Short answer: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker on measured sound quality, the Sony ULT Field 1 on price. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #68 of 150 medium speakers, rated 3.4/5, at $399. The Sony ULT Field 1 ranks #86, rated 3.1/5, at $138, $261 cheaper.
What the Bose Portable Smart Speaker does well: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. The tradeoff: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
The case for the Sony ULT Field 1: IP67 rated, survives drops and 1m submersion. The catch: Upper midrange peak, rolled off treble.
Buy the Bose Portable Smart Speaker if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Sony ULT Field 1 if the price is the priority over sound quality.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Sony ULT Field 1 at IP67 (brief submersion) against the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, which has IPX4 (splashing).
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Sony ULT Field 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.00 | $138.00 |
| Ranked | #68 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #86 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) | 1.4 lbs (650 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) | 8.1” x 3” x 3” (206 x 77 x 76 mm) |
| App | Yes (Bose Music) | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | AAC, SBC |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) | Yes |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators | 83mm x 42mm woofer, 16mm tweeter + passive radiator |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | - |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (detachable strap) |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn | - |
| TWS | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Bose Portable Smart Speaker compares with other leading options:
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- JBL Charge 6 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- JBL Flip 6 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- JBL Flip 7 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
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Sony ULT Field 1: $138.00 Amazon eBay
Older models: the Sony XB23 (ranked higher, rated 3.3/5) and the Sony SRS-XB20 (ranked lower, rated 2.8/5).
Pros: IP67 rated, survives drops and 1m submersion. Real-world battery around 28+ hours with ULT (bass boost) mode off. Stereo-pairs with a second ULT Field 1.
Cons: Upper midrange peak, rolled off treble
Full Sony ULT Field 1 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.1” x 3” x 3” (206 x 77 x 76 mm) |
| Drivers | 83mm x 42mm woofer, 16mm tweeter + passive radiator |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs (650 g) |
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