Sony ULT Field 7 Review: The Baymax of Bluetooth Speakers

There are two things I love about the Sony ULT Field 7 speaker. First, its name. For some reason, Sony often gives its products weird names that are difficult to remember and pronounce. Thankfully, with the new ULT series, Sony has changed its naming convention to something simpler. I’m glad I can refer to it as the Sony ULT Field 7 throughout this review instead of the Sony 116MW789.

The second thing is the speaker itself.

If you are here for a review, the Sony ULT Field 7 is a great speaker that delivers on its promises. The sound quality, size, bass, and overall build quality are all top-notch.

However, there are a few issues. For those who prefer a balanced sound, for example, it could be too bass-heavy. The lows can get lost at high volumes (not in all cases), but this isn’t a big problem because you can simply turn off the ULT mode to get a more balanced sound without boomy bass. All in all, you get what you expect from this speaker, and that’s the best it has to offer.

That’s the Sony ULT Field 7 review in a nutshell. The product is great and easy to recommend. However, I’ve used the speaker for a month of everyday use. Let’s delve deeper into the specifics of the Sony ULT Field 7 and share my experience after using it for so long.

Sony ULT Field 7 Specifications

Sony ULT Field 7 Review: A Month with the Mighty Speaker

I have always loved Sony’s sound quality; it’s exceptional. However, Sony products are more expensive than other brands, which has always concerned me.

Despite that, I always wanted to buy one if I had the money. So, when I finally received my first Sony ULT7 speaker, I was excited to test it out. This speaker seemed perfect for someone who enjoys heavy bass, powerful sound, a large speaker, and great battery life.

I listen to audio content throughout my day, including podcasts, YouTube videos (audio only), and audiobooks. I usually turn on my mobile as a speaker, but I always wanted a proper speaker.

I have tried all the budget speakers but am not satisfied with them primarily because of the poor battery life and sound quality of many tiny speakers. After getting the Sony ULT Field 7. I finally have the speaker I always wanted. Here’s my experience living with the Sony ULT Field 7 for 30 days.

Day One: Unboxing

Finally, the day I had been waiting for arrived. The agent called me to say I had a parcel ready to be delivered. I was excited about the order. I went down and picked up the parcel.

The box was large, as expected. Inside, it was the Sony ULT Field 7 speaker. The speaker was well-wrapped in the box. Along with the speaker, you get a charging cable, a two-pin cable, a general plug commonly found in India, and a user manual. That’s it.

I immediately picked up the speaker, which was as heavy as expected. It is only available in black color. The build quality is top-notch, weighing about 14 pounds/6.3 Kgs.

Unlike most other speakers with single handles, The ULT Field 7 doesn’t come with a handle; you can grab the speaker on either side, which can be easy to carry with two hands, considering the speaker is heavy.

The speaker has mesh covering it from top to bottom, with subwoofers on both the top and bottom. It also features RGB light sensors. Rubber finish on both sides. The Sony logo is in the center of the speaker’s direction. The controls include power, Bluetooth, play/pause, volume, and ULT mode buttons, which are located on the side, and the input ports are slightly on the back, accessible by opening a small door.

The build quality is great, strong, and solid. When your compartment is on the back, you can access the round buttons, which click nicely, again indicating quality. It has a 3.5mm aux input, a quarter-inch mic/guitar input, a USB-A port for charging, a gain knob (for adjusting the input level of the connected mic or guitar), a light toggle, battery readout, key control, and echo effect buttons.

Exceptional Sound Quality – the ULT Button Makes the Difference

After setting up the speaker, I connected it to my iPhone via Bluetooth. It also works with Android and Windows devices that support Bluetooth. Sony states that this speaker is designed for the iPhone, but it connects just as well with Android devices. I tested it with both my Android and my iPhone and there was no difference in the connection.

I’ve a habit of playing bass-heavy music after unboxing an audio device. Following my habit, I tested the ULT Field 7 speaker with bass-heavy music. It was surprising how powerful the sound was, filling my entire room. The loud sound of the speaker startled my dog, and I’m sorry for that because I didn’t expect the speaker to sound so booming.

The speaker is equipped with a dedicated ULT button, which stands for Ultimate and boosts the bass of the speaker. This button is available on all devices in Sony’s ULT series, including the ULT Field 1 and ULT Wear.

The ULT button is conveniently located on the side of the speaker. There are two ULT modes: ULT mode 1 for richer bass and ULT mode 2 for intense and bass-heavy sound. Activating and deactivating it makes a noticeable difference to the sound and bass. I always left it on because I love the deep bass. You can turn it off to get a flatter sound with less bass.

As for the sound quality, the highs are clear, the bass is heavy when the ULT button is turned on, and the mids and vocals are good. However, when you increase the volume to 70-80%, the lows drops a little and is overshadowed by the bass.

If you turn off the ULT button, you get a more balanced sound, which isn’t a problem considering the speaker is designed for bass lovers. If you don’t want the strong bass, turn it off to get a balanced sound. After spending a few hours with the speaker, my day ended after my playlist was over. I was very impressed with the sound quality of the Sony ULT Field 7 speaker.

Sony ULT Field 7: Impressive Battery Life

One of the main reasons I used to hate Bluetooth speakers is their poor battery life. Not all Bluetooth speakers have poor battery life, but some that I’ve tested did. I was also concerned about the battery life of the Sony ULT Field 7 speaker.

But I was very impressed, especially with the powerful sound. The battery life dropped from 90% to 70% after 8-9 hours, which surprised me because my experience with Bluetooth speakers has been terrible.

Day two started with an early morning podcast. I switched to the podcast and started listening to it. I usually listen to The Vergecast and MKBHD’s Waveform podcast.

I listened with the ULT switched on because I wanted the deep bass. The podcast listening experience was excellent. I used the speaker for about 4 to 5 hours a day on the second day, ending the day with my last playlist during my home workout, and the speaker held up well.

It was a rainy day after I started my ULT Field 7 test. I continued using the speaker daily to listen to podcasts and even worked at home with it. The speaker continued to impress me with the same enthusiasm as the first day. After using it for almost 18-20 hours, the speaker reported a low battery.

I connected the charger to the speaker using the two standard ports but wondered if the speaker was charging. There is a charging indicator, but it was added outside of the speaker. And there is no audible feedback to indicate if the speaker is charging.

I left the charger plugged in for a few minutes, checked the battery life, and found that the battery was charging. I used the speaker for several days with the same routine.

The Outdoor Test

On day 17, I planned to visit a friend, so I took the Sony ULT Field 7 to my village. Transporting it on my bike was difficult due to its size and weight. I quickly set up the speaker outside at my friend’s house when I arrived home.

Playing songs outdoors did not offer the same experience as indoors. Indoors, the sound is louder, but outdoors, it feels less powerful, which is to be expected as sound travels differently outdoors. Still, the Sony ULT Field 7 was impressive with its sound, even if I had to reduce the volume to get the same experience.

The speaker is IP67 water-resistant, so even if it starts to rain during an outdoor session, it’s not a problem. I was even able to enjoy the speaker in the rain.

As the evening turned to night, I noticed that the speaker’s RGB lighting was a little dim. I prefer a minimalist look, but my friends and family thought the RGB lighting could be brighter and more visible from the sides. It only lights up the top and bottom, which makes it hard to see when it’s set up like a tower. For me, this is not a problem.

So far, I haven’t installed an app to control the speaker. I wanted to check the battery life of the speaker (you can also use the battery button in the back compartment to find out the battery life of your speaker; to make it even more convenient, I wanted to install an app).

I installed the Music Center app from the App Store. This was the first time I used the app. The app is very straightforward and has a simple user interface. It works and also has some useful functions. You can adjust the volume, view the battery life, control the sound effects and use the battery care options to extend the battery life. You can also use the app to group the speaker with other speakers.

I haven’t connected the speaker to other speakers, but if you want, you can easily connect the speaker to multiple devices and switch between them, which is very useful at parties. The speaker also features Sound Field Optimization, which automatically adjusts the sound to the surrounding noise. This could be the reason why it delivers a consistent sound even in different environments.

Sony ULT Field 7 Review Verdict: After a Month of Use

I have had the speaker for almost a month and it has become part of my routine. I usually charge the speaker every seven days and use it on average 3 to 4 hours a day with the ULT mode on and the RGB lights off.

I have noticed that the speaker turns off automatically even when it is plugged in but not in use. This happened to me a few times and I had to manually turn the power back on. This can also be a positive factor to save battery life. Other than this minor issue, everything about the speaker was great. I’ve enjoyed using the speaker and as I write this, I’m playing ambient sounds with it.

Final question: should you buy the speaker?

Yes, you should get the Sony ULT Field 7 if you’re considering a speaker of this size. It offers exceptional sound quality, rich bass, solid build quality and long battery life. I had a great experience with it. Aside from minor issues, such as the app not being good and the speaker turning off automatically, these issues are minor. I have to admit that the Sony is expensive, but you get all these features with the speaker. There are also some competitors, like the JBL Boombox speakers. Nevertheless, the choice falls on Sony because it offers a great overall experience due to its sound quality, build and features.

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