Short answer: it depends on whether you need a battery. The JBL Partybox 1000 runs only on mains power, while the Sony ULT Tower 9 has a battery rated for 25 hours. The JBL Partybox 1000 ranks higher on sound quality (#4 vs #10 of 13 large party speakers, 4.7/5 vs 4.2/5). Get the JBL Partybox 1000 if it will always be plugged in, or the Sony ULT Tower 9 if you want to play away from an outlet.
The Tower 9’s bass falls apart under real volume, according to our notes. They describe it as not as deep in the bass as the Partybox 1000 and say it loses more bass at high volume than even JBL’s lower-end Partybox models, with bass dropping off noticeably as you push it louder. Our notes do call it slightly better sounding than Sony’s own ULT Tower 10, but that’s a low bar within Sony’s own lineup, not a win against the Partybox 1000.
The Partybox 1000 trades refinement for scale and simplicity. Our notes praise its convenient handle and wheels and call it right up there with the pricier Partybox Ultimate, at better value. Its downsides are practical rather than sonic: it’s very large and heavy at 75 lbs (34 kg), has no battery, and has no companion app, while the Tower 9 includes both an app with a 10-band EQ and a 25-hour battery.
The Tower 9 has real feature advantages beyond sound. It supports Auracast linking for up to 100 speakers, where the Partybox 1000 has no party mode at all, and it uses newer Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC and LDAC codec support against the Partybox 1000’s Bluetooth 4.2 and SBC only.
Buy the Partybox 1000 if it will always be plugged in and raw sound quality and party-speaker scale matter most, and you can live without an app.
Buy the Tower 9 if you want a battery, an app-based EQ, and multi-speaker Auracast linking, and can accept weaker bass at higher volumes.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Partybox 1000 | Sony ULT Tower 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,099.95 | $898.00 |
| Ranked | #4 of 13 in Large Party Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #10 of 13 in Large Party Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Guitar Input | Yes | Yes |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Microphone Input | Yes (Karaoke mode with echo effect) | Yes (Karaoke mode with echo effect) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | Yes (USB-A, 5V/1.5A) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | AC Power cord |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| USB Playback | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 75 lbs (34 kg) | 65.3 lbs (29.6 kg) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (10 band) |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Auracast up to 100 speakers) |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 15.6” x 41.3” x 15.4” (397 x 1050 x 390 mm) | 16.1” x 35.8” x 18” (410 x 910 x 456 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 12” down-firing woofer, 2x 7” midrange, 1x compression horn tweeter | 7 drivers: 1x 12.6”x12.6” woofer, 2x 4.7” midrange, 2x 2” tweeter, 2x 1.6” rear tweeter |
| Amplifier Power | 1100W | 148W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Lights | Yes | Yes |
| Wheels | Yes | - |
| Strap | No | No |
| Removable Battery | - | No |
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