Never afraid to push the envelope when it comes to massive audio and earth shaking bass, the audiophiles over at Sony are at it once again. This time with a portable party system designed to delight your senses. The Sony Portable Party System is equal parts audio and visual, thoughtfully engineered for one thing… to get the party started! That’s right, this 420 Watt mega-boombox features vivid LED lighting, Sony’s Bass Bazuca technology, bluetooth (NFC) connectivity as well as iPhone/iPod lightning docking.

Understanding our addiction to all things tech and audio, recently we were tapped by the nice folks over at Sony to put their new boom box through the paces as only we know how… in full party mode! That was nearly two weekends ago and as you might imagine a few hangovers have already come and gone – along with more than a few adult beverages. While the Sony Portable Party System was designed specifically to get the party started there were no features added to stop the party… ever. Instead, Sony went with these…

Key Features:

• Bluetooth Connectivity (30 ft range)
• iPhone/iPod Lightning Dock
• RCA Inputs
• USB connectivity
• LED Lighted Speakers (14 patterns)
• EQ Settings (Hip Hop, Pop, etc…)
• DJ effects (Flanger & Isolator )
• AM/FM Tuner
• Aux-in Line
• Remote Control
• Bass Boost “Bass Bazuka” Function
• Vertical Sound Option

Specs:

• Dimensions: 3′ x 1.2′ x 1.5″
• Weight: 30.8 lbs.
• Tweeter Size : 6.6 cm x 2
• Woofer Size : 20 cm x 2 (Mica cone)

• Amplifier Type: D-CLASS Amplifier

• Amplifier Audio Power Output:  420 Watts

– Sony Portable Party System Review –

Design: 

This boom box is an absolute beast! Measuring in at 3 ft long and close to 1.5 ft wide it is indeed portable, but just barely (weighing in at a hefty 30 lbs) and since it doesn’t take batteries you’ll want to keep a power outlet near by. Physically, we found the Sony Portable Party System to be a stunningly sexy unit overall. It even reminds me of the woofer box I installed in my Pontiac 6000 back in high school. Except much easier on the eyes… annnnd, oh yeah, it lights up too, with LEDs that pulsate with the music.

Ascetically, the glossy black exterior is what we’d consider “smudge-tastic”, but if you can manage to keep it clean, has a very sleek look. Add in the LED lighted speakers, massive volume knob, rounded edges and sturdy mesh speaker grill and what you get is one finely engineered, strikingly loud, party machine.

TIP: When up-right, use the “Vertical Sound” button for a richer listening experience!

In our opinion the overall large-ish size of this boom box is maybe its biggest high-point and low-point simultaneously and is what kept us from ranking it a 10 out of 10 in the design category. Because it’s big it has tons of power (420 w) and is able to rattle your home’s foundation which is good, but can it be a bit clunky and cumbersome to try and find a place for it to fit within your home decor. So there’s a bit of a trade-off in our opinion. Now, if there was a way for Sony to make this boom box about 30% smaller and keep the same chest thumping acoustics we’d really have something to drool over.

Connectivity:

Overall, connecting to this boom box was extremely simple. Weather you want to connect via bluetooth, iPhone/iPod, Auxiliary Line-in, USB or RCA the Sony Portable Party System has it covered. Connecting via bluetooth is hands-down the best way to go in our opinion. All (newer) smartphones are equipped with it and makes it so you can control your music, play/pause and adjust the volume from up to 30 feet away – all the while delivering an amazingly clear signal. With bluetooth setup is easy too. It took us literally 30 seconds and we were synced-up and playing tunes.

Beyond bluetooth, the Sony Portable Party System also accepts audio connections via USB, Aux-in and RCA for older non-bluetooth equipped devices. It also has a docking station for iPhones and iPods equipped with (6-pin) lightning connector. This is great for charging your iDevice while keeping the party rocking all night.

Audio Quality: 

Built to pump up to 420 watts of ground thumping audio through its two 8 inch subs and two 2.5 inch tweeters – we found the audio quality of this boom box to be quite impressive overall. With EQ presets for Jazz, Pop, Hip Hip, Classical and more, finding the ideal levels for your personal preference proved to be quick and easy. Not a fan of that BIG BASS boom? No problem, turn OFF Sony’s “Bass Bazuka” button and let the mids, highs and vocals take over. In fact, by shutting off the bass bazuka feature and setting the EQ to Rock, we found that punk and country music sound simply fantastic.

Then again… if you’re a fan of window rattling bass, you’re in luck, because the Sony Portable Party System is effin’ LOUD! With a volume knob that goes to 50, we couldn’t believe how deafening the acoustics were. Personally I like to feel the music at a party. When cranked up the Sony Portable Party System delivers a full range of sound that is rich and immerse. As an audiophile myself, I came away from this review pretty damn impressed

TIP: If you’re neighbors live close by- keep the volume under 30… unless the cops in your neck of the woods don’t care about noise complaints.

Controls/Functions: 

Setup and manipulation of this boom box proved to be very simple and intuitive. With buttons for EQ, Bass Bazuca, Power, LED Lights, Vertical Sound, Bluetooth, and DJ effect (as well as play/pause, stop, skip track etc..) all clearly labeled it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to operate the Sony Portable Party System. Setting the digital clock was probably the most difficult task we encountered and that only took us 5 minutes to figure out after a little investigation into the owners manual.

One minor let down were the optional DJ effects that Sony pre-programmed into the boom box. Its not that we didn’t appreciate them or think that maybe some creative mind might utilize them with amazing results… they just seem unnecessary to us. The isolation button is kind of neat. It cancels all the background music and focuses on vocals. You can adjust the amount of isolation by twisting the volume knob. Then there’s the “Flanger” button… how to describe Flangering, hmmmm. Basically it takes the music you’re playing and gives it a bit of a whammy-bar guitar-like effect. You can also adjust the tempo of the flanger by twisting the volume knob. Overall we personally found these DJ effects to be sub-par and not something we’d ever use at a party.

Value: 

If you’re a guy or gal who likes to throw parties often or are simply a fan of loud music and lights this boom box is everything you could ever ask for. Yeah it’s big, but when guests step into a room and see it, jaws drop with envy and that’s before you hit’em with the light show. At nearly $300 we found the Sony Portable Party System to be a very fair value overall.