Sony ULT Field 3 review

Sony’s ULT range of bass-loving Bluetooth speakers and headphones has already served up a bit of a mixed bag here at What Hi-Fi? Towers.

We were left disappointed by its ULT Wear headphones and ended up giving them a distinctly average three-star rating. Sony’s entry level speaker, on the other hand, the ULT Field 1, walked away with its head held high and a much more respectable four-star verdict.

Now it’s time to see if its larger ULT Field 3 sibling (also known as SRS-ULT30) can go one better and secure that fifth star in a market where there are serious rivals from the likes of JBL and Bose to contend with.

Price

The Sony ULT Field 3 launched for £179 / $200 / AU$329 in April 2025, but at the time of writing we’ve already seen it on Sony’s own website for £159 – which is an interesting drop, given it’s relatively new to the market.

Its main competition comes in the shape of the JBL Charge 6, a formidable five-star opponent which we originally tested at £170 / $199 / AU$200 also in April 2025. We are huge fans of the JBL – it’s a powerful, punchy and detailed performer that is extremely impressive for the money.

Design

The Bluetooth speaker market is a bit like the wireless headphones market. A sea of models, many of which share a similar aesthetic, are vying for your attention. And the ULT Field 3 looks functional enough, but we wouldn’t say it’s an eye-catcher.

It’s essentially a rectangular box, wrapped in a ruggedised fabric which is IP67 waterproof, dustproof and shockproof. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, and some people might prefer its understated appearance over the curvier and flashier-looking JBL Charge 6.

The Sony is slightly wider, taller and heavier than the JBL, but still very much fits into the portable speaker bracket.

In the box you’ll find a shoulder strap (with some very nicely machined metal buckles) which attaches to loops that pop out of the top of the speaker. The loops are concealed underneath a couple of rubberised tabs which you pull out of the surface of the speaker.

Underneath the Sony’s exterior is a two-way speaker design with a woofer positioned next to a tweeter. At each end of the Bluetooth speaker, you’ll find a slightly recessed passive radiator to help with bass performance, similar to the Charge 6.

Sony says you can use the ULT Field 3 either lying flat, on its edge or standing on its end – during testing we preferred the sound from the speaker upright on its edge in its traditional pose, although we can see having it flat could appeal in certain outdoor environments.

Unlike the JBL Charge 6, which has seven different finishes to choose from (including multiple colour options), Sony only offers you three here: Black, Off White and Forest Grey.

Features

On top of the Sony ULT Field 3 is a rubberised rectangular panel which harbours various buttons: power, Bluetooth pairing, volume, and a play/pause/answer calls button.

Last in the line is a large, reflective, circular button labelled ULT (which stands for Ultimate). Older Sony fans can think of it as a Mega Bass button. Press it and, besides emitting the sound that resembles a starship backfiring, it also gives the speakers a bit of a low frequency bass boost.

On the back of the Sony is a rubberised flap behind which you’ll find a USB-C charging port which can also be used to power your portable devices. You even get a USB-C cable in the box should you need it. The ULT Field 3 doesn’t support wired listening, though.

Also on the menu are Multipoint Bluetooth so you can have two sources connected at once, SBC and AAC codec support and around 24 hours of battery life.

You can pair two Field 3 speakers together and play them in stereo or, if you feel inclined, you can connect up to 100 compatible speakers all at once.

Through Sony’s Sound Connect companion app you can access a seven-band equaliser and choose to prioritise sound quality or the stability of your Bluetooth connection, and also access the Field 3’s Sound Field Optimisation setting which claims to adjust the sound to compensate for outside noise.

Sound

Out of the box, the Sony sounds listenable enough. It serves up quite an open, spacious soundstage with a good sense of space around instruments and voices.

Play Chained by The xx and there’s good separation between Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim’s vocals as they flip-flop through the opening verse. There’s a decent level of detail on display too, with no top-end roughness spoiling the presentation.

The level of insight you get from the drum machine and percussion is okay, although we’d like there to be a greater sense of solidity and purpose to each hit. The Sony sounds lightweight in its default out-of-the-box setting compared to the JBL Charge 6, which sounds more confident and secure in its delivery.

We focus on the lower frequencies by switching over to Bad Guy by Billie Eilish and the differences are more stark. The Sony is perfectly listenable, but the JBL has more drive and weight in the bass and ultimately sounds more expressive throughout the frequency range.

Can the ULT button inject a bit more oomph into proceedings? We tap the ULT button (you can also switch in the app, which bypasses the sound effect), and there’s no doubt it gives the Sony more in terms of muscle.

Eilish’s vocal immediately sounds more forward, while the track’s thumping bassline sounds more powerful and weightier, even if it doesn’t seem to go any deeper.

While bassheads might get a kick out of the mode, the trade-off is that the whole ensemble sounds a little disjointed. Cracks that already existed in the speaker’s ability to time accurately are simply widened, and issues with the lack of definition and detail in the bass are only exposed further with the lower realms sounding more muddied.

The JBL delivers a much better all-round balance and follows the rhythm of the track more accurately.

We move on to Joe Cocker’s Come Together and, although there’s a good sense of spaciousness around his vocal, the guitar and the drum thwacks, those same thwacks and guitar strums lack detail and texture.

The ULT Field 3 fails to communicate the contrast between the drive and power of the drum hits and the slightly more laid-back rattle of the percussion. In comparison, the JBL adds layers of extra texture and nuance that the Sony can’t match.

Verdict

There’s nothing particularly offensive about how the Sony ULT Field 3 sounds, but by the same token, there’s nothing really memorable about it.

We understand the promise of more bass and power might appeal to some buyers, and while the ULT mode does give you some of that, the speaker just doesn’t do the basics well enough to make it a serious rival for the best options out there at the money.

Given the success we’ve seen Sony have in other fields recently, we know the tech giant is capable of so much better.

Review published: 16th June 2025

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the JBL Charge 6

Also consider the Bose SoundLink Flex

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