Sony ULT Tower 5 review: powerful bass and broad connectivity

TechRadar reviewer Harry Padoan describes the Sony ULT Tower 5 as a compact party speaker with powerful bass, customizable lighting and a wide range of connections. He says it is relatively affordable, though the source provides no price.

The speaker has rounded woofers, a change from the almost rectangular X-Balanced units on earlier ULT models. Padoan found that the ULT 2 equalizer mode balanced strong bass with midrange and high-frequency detail. ULT 1 prioritizes deep bass and, in his testing, worked well outdoors but was less suited to smaller rooms. The speaker’s maximum power output is 300W.

The review says angled tweeters help create a wide soundstage, but the Tower 5 lacks the 360-degree sound of larger models because it has no rear-facing drivers. It also offers Flat and Live modes and a 10-band custom equalizer.

Connections include Bluetooth with Sony’s LDAC codec, USB-A, USB-C, XLR and RCA. The speaker supports a microphone for karaoke, with built-in voice-changing and echo effects, and can link with other ULT Towers through Party Chain. Padoan paired it with the Tower 7 and reports hearing 10 ULT Towers daisy-chained at a Sony demonstration. Sony Sound Connect provides controls including equalizer settings, lighting customization and Sound Field Optimization.