Short answer: the Sony SRS-XB43. It ranks #42 of 77 large speakers by sound quality at $150; the B&O Beosound Level ranks #60 and costs $2250, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
On the B&O Beosound Level side: Premium Scandinavian design with elegant domestic sculpture aesthetic. Watch for: Not very deep bass, peaks in midrange.
What the Sony SRS-XB43 gets right: Full, warm sound with deep, rich bass. The tradeoff: Not as loud as others in the category.
Buy the Sony SRS-XB43. It ranks higher for sound quality than the B&O Beosound Level and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the B&O Beosound Level. It ranks near the bottom of the 77 large speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
If battery life is a priority, the Sony SRS-XB43 is rated for 24 hours versus 16 hours for the B&O Beosound Level.
If water resistance matters to you, the Sony SRS-XB43 at IP67 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the B&O Beosound Level at IP54 (splashing).
Specifications Side By Side
| B&O Beosound Level | Sony SRS-XB43 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,250.00 | $150 |
| Ranked | #60 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #42 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~60Hz | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg | 6.5 lbs / 2.95 kg |
| Wifi | Yes | - |
| App | No | Yes (Sony Music Center App) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP54 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-A, 5V/1A) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Drivers | 2x 102mm woofers, 1x 51mm fullrange, 2x 20mm tweeters | 63mm woofer + 12.5mm tweeter + passive radiators |
| Dimensions | 13.7" x 9.1" x 2.2" (348 x 230 x 56 mm) | 12.8" x 4.8" x 4.6" (325 x 123 x 117 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 39Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 105W | 32W RMS |
| Max Volume | 96dB | 99dB |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 85ms |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- JBL Xtreme 4 vs Sony ULT Field 5
- Marshall Middleton II vs Sony ULT Field 5
- Klipsch Detroit vs Ultimate Ears Megablast
- B&O Beosound Level vs LG PN7
- B&O Beosound Level vs JBL Xtreme 2
The Two Speakers In Full
B&O Beosound Level: $2,250.00 Amazon
Pros: Premium Scandinavian design with elegant domestic sculpture aesthetic. Battery, WiFi, and Bluetooth enable AC/portable use, upright/flat/wall-mount positioning. Modular design with upgradeable wireless module, sound processing, and battery. 16-hour battery with quick-connect Mag-Safe rear charging puck. 105W output.
Cons: Not very deep bass, peaks in midrange. Hugely expensive.
Full B&O Beosound Level review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~60Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 13.7" x 9.1" x 2.2" (348 x 230 x 56 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 102mm woofers, 1x 51mm fullrange, 2x 20mm tweeters |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 39Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP54 |
| Max Volume | 96dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 105W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg |
| Wifi | Yes |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- B&O Beosound Level vs Ultimate Ears Megablast
- B&O Beosound Level vs Ultimate Ears Epicboom
- B&O Beosound Level vs LG PN7
- B&O Beosound Level vs Soundcore Rave Neo
- B&O Beosound Level vs Sony SRS-XG300
- B&O Beosound Level vs Klipsch Detroit
- B&O Beosound Level vs Doss Soundbox XL
- B&O Beosound Level vs JBL Xtreme
- See all 14 comparisons
Sony SRS-XB43: $150
Pros: Full, warm sound with deep, rich bass. Twin passive radiators deliver Extra Bass impact. IPX7 waterproof and rugged. Up to 24 hour battery (14 hours with lights on). Party lights for visual appeal.
Cons: Not as loud as others in the category. Speaker will not remain at max volume and will turn itself down automatically.
Setup: Try out +3 +6 +3 as an EQ to get it as flat as possible as mentioned in the Alan Ross video
Full Sony SRS-XB43 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Sony Music Center App) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 85ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12.8" x 4.8" x 4.6" (325 x 123 x 117 mm) |
| Drivers | 63mm woofer + 12.5mm tweeter + passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 32W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/1A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 6.5 lbs / 2.95 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Xtreme 3 vs Sony XB43 - boombox champ? More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Boom vs Sony XB43 - a step to far? 🤪
- Alan Ross Reviews: Sony xb33 vs xb43 vs Soundcore Motion Plus speakers test
- DLX Willington: Who Sounds The Best Of Sony XG300, XB43 & JBL XTREME3 With Sound Sample BLIND CHALLENGE Reveal. More from DLXWillington →
- Reddit Search for Sony SRS-XB43 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons