Sony ULT Tower 9AC review – a great speaker for parties and "feeding" the neighbors

When I picked up the box the size of a small refrigerator containing the Sony ULT Tower 9AC speaker, I immediately regretted ignoring the Sony representative's warning that it was a really heavy speaker. You have to be prepared to carry almost 30 kg, and it's also very wide, which makes it all the more awkward to carry. Since I didn't want to transport it five floors to my apartment (I don't have an elevator), it's been living in my office for the past week, feeding my coworkers and the rest of the office building. When I took it out of the box, I was incredibly grateful that it had wheels, because otherwise I would have just put it in one place and never moved it again.

The Sony ULT 9AC is tall, black, and noticeable from afar—subtlety is not in its vocabulary. When I plugged it in (the 9AC version runs solely on AC power, while the 9 has a built-in battery) and pressed the power button, I was greeted by a light animation and a low-pitched tone that let me know there was going to be a lot of air moving around.

Does the Sony ULT 9AC live up to its reputation as the ultimate party speaker?

Sony ULT 9AC price and specifications

• Sony ULT 9AC: 750 €

Monolith or speaker?

The Sony ULT 9AC immediately impressed me with its raw power. Inside this almost meter tall audio beast are seven speaker units: a huge subwoofer about 30 cm in diameter (rectangular in shape, what Sony calls X-Balanced for less distortion), two midrange drivers and four tweeters (two forward-firing, two rear-firing). This 3-way design means the speaker can play music very loudly without sacrificing the clarity of individual frequencies. Even at 50-% volume, it sounded like a whole band was visiting my room. The drums pounded, the bass guitar hummed deep and sensually, and the vocals still penetrated the soundstage.

The volume that the ULT 9AC can handle is, to be honest, intimidating (in the best sense of the word). I didn't dare to push it to the max often (I value both my eardrums and my neighborly relations), but a short test showed that the speaker can easily fill a large yard or a small hall. The bass literally shakes the floor. The feeling took me back to my student days, when we were all crammed into the "Manjani" in Kranj, while the music of a local band blared from the stage.  

I was positively surprised that even at such high volumes, there was no noticeable distortion.

There's a dedicated ULT button on top of the device, which is essentially a turbo mode for low frequencies. When I pressed it in the middle of my favorite EDM track, I felt that sweet chest-pounding bass that you usually only get at a concert. ULT mode further amplifies and extends the bass, so that every kick of the bass drum is actually physically felt. This is fantastic for electronic music or hip-hop fans, but for rock or more vocal-oriented genres, I mostly left it off, as the basic sound is already rich enough. Either way, the ULT 9AC clearly has huge reserves of power. It seems to be able to handle more than you would ever dare to use in a typical home.

Combining power with finesse

With such impressive power, I expected the Sony ULT 9AC to perhaps neglect finesse, but the sound pleasantly surprised me. It is true that the default sound image is heavily biased towards bass, which is understandable, since the goal of this speaker is not a quiet background hum, but the feeling of a mini concert hall. But the mids and highs are not lost in this sonic hurricane. During the test, I deliberately played a variety of genres, from dance electronica and pop to rock and even a few acoustic ballads. The Sony ULT 9AC came to life in full light with energetic songs. The bass thundered, but the vocals and guitars remained clear enough that the recordings did not sound smeared. With more subdued songs (say, jazz), it does feel that the system is tuned for entertainment. Smaller, more hi-fi speakers might have extracted some more detail in the highest frequencies. Still, I was impressed that even with such an emphasis on bass, the vocals weren't completely covered and the music retained definition.

 One of the advantages is the ability to adjust the sound via the built-in sound modes and equalizer. The ULT 9AC offers two special modes (ULT 1 and ULT 2). The first one brings the bass to the forefront more uncompromisingly, while the second one balances the sound a bit, suitable for rock or funk, for example, where you want to keep the punchy bass, but not completely drown out the vocals and guitars.

I used the default (second mode) most of the time, but for some serious techno tracks I switched to ULT 1 and got that feeling like the ground was moving. If none of the factory settings quite suit you, Sony's mobile app (Sony Sound Connect) allows you to fine-tune the sound with a 10-band equalizer.

Overall, I rate the sound quality very high for the category. It's important to remember that these aren't studio towers, but considering that the ULT 9AC is primarily intended as a party speaker, it does its job with distinction.

Fills the room with 360-degree sound

One of the Sony ULT 9AC's strengths is its 360-degree sound. The speaker doesn't just point straight ahead like classic stereo systems, but with additional tweeters on the back and a well-thought-out arrangement of "drivers" it fills the room with sound in all directions. When I placed it in a corner of a relatively large office and turned on the music, I noticed that the sound spread quite evenly. You can hear the music well no matter where you stand/sit.

 Of course, you can't fool physics. The cleanest and most balanced sound is still in front of the speaker. If you stand right behind it, you'll still hear the music, but it'll be a bit more muffled in the midrange. But for typical use (a party where people are moving around), this 360° dispersion is ideal. No one will complain that they can't hear anything at the other end of the room.

 The surround effect doesn't stop with the sound, it's also enhanced by the lights. The ULT 9AC has built-in multi-colored LED strips that surround the cabinet and flash to the beat of the music. When I dimmed the room and let the speaker shine, the living room turned into a real mini disco.

Even though the ULT 9AC is a single standalone unit, I felt it had a fairly wide soundstage. Of course, it's not a true stereo experience, for that you would need two such speakers in a pair (the ULT 9AC does allow this with the Stereo Pair function).

For me, good connectivity is always high on the list of priorities

Bluetooth 5.3 connects really quickly (it even supports Fast Pair on Android) and allows simultaneous connection with two devices. I was able to switch seamlessly from my phone to my laptop (without the music ever stopping). It also offers stereo connection and fun Party Connect (connects up to 100 speakers), so you can instantly fill the room with all the fun at once. Of course, if you have compatible speakers available.

Additional options include classic inputs: a 3.5mm AUX input for older devices (easy, hassle-free wired connection) and a rare optical input for TV. The USB-A port is actually multifunctional. It plays music from a stick in real time, and you can also charge your phone through it.

Karaoke? This speaker has two 6.3mm inputs (microphone/guitar) and even a built-in reverb effect and tone control. Unfortunately, the microphone is not in my portfolio to test it. It has two handles on each side where you can place the microphone.

The Sony ULT 9AC will delight anyone who wants powerful and deep sound

Great sound, punchy bass, good surround sound and enough connections for small parties. The price is high, but that's to be expected in this segment. Sometimes it's annoying to have to be near a power outlet, but there's also a battery version. The weight is quite heavy, but the wheels help you move it around.

The Sony ULT 9AC is a good buy if you need a speaker like this. If you decide to buy it, I know it will put a smile on your face the first time you use it.