Short answer: the Bose SoundLink Max on measured sound quality, the Sony ULT Field 5 on price. These rank #17 and #59 out of 120 large speakers, $51 apart.
Neither speaker’s bass is trouble-free, but for different reasons. The Bose’s pros describe deep, rich, neutrally-tuned bass, but its own cons flag a big peak in the upper bass and a dipped midrange with further peaks and dips above it, plus distortion above 80% volume. The Sony’s cons are blunter: bass that isn’t as deep as others in its class, and sound quality the review calls just okay overall. Between the two, the Bose earns the higher measured rank despite its documented peaks and dips.
Battery life and self-drain cut in opposite directions. Sony rates the ULT Field 5 at 25 hours; Bose rates the SoundLink Max at 20 hours, though real-world testing found it running 43-plus hours per charge. The tradeoff is that the Bose has been reported to self-drain about 20% of its battery a week when left unused, a problem the Sony’s cons don’t mention.
What the Sony ULT Field 5 adds: a real 10-band app EQ (the Bose has no EQ at all), Party Connect for up to 100 speakers, a built-in microphone for calls, true stereo output instead of the Bose’s single tweeter, and Bluetooth codec support for AAC and LDAC on top of SBC.
Buy the Sony ULT Field 5 if you want a working EQ, Party Connect, and stereo sound for $51 less, and can live with a flatter overall sound.
Buy the Bose SoundLink Max if you want richer bass and don’t mind the lack of EQ, as long as you’re prepared for occasional battery self-drain between uses.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 11, 2026 at 3:26 AM 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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Specifications Side By Side
| Bose SoundLink Max | Sony ULT Field 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.00 | $348.00 |
| Ranked | #17 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #59 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 33ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 48Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 116ms | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 tweeter) | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 4.9 lbs (2.2 kg) | 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| EQ | No | Yes (App + ULT button) |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 10.4” x 4.7” x 4.1” (264.7 x 120.1 x 104.9 mm) | 12.6” x 5.7” x 4.9” (320 x 144 x 125 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2.5” (63.5mm) midrange drivers + 1x 0.79” (20mm) tweeter | 2x 46mm tweeters + 1x 79mm x 107mm woofer |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (detachable shoulder strap) |
| Amplifier Power | - | 27W |
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