Short answer: the Sony ULT Field 1. It ranks #100 of 175 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.1/5, at $138. The Ultimate Ears Boom 4 ranks #113, rated 2.9/5, at $129.99, $8.01 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
What the Sony ULT Field 1 does well: IP67 rated, survives drops and 1m submersion. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 lacks. The catch: Upper midrange peak, rolled off treble.
What the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 does well: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Sony ULT Field 1. The catch: Not much improvement over the old ones.
Buy the Sony ULT Field 1. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $8.01 with the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sony ULT Field 1 | Ultimate Ears Boom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $138.00 | $129.99 |
| Ranked | #100 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #113 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) | - |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs (650 g) | 1.4 lbs (620 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 8.1” x 3” x 3” (206 x 77 x 76 mm) | 7.2” x 2.9” x 2.9” (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 83mm x 42mm woofer, 16mm tweeter + passive radiator | 2x 1.57” (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81” x 2.57” (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) | Yes (built-in loop) |
| Maximum SPL | - | 85dBC (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Sony ULT Field 1:
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs EarFun Uboom L
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Soundcore Motion 300
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Sony ULT Field 1
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Sony ULT Field 1
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Minirig 4
Prices on this page were last checked October 12, 2026 at 4:13 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 ULT Field 1: $138.00 Amazon $138.00 eBay
Older models: the Sony XB23 (ranked higher, rated 3.3/5), the Sony SRS-XB20 (ranked lower, rated 2.8/5), the Sony SRS-XB21 (ranked lower, rated 2.7/5) and the Sony SRS-XE200 (ranked lower, rated 2.5/5). See every Sony XB and ULT generation.
Same family: the Sony ULT Field 7 (larger model, rated 3.2/5), the Sony ULT Tower 10 (larger model, rated 3.9/5), the Sony ULT Field 3 (larger model, ranked higher, rated 3.4/5), the Sony ULT Field 5 (larger model, rated 3.5/5), the Sony ULT Tower 5 (larger model, rated 4.5/5), the Sony ULT Tower 7 (larger model, rated 4.7/5), the Sony ULT Tower 9 (larger model, rated 4.2/5) and the Sony ULT Tower Max (larger model, rated 4.8/5).
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 →
| Released | Apr 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| 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) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Techder Audios: Sony ULT Field 1 VS Teufel Rockster Go 2 “CLOSE CALL?” More from techderaudios →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 4 vs Sony ULT Field 1 😧 $200 vs $128 Cylinder Bluetooth Speaker Matchup More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Storytripper HD: Huawei Soundjoy 2 vs Edifier ES60 vs Sony ULT Field 1 More from storytripperhd →
- New Stuff TV 2: Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 & Soundcore Motion 300 More from NewStuffTV1 →
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Grip
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Treblab HD77
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Tribit Xsound Go
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Tronsmart Mirtune S100
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs KEF Muo gen2
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Tronsmart Mirtune C3
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Tribit Xsound Surf
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Sonos Roam
- See all 140 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Boom 4: $129.99 Amazon $129.99 eBay
Older model: the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 (ranked lower, rated 2.9/5). See every Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, Boom and Megaboom generation.
Same family: the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 (smaller model, ranked higher, rated 2.9/5) and the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 (larger model, ranked lower, rated 2.1/5).
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. 15 hour battery. Customizable EQ and speaker-pairing via the UE app.
Cons: Not much improvement over the old ones. Weak bass extension and thuddy bass. Gets distorted above 90%
Full Ultimate Ears Boom 4 review and specifications →
| Released | Jun 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 2.9” x 2.9” (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 1.57” (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81” x 2.57” (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 85dBC (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs (620 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Klipsch Groove
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs DBSONO X-Blast F37
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- See all 139 comparisons