up hip-hop artists and producers to fine-tune the trio, which now use circular drivers rather than the X-balanced square ones seen on older systems. There are now four presets to pick from: Deep bass and Attack Bass, plus new Live and Flat modes that stay truer to the original sound source. Each speaker is able to adapt to placement, too – they’ll recognise when they’re placed in a corner and boost low frequencies accordingly.
The new line-up goes on sale this month, but you’ll need to be a 24/7 party person to buy one: the ULT Tower 5 kicks things off at €400, while the ULT Tower 7 will set you back €600; the ULT Tower Max is a wallet-busting €1500.
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