Short answer: the Sony ULT Tower 7. It ranks #1 of 43 party speakers by sound quality, rated 4.7/5, at $649.99. The Soundboks Rider ranks #26, rated 3.4/5, at $599, $50.99 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
The case for the Sony ULT Tower 7: A compelling large-party value at $650: 420W output, an IPX4-rated 30-hour battery, 360-degree sound, wheels and four carry handles at 22.8kg. The tradeoff: The reviewer notes that Auracast pairing is not backward-compatible with Sony’s older Party Connect speakers, and the hard-plastic corners lack protective rubber bumpers.
Why pick the Soundboks Rider: 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 ULT Tower 7. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $50.99 saving on the Soundboks Rider is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sony ULT Tower 7 | Soundboks Rider | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $649.99 | $599.00 |
| Ranked | #1 of 43 in Party Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #26 of 43 in Party Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes (Sony Sound Connect) | Yes (Soundboks) |
| Aux Input | RCA input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (lights off; manufacturer specified) | 35 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | - |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Dimensions | 13.7” x 16.6” x 28” (348 x 422 x 711 mm) | - |
| Drivers | 7 drivers: 1x woofer, 2x midrange, 2x front tweeter, 2x rear tweeter | 8” woofer (sealed), 1.2” dome tweeter in horn |
| EQ | Yes (10 band; ULT1 / ULT2 / Flat) | Yes (6-band EQ + Bass+, Indoor and Outdoor profiles) |
| Guitar Input | No | - |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP66 |
| Microphone Input | Yes | - |
| Omnidirectional | Yes (360 degree Party Sound) | No |
| Amplifier Power | 420W | 92W RMS (72W woofer + 20W tweeter) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No (no TeamUp) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB charging) | - |
| Power Input | AC power cord | USB-C (65W fast charging) |
| Removable Battery | No | Yes |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| TWS | Yes (Stereo Pair) | No |
| USB Playback | Yes (USB-A) | - |
| Weight | 50.3 lbs (22.8 kg) | 14.3 lbs (6.5 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | No | - |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Wheels | Yes | - |
| Strap | No | No |
| Frequency Response | - | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | - | 113.2dB(C) (measured by M1M Tech Channel) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Sony ULT Tower 7 compares with other leading options:
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox 330
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox Stage 320
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox 310
- Sony ULT Tower 5 vs Sony ULT Tower 7
- JBL Partybox Club 120 vs Sony ULT Tower 7
Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 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 Tower 7: $649.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: A compelling large-party value at $650: 420W output, an IPX4-rated 30-hour battery, 360-degree sound, wheels and four carry handles at 22.8kg. The full review praises its punchy, clean ULT1 bass, ULT2’s higher-output mode, simplified controls and unusually complete I/O: USB-C, USB-A, RCA, balanced XLR and mic input.
Cons: The reviewer notes that Auracast pairing is not backward-compatible with Sony’s older Party Connect speakers, and the hard-plastic corners lack protective rubber bumpers. IPX4 is splash resistance rather than full weatherproofing; the 30-hour claim requires lights off.
Full Sony ULT Tower 7 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 420W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Sony Sound Connect) |
| Aux Input | RCA input |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (lights off; manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 13.7” x 16.6” x 28” (348 x 422 x 711 mm) |
| Drivers | 7 drivers: 1x woofer, 2x midrange, 2x front tweeter, 2x rear tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (10 band; ULT1 / ULT2 / Flat) |
| Guitar Input | No |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Microphone Input | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Yes (360 degree Party Sound) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB charging) |
| Power Input | AC power cord |
| Removable Battery | No |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes (Stereo Pair) |
| USB Playback | Yes (USB-A) |
| Weight | 50.3 lbs (22.8 kg) |
| Wheels | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox 330
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox Stage 320
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox 310
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs Sony ULT Tower 5
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox Club 120
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox 130
- Sony ULT Tower 7 vs JBL Partybox 110
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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) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| 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
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- Soundboks Rider vs Onn Large Party gen 1
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