Short answer: the Sony XB33. It ranks #59 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $110; the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 ranks #132 and costs $200, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Sony XB33 offers: IP67 rated and lightweight (2.4 lb). App-controlled color LED lighting, Party Connect links up to 100 speakers. ~19 hour real-world battery without lights. Watch for: Not very loud. Upper bass peaks, midrange dip, upper midrange peaks, not very neutral. Speaker will not remain at max volume and will turn itself down automatically.
What the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 offers: IP67 rated, floats, and finally uses USB-C charging. 20 hour battery life. ‘PartyUp’ feature syncs multiple UE speakers together. Watch for: A lot of distortion at higher volumes. Rolled off treble. Not very loud. They really screwed this up
Buy the Sony XB33. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Skip the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 if sound quality matters to you. It ranks near the bottom of the 136 medium speakers.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sony XB33 | Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $110 | $200 |
| Ranked | #59 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #132 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes (Sony Music Connect App) | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | - |
| Bluetooth Latency | 110ms | - |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 97dB | 91dB |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | - |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 9.7" x 3.8" x 4.2" (246 x 97 x 106 mm) | 3.4" x 3.4" x 8.9" (87 x 87 x 225 mm) |
| Output Power | 16W RMS | - |
| Drivers | 2x 48x70mm X-Balanced racetrack drivers + 2x passive radiators | 2x 50x50mm full-range + 2x 55x86mm passive radiators |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Power Input | - | USB-C |
| Built in Microphone | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- JBL Charge 6 vs Doss Soundbox
- JBL Charge 6 vs Xiaomi Mi Portable
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4
- Sony XB33 vs Harman Kardon Esquire 2
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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 XB33: $110 eBay
Pros: IP67 rated and lightweight (2.4 lb). App-controlled color LED lighting, Party Connect links up to 100 speakers. ~19 hour real-world battery without lights.
Cons: Not very loud. Upper bass peaks, midrange dip, upper midrange peaks, not very neutral. Speaker will not remain at max volume and will turn itself down automatically.
Full Sony XB33 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Sony Music Connect App) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 110ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.7" x 3.8" x 4.2" (246 x 97 x 106 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 48x70mm X-Balanced racetrack drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 97dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 16W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Sony xb33 vs xb43 vs Soundcore Motion Plus speakers test More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Plus and Sony XB33 - ultimate travel speaker 2021 🤗
- GYMCADDY: Sony XE300 Review And Compared to Sony XB33 - A Muffled Mess More from GYMCADDY →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Alan Ross Reviews: Sony XB33 vs XB32 vs JBL Charge 4 best £120 bluetooth speaker?
- Alan Ross Reviews: LG Xboom Go PL7 vs JBL Charge 4 and Sony XB33 - best Bluetooth speaker?
- Reddit Search for Sony XB33 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4: $200 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and finally uses USB-C charging. 20 hour battery life. ‘PartyUp’ feature syncs multiple UE speakers together.
Cons: A lot of distortion at higher volumes. Rolled off treble. Not very loud. They really screwed this up
Full Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.4" x 3.4" x 8.9" (87 x 87 x 225 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50x50mm full-range + 2x 55x86mm passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 91dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- 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 →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 4 vs W-King D320 🔋Does Paying More Get You Less? 😧
- Reddit Search for Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 Review
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