This Refurbished Sony Bluetooth Speaker Is on Sale at Half the Price of a New One.
At $74.99 for a Grade A refurbished unit, the Sony SRS-XE300 portable Bluetooth speaker might be one of the best deals on the wireless speaker market right now, especially considering that a new one costs around $150. An “A” rating means the item may have some minor, hard-to-find cosmetic blemishes, but it’s been fully inspected to ensure it functions like new. Woot is offering this refurbished model for the next 10 days or while sales last, with free shipping for Prime members (but not to Alaska, Hawaii, or P.O. Boxes). If you’re not a Prime member, shipping will run you six bucks. It also comes with a one-year limited warranty through eReplacements , which gives you some peace of mind if you’re on the fence about buying a refurbished model. Be warned, though: Woot doesn’t…
Sony designed the XE300 with a tall, thin chassis to focus sound in a straight line. How useful that is in real-world use depends on where you place it and what you listen to. The XE300 also supports Bluetooth 5.2 and is compatible with the AAC, SBC, and LDAC codecs , allowing Android users to stream high-resolution audio. However, because Sony angled the speakers, PCMag noted oddities in the stereo image depending on the speaker placement. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s worth knowing if you’re picky about the soundstage.
The speaker is IP67 rated, meaning it’s waterproof and dustproof, making it a great choice for beach days , backyard play, or anywhere you’re not too gentle with your gear. You can customize the sound a bit using Sony’s app, but the interface isn’t very intuitive or visually appealing. Plus, there’s no built-in Wi-Fi or smart assistant, so it’s all about Bluetooth. If that’s okay with you and you want a reliable, capable speaker with great sound quality for almost half the price of a new one, this refurbished model is worth a look.