Short answer: the Sony SRS-XV500. It ranks #15 of 43 party speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $310; the Soundboks Rider ranks #26, rated 3.4/5, and costs $599, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
Why pick the Sony SRS-XV500: RTINGS measured a slightly warm sound with plenty of bass punch, and found it gets very loud for outdoor parties. The catch: RTINGS measured poor directivity, so the sound changes noticeably as you move off to the sides.
What the Soundboks Rider does well: At 6.5 kg it is the lightest Soundboks yet, with a carry handle, IP66 dust and water protection, and the same swappable 100Wh battery as the Mix and Soundboks 4, rated for 35 hours at mid volume and 8 hours at maximum. The tradeoff: Its sealed 8in woofer runs out of real bass at high volume: Xander measured the -6 dB point rising to roughly 75 to 85 Hz at maximum, with 40 Hz some 20 dB down, and M1M heard the bass pulled back toward the upper bass above mid volume.
Buy the Sony SRS-XV500. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Soundboks Rider and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sony SRS-XV500 | Soundboks Rider | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $310.00 | $599.00 |
| Ranked | #15 of 43 in Party Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #26 of 43 in Party Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Drivers | 2x 140mm woofers + 2x 60mm tweeters | 8” woofer (sealed), 1.2” dome tweeter in horn |
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 35 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP66 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | - |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone Input | Yes (two 6.3mm inputs) | - |
| Guitar Input | Yes | - |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Dimensions | 22.2”H x 10.6”W x 11.6”D (564 x 269 x 294 mm) | - |
| Weight | 24.7 lbs (11.2 kg) | 14.3 lbs (6.5 kg) |
| Strap | No | No |
| App | - | Yes (Soundboks) |
| EQ | - | Yes (6-band EQ + Bass+, Indoor and Outdoor profiles) |
| Frequency Response | - | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | - | 113.2dB(C) (measured by M1M Tech Channel) |
| Party Mode | - | No (no TeamUp) |
| Power Input | - | USB-C (65W fast charging) |
| Removable Battery | - | Yes |
| Stereo | - | No |
| Omnidirectional | - | No |
| TWS | - | No |
| Amplifier Power | - | 92W RMS (72W woofer + 20W tweeter) |
| Digital Aux Input | - | No |
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Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 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
Sony SRS-XV500: $310.00 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Sony SRS-XP500 (ranked higher, rated 4/5).
Pros: RTINGS measured a slightly warm sound with plenty of bass punch, and found it gets very loud for outdoor parties. Two 140mm woofers and two 60mm tweeters in a bass reflex cabinet, with a claimed 25 hours of battery life and a 10 minute quick charge for about 2.5 hours of play. Two 6.3mm inputs switch between microphone and guitar, with karaoke controls for key, echo and per-input volume, plus a 3.5mm aux input. IPX4 splash resistance and built-in lighting.
Cons: RTINGS measured poor directivity, so the sound changes noticeably as you move off to the sides. Bass compresses and pumps as you approach maximum volume. At 11.2 kg it is heavy to carry, and IPX4 only covers splashes.
Full Sony SRS-XV500 review and specifications →
| Aux Input | Yes |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 22.2”H x 10.6”W x 11.6”D (564 x 269 x 294 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 140mm woofers + 2x 60mm tweeters |
| Guitar Input | Yes |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Microphone Input | Yes (two 6.3mm inputs) |
| Strap | No |
| Weight | 24.7 lbs (11.2 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sony SRS-XV500 vs Onn Large Party gen 2
- Sony SRS-XV500 vs Soundcore Rave 3S
- Sony SRS-XV500 vs Zealot PT21
- Sony SRS-XV500 vs Onn XL Wireless Party Speaker
- Sony SRS-XV500 vs W-King T12
- Sony SRS-XV500 vs JBL Partybox 110
- Sony SRS-XV500 vs JBL Partybox 130
- Sony SRS-XV500 vs JBL Partybox Club 120
- See all 12 comparisons
Soundboks Rider: $599.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: At 6.5 kg it is the lightest Soundboks yet, with a carry handle, IP66 dust and water protection, and the same swappable 100Wh battery as the Mix and Soundboks 4, rated for 35 hours at mid volume and 8 hours at maximum. Xander’s measurements found its flat profile genuinely flat, with distortion around 0.2 percent at moderate volume and below 2 percent from 500 Hz to 10 kHz even at full output, and the Indoor profile reaching down to 40 Hz at moderate volume. Both Xander and M1M Tech Channel preferred its punchy, controlled kick bass to the larger Soundboks Mix, and the app adds a six-band EQ with saveable presets.
Cons: Its sealed 8in woofer runs out of real bass at high volume: Xander measured the -6 dB point rising to roughly 75 to 85 Hz at maximum, with 40 Hz some 20 dB down, and M1M heard the bass pulled back toward the upper bass above mid volume. It measured 107 dB(C) outdoors for Xander and 113.2 dB(C) for M1M, about 3 dB below the Soundboks Mix and well short of the claimed 118 dB. There is no TeamUp, so it cannot link with other Soundboks speakers, the strap and charger are sold separately, and Xander found the grille causes dispersion artifacts around 5 kHz and judged the price too high for what it delivers.
Full Soundboks Rider review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 92W RMS (72W woofer + 20W tweeter) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Soundboks) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 35 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Drivers | 8” woofer (sealed), 1.2” dome tweeter in horn |
| EQ | Yes (6-band EQ + Bass+, Indoor and Outdoor profiles) |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP66 |
| Maximum SPL | 113.2dB(C) (measured by M1M Tech Channel) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No (no TeamUp) |
| Power Input | USB-C (65W fast charging) |
| Removable Battery | Yes |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 14.3 lbs (6.5 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundboks Rider vs Ultimate Ears Hyperboom
- Soundboks Rider vs Soundboks Mix
- Soundboks Rider vs Klipsch Gig XXL
- Soundboks Rider vs Soundcore Rave 3S
- Soundboks Rider vs Onn Large Party gen 2
- Soundboks Rider vs Zealot PT21
- Soundboks Rider vs JBL Partybox 110
- Soundboks Rider vs JBL Partybox 130
- See all 27 comparisons