Short answer: the Bose SoundLink Plus. It ranks #22 of 78 large portable speakers against the Sony ULT Field 5 at #41, and the two cost almost the same at $269 and $198. With a price gap this small, the sound-quality gap should decide it.
The Bose is the better sounding speaker by a wide margin. Its notes describe vibrant sound with booming bass and clean mids, plus a premium tactile grille and smooth silicone housing. The ULT Field 5’s own notes call its sound quality “just okay,” with bass that falls short of others in its category, which lines up with the gap in rank.
The Sony trades sound for size, battery, and connectivity. At 7.3 lbs it is more than double the Bose’s 3.3 lbs, which buys a 25 hour battery against the Bose’s 20, an aux input the Bose lacks, a built-in microphone for calls, and support for AAC and LDAC codecs on top of SBC (the Bose is SBC only). It also has an app based 10-band EQ, something the Bose does not offer at all.
Everything else matches: both are IP67 rated for dust and water, both charge over USB-C and double as a power bank, both support stereo pairing and TWS, and both include a built-in party mode for linking multiple speakers.
Buy the Bose SoundLink Plus if you want the better sounding, more compact speaker and don’t need an aux input or onboard EQ.
Buy the Sony ULT Field 5 if you want a bigger sound stage on paper, more battery life, an aux jack, or the flexibility of app EQ, and can live with sound quality that reviewers call merely okay.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose SoundLink Plus | Sony ULT Field 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $269.00 | $198 |
| Ranked | #22 of 78 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #41 of 78 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) | 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| EQ | No | Yes (App + ULT button) |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.9" x 3.4" (231 x 99 x 86 mm) | 12.6" x 5.7" x 4.9" (320 x 144 x 125 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 2.5" (63.5mm) woofer + 1x ~0.78" (20mm) tweeter + 4x passive radiators | 2x 46mm tweeters + 1x 79mm x 107mm woofer |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Amplifier Power | - | 27W |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Bose SoundLink Plus compares with other leading options:
- Bose SoundLink Plus vs Vifa Helsinki
- Bose SoundLink Plus vs JBL Xtreme 5
- Bose SoundLink Plus vs Tribit Stormbox Lava
- Bose SoundLink Plus vs Brane X
- Bose SoundLink Plus vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
Prices on this page were last checked September 23, 2026 at 11:24 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 SoundLink Plus: $269.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, IP67 water/dustproof. Close to 20 hour battery life. Vibrant sound with booming bass, clean mids. Bluetooth 5.4 with good range. Premium tactile grille, smooth silicone. Quality build at $269.
Cons: Boosted thuddy bass, but not as deep as the SoundLink Flex and you should probably just buy one of those instead if you want a Bose.
Full Bose SoundLink Plus review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.9" x 3.4" (231 x 99 x 86 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 2.5" (63.5mm) woofer + 1x ~0.78" (20mm) tweeter + 4x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Sony ULT Field 5: $198 Amazon eBay
Pros: A tough 3.3kg portable with IP67 protection, LDAC/AAC support, aux input, a 10-band app EQ, Party Connect, USB-C power-bank output and a claimed 25-hour battery. Reviews find it energetic and dynamic with substantial bass, enough volume for a yard, and two ULT modes that let bass-focused listeners choose a deeper or punchier presentation.
Cons: It prioritizes bass and loudness over fidelity: reviews find the upper mids and highs subdued, with limited stereo separation and soundstage depth. Deep bass is less authoritative than the enclosure suggests, and the loud confirmation tone when pressing the ULT button is an unnecessary annoyance. Use the app EQ and audition it before buying for detail-focused music.
Full Sony ULT Field 5 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 27W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12.6" x 5.7" x 4.9" (320 x 144 x 125 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 46mm tweeters + 1x 79mm x 107mm woofer |
| EQ | Yes (App + ULT button) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Danny Pops: Don’t TOUCH that ULT Button! Sony ULT Field 5 Review More from DannyPops →
- Mark Ellis Reviews: Sony just changed summer sound 🤨 | Sony ULT Field 5 & 3 Review
- Dominik Reviews: Sony ULT Field 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - Outdoor Sound Test - Sony shines or not? More from Dominik Reviews →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Sony ULT Field 5 vs Anker SoundCore Boom 2 - listening test More from Oluv’Sone →
- Head-to-Head Comparisons