104

Sony SRS-RA5000 Review

True Score

53
54
12

Experts

62
0

Consumers

Expert Rankings

Top product researchers hailed the Sony SRS-RA5000, endorsing it for indoor music and podcasts. They praised its good soundstage, Chromecast support, and loud output. They also liked its well-balanced soundscape. However, they disliked its bulky design and lack of voice assistant features.

$798.00

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Product Snapshot

Overview

The Sony SRS-RA5000 is a mid-range portable wireless speaker released in 2021, promising ambient room-filling sound for indoor use. This device uses Bluetooth 4.2, covering a space of up to 334.6-foot. Find devices with a comparable range on our list of the top-ranked speakers today. This speaker can also connect to Wi-Fi, supporting Google Chromecast. Browse up to the end of this Sony SRS-RA5000 review and check out the finest Bluetooth speakers today.

Consensus

our Verdict

Reviewers loved the Sony SRS-RA5000 during their testing, endorsing it for indoor music and podcasts. Experts at Engadget hailed its accurate sound profile. The device has a 55.0Hz to 17.2kHz frequency response range and a good 3.71 dB standard error. Testers at TechRadar adored its app-based graphic EQ and presets. The speaker has an 85 ms Android Bluetooth latency and 63 ms iOS latency. It also supports Google Chromecast via Wi-Fi, although the 955 ms Chromecast latency is very high, and it doesn’t support Apple AirPlay. Check out the Philips Fidelio SoundAvia AD7000W37 review for an AirPlay-compatible device. The SRS-RA5000 has an excellent 2.78 dB directivity index, offering a wide soundstage. However, it does not support stereo music. Reaching a 92.0 dB SPL, this device gets really loud, but the 3.06 dB DRC indicates some sound-quality deterioration at the maximum volume. The speaker lacks battery power, however, and it doesn’t have voice assistant and speakerphone features. See our Sony SRS-XB01 review for an IPX5-rated water-resistant Bluetooth speaker.

Reason to Buy

  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Chromecast support
  • Excellent soundstage
  • Well balanced music
  • Speaker gets really loud
  • App-based graphic EQ and presets

Reason to Avoid

  • So-so low bass will not appeal to some movie buffs
  • No speakerphone or voice assistant functionality
  • Bulky construction
  • Not battery-powered
  • Doesn’t support multi-device Bluetooth pairing or stereo

Sony SRS-RA5000 Specs

Battery LifeBattery Lifen/a
Built In MicrophoneBuilt In MicrophoneYes
Charge TimeCharge Timen/a
SizeSize235 mm (w) x 329 mm (h) x 225 mm (d)
Smart AppSmart AppYes
Speaker PairingSpeaker PairingYes
Water ResistantWater Resistantn/a
WattageWattage55W
Wireless RangeWireless Range30 m

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)0
Volume Output (dB)92
Low End Roll Off (Hz)63.496
High End Roll Off (Hz)4,902.929

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Product Comparison

Sony SRS-RA5000 Review

True Score

53
61
67
84

Ranking

#

104

/

109

#

97

/

109

#

78

/

109

#

11

/

109

Market Context

The Sony SRS-RA5000 is a mid-range portable wireless speaker released in 2021, promising ambient room-filling sound for indoor use. This device uses Bluetooth 4.2, covering…

The Sony SRS-RA5000 is a mid-range portable wireless speaker released in 2021, promising ambient room-filling sound for indoor use. This device uses Bluetooth 4.2, covering a space of up to 334.6-foot. Find devices with a comparable range on our list of the top-ranked speakers today. This speaker can also connect to Wi-Fi, supporting Google Chromecast. Browse up to the end of this Sony SRS-RA5000 review and check out the finest Bluetooth speakers today.

While the Sony SRS-RA5000 doesn’t support stereo, the Sony SRS-RA3000 supports stereo music. This RA3000 also has a better 1.60 dB directivity index, offering a…

While the Sony SRS-RA5000 doesn’t support stereo, the Sony SRS-RA3000 supports stereo music. This RA3000 also has a better 1.60 dB directivity index, offering a more immersive soundstage than the Sony SRS-RA5000, which has a 2.78 dB directivity index. Our Sony SRS-RA3000 review offers details about the RA3000 portable speaker.

Featuring a better 2.78 dB directivity index, the Sony SRS-RA5000 provides a more immersive music soundstage than the Sony SRS-XB43, which has a 7.34 dB…

Featuring a better 2.78 dB directivity index, the Sony SRS-RA5000 provides a more immersive music soundstage than the Sony SRS-XB43, which has a 7.34 dB directivity index. However, the 6.4-lbs SRS-XB43 wireless speaker is battery-powered, so it’s more portable than the 11.6-lb Sony SRS-RA5000, which is not battery-powered.

Unlike the JBL Charge 5, which only connects via Bluetooth, the Sony SRS-RA5000 connects via Bluetooth and Google Chromecast (Wi-Fi). The Sony SRS-RA5000 speaker also…

Unlike the JBL Charge 5, which only connects via Bluetooth, the Sony SRS-RA5000 connects via Bluetooth and Google Chromecast (Wi-Fi). The Sony SRS-RA5000 speaker also has a better 2.78 dB directivity index, providing a wider soundstage than the Charge 5 portable speaker. However, the Charge 5 has IP67-rated waterproof construction and is battery-powered, unlike the Sony SRS-RA5000, which is not waterproof and lacks a battery.

Battery Life

n/a

n/a

24 hrs

20+ hrs

Built In Microphone

Yes

n/a

Yes

No

Charge Time

n/a

n/a

5 hrs

4 hrs

Size

235 mm (w) x 329 mm (h) x 225 mm (d)

9.75" (h) x 6.12" (w) x 5.75" (d)

4.84" (h) x 12.8" (w) x 4.61" (d)

Smart App

Yes

n/a

n/a

JBL Portable

Speaker Pairing

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Water Resistant

n/a

n/a

Yes

Yes

Wattage

55W

20W

32W

30W

Dig Deeper

Sony SRS-RA3000 Review →

Sony SRS-XB43 Review →

JBL Charge 5 Review →

All Stores

Updated every 24 hours

  • $798.00

    Availability

    In Stock

    Free Shipping

    Yes

Score Card

E

Expert Score

54

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

62

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

53

Any product with a True Score above 60 is a Meh

Expert Score Breakdown

  • Rtings
    102.6

    Category Trust Score

    50
    The Sony SRS-RA5000 is alright for music. With its room correction feature turned on, it… read more

    By:

    Scott Wilkinson
  • PC Mag
    54.9

    Category Trust Score

    40
    Sony’s SRS-RA5000 wireless speaker offers a number of intriguing audio modes that simply don’t sound… read more

    By:

    Tim Gideon
  • Techradar
    46.31

    Category Trust Score

    NR
    The Sony SRS-RA5000 is one of the first 360 Reality Audio speakers on the market,… read more

    By:

    Brad Moon
  • Digital Trends
    63.88

    Category Trust Score

    40
    The RA5000 does a decent job of rendering 360 RA tracks with their signature open-air,… read more

    By:

    Chris Davies
  • Best Buy Blog
    42.53

    Category Trust Score

    25
    Fortunately, the SRS RA-5000 is well-equipped to play music in general, and when used as… read more

    By:

    Billy Steele
  • Consumer Reports
    46.86

    Category Trust Score

    79
    The Sony SRS-RA5000 is part of the Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers test program at Consumer… read more

    By:

    Chris Welch

Customer Score Breakdown

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