This Is The Worst Bluetooth Speaker Consumer Reports Has Tested

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Dropping more than $500 on a Bluetooth speaker should translate to great sound quality, solid battery life, and a handful of audio settings and customizations that are easy and entertaining to use. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case, as evidenced by Consumer Reports (CR) after testing the Sony SRS-XV900, a $900 party speaker that ended up delivering a pretty lackluster experience. As a matter of fact, the speaker even made it on CR's list of the 25 worst products of 2025.

"Hazy, grainy, muffled, sizzly," and "smeared" are just some of the descriptive language CR went with to sell its disdain. It's hard to believe that such a large Bluetooth speaker from a major brand delivers such unimpressive audio, especially when you consider its multiple tweeters, stereo drivers, and its X-Balanced Speaker Unit woofer. It also weighs close to 60 pounds, making its attached wheels a must for carting the XV900 around.

CR also said "[the XV900] has sonic shortcomings that leave a lot to be desired when listening to music," but did mention that it does a solid job at highlighting dialogue and vocals. Hindustan Times Tech provided a second opinion; while reviewer Shaurya Tomer thought the XV900 sounded great, and that there was a good amount of EQ options to work with, he ended up dinging the speaker for its bulky size.

The Sony SRS-XV900 will soon be a relic, as the product is already unavailable at Best Buy, and is no longer listed on Sony's site; though its XV800, XP700, and XV500 siblings can still be purchased. As far as party speakers are concerned, it seems that Sony shifted focus to its ULT lineup. Prices start at $900 for the ULT Tower 9, and go up to $1,200 for the ULT Tower 10. There are also a few non-party Bluetooth speakers in the ULT family, including the ULT Field 1, 3, 5, and 7.

Fortunately, Sony isn't the only player in town when it comes to pulse-pounding Bluetooth speakers that can fill a backyard with hip-hop. Brands like JBL make a wide variety of speakers, including crowd-pleasers like the PartyBox Stage 320 and PartyBox 110. Party speakers like the ION Pathfinder 320 and Klipsch GIG XXL are awesome options, too.

When choosing a Bluetooth party speaker, it's important that you ask yourself what features, settings, and connections are most important. RGB lighting, a long-lasting battery, and water protection are just a few of the boxes we'd want to check ourselves. You'll also want to make sure that the speaker you select is compatible with whatever mobile devices and AV components you plan on hooking up to it.