The $199.99 Sony ULT Field 3 joins the company's ULT Field 5 ($329.99) and ULT Tower 9 ($899.99) Bluetooth speakers and replaces the $199.99 SRS-XE300 in its lineup. The Field 3 is smaller and more portable than its peers, but it is still waterproof, delivers outstanding battery life, and can take advantage of Sony's excellent companion app. However, we wish its audio response were better without needing to enable to ULT boost function, and that it supported physical connections and higher-quality Bluetooth codecs. For the same price, the Anker Soundcore Motion X600 is also portable and waterproof, supports the high-end LDAC codec, and produces stronger audio.

Design: Restrained Yet Resilient

The Sony ULT Field 3 strongly resembles a concrete block that's wearing a sweater. It is rectangular and covered with fabric mesh on the front, top, and rear. It measures 4.4 by 10.1 by 3.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.6 pounds. The Anker Soundcore Motion X600 is less compact at 6.5 by 12.1 by 3.2 inches and 4.0 pounds. Sony's latest speaker is available in three colors: Black, Forest Gray, or Off-White.

Internally, the ULT Field 3 features a racetrack-shaped woofer measuring 3.4 by 1.8 inches. It is joined by a 0.7-inch tweeter and two passive radiators, one on each side. Together, the drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. The X600 packs in five drivers capable of a wider 50Hz to 40kHz frequency response.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

While the ULT Field 3 only supports mono playback, you can connect it to other Sony speakers with Sony's Party Connect standard to get a true stereo effect. Unfortunately, the speaker does not support AuraCast, which is a new standard for connecting multiple Bluetooth speakers together, but you can connect it to more than two devices via Bluetooth multipoint.

The speaker supports Bluetooth 5.2 but includes only the basic AAC and SBC codecs. That's unfortunate, considering the rest of the ULT range supports the high-res LDAC codec. The speaker doesn't include any wired audio connections, while the X600 includes LDAC.

A strip containing the physical controls is centered on the top. It is flanked by a pair of rubber stoppers, beneath which are loops for attaching the included shoulder strap. This smart design choice keeps the top of the speaker looking flush if you choose to forgo the strap. There's a USB-C port for charging and a button to check the remaining battery life beneath a rubber door on the rear panel.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The controls include a Bluetooth-pairing button, a button for connecting to other Sony speakers, a play/pause button that also handles calls, volume buttons, and the ULT button, which triggers the ULT feature on and off.

Like the larger ULT Field 5 and Field 7 speakers, the ULT Field 3 speaker has an IP67 rating, meaning it's both dustproof and waterproof, at least when the rear cover is securely in place.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

Sony promises up to 24 hours of battery life. That will vary depending on how high you set the volume and whether or not you use the ULT feature. Once you plug it in, you'll get two hours of listening from 10 minutes of charging; a full charge takes around 3.5 hours. That's better on both counts than Anker's Soundcore Motion X600, which only lasts 12 hours on a charge. Moreover, the X600 takes 6 hours to charge fully.

The box includes the Sony ULT Field 3 speaker, a shoulder strap, and a short USB-C-to-USB-C cable. There is no charging brick, but you can use the ULT 3 to charge your phone via the USB-C port.

App: All of the Basics and a Flexible EQ

The Sony ULT Field 3 supports the Sony Sound Connect app (available for Android and iOS), which is the same app you'll use for Sony's other recent headphones and speakers. The app provides access to a range of features that you can use to customize your listening experience. For example, there's a DJ feature so you can add sound effects to the music you're listening to, though, frankly, I found it more gimmicky than useful. There are also controls to adjust standby settings, ensure you're using the latest firmware, and so on.

(Credit: Sony/PCMag)

The Sound Connect app also lets you create a custom EQ for your audio. Unlike the ULT Tower 9, which has a 10-band EQ, the ULT Field 3 offers a 7-band EQ, which is still better than many cheaper speakers. The EQ bands range from 63Hz to 16KHz and provide plenty of control over the sound.

Sound: A Little ULT Goes a Long Way

The ULT Field 3 may be on the smaller end of Sony’s ULT lineup, but it still manages to generate plenty of volume. In its default settings, with the ULT feature turned off, its bass response is a little lacking. This is immediately apparent on tracks with a lot of sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout." While the bass synth doesn't actually extend below the frequencies the speaker can reproduce, it sounds thin and weak nonetheless. High frequencies are truncated somewhat, too, especially when it comes to the percussion, which sounds a little distant.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The lack of bass is even more noticeable on Kendrick Lamar's “Loyalty." On this track, there's a sub-bass line throughout parts of the verse and the chorus. It is all but absent, save for one of the higher notes in the line. This isn't unexpected, considering the smaller size of the speaker; its woofer simply can't produce the same low frequencies that larger ones can. Even the kick drum sounds anemic on this track, though turning on the ULT setting helps. Lamar and Rihanna's vocals sound decent throughout the track, and the missing higher frequencies are not as noticeable here.

On Bill Callaghan's "Drover," the speaker delivers a relatively enjoyable listening experience. Again, the kick drum sounds a little wispy, but Callaghan's deep baritone vocal is rich and present. Some of the cymbal and acoustic guitar frequencies fall short, so the track doesn't sound as sparkly as it could.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The speaker performs much better on orchestral tracks, like the opening scene to John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary. The strings sound natural, and the brass sounds bright and vibrant. The lack of stereo separation is obvious here. The multitude of instruments in the orchestra could really benefit from a wider soundstage that's only possible with stereo.

I rarely like controls that boost a speaker's bass, but the ULT button helps significantly in the case of the ULT Field 3. Without it enabled, the speaker sounds insubstantial. Enabling the ULT feature makes up for a lot of the deficiencies in the low-end. While some of Sony's larger speakers have multiple levels of ULT bass boost, this speaker only has one. You can turn the ULT setting on and leave it on so it's active each time you use the speaker, but it really should just be enabled by default.

A built-in microphone allows you to take calls on the speaker from your phone or your computer. It does a decent job of capturing your voice if you're reasonably close during the call. You can also set up the speaker to respond to Google Assistant or Siri requests with an active connection to your phone.