Few speakers offer as much bang for your buck — let alone charm — as Sony’s colorful XB100. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
The world of portable speakers is vast and varied — a fact that is immediately apparent if you punch the words “Bluetooth speaker” into Google or Amazon. Thankfully, if you’ve been scouring the web for something affordable that will still sound better than your phone, Sony’s SRS-XB100 speaker is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and direct from Sony for as little as $48 ($12 off), its lowest price to date.
Despite its pint-size design, the XB100 manages to dish out crisp, clear sound with a surprising amount of low-end bass. The rugged little speaker offers up to 16 hours of continuous battery life and IP67 dust and water resistance, too, making it as suitable for an outing in the park as a pool party in your own backyard. You can even pair…