Sony turns up the bass with its new ULT Tower line-up

There comes a time in your media journey when you have to ask yourself: is this invite actually worth leaving the house for?

Sony invited us to an exclusive ULT POWER SOUND experience in Sandton, promising massive bass, ultimate vibes and the unveiling of the latest additions to its ULT range.

The promise? Turn up the energy for an unforgettable experience.

But was it [an unforgettable experience]?

The room was filled with some of the newest faces in the industry, alongside a few familiar ones. This definitely felt like a space for content creators and influencers.

Walking in, you were greeted by music, a balcony overlooking the Joburg skyline and the obligatory bar-and-food set-up. So far, a very Sandton launch.

Once the pleasantries were out of the way and we got to why we were actually there, the evening became considerably more interesting.

For many South Africans, Sony is already a familiar name. Its televisions, music systems and audio devices have found their way into plenty of homes over the years. And, depending on your age, you may even remember the Sony Ericsson. If that reference means nothing to you, please don't tell me.

The brand has long established itself in electronics, with a focus on entertainment, creativity and technology. Sony MEA Marketing Director Murat Gebeceli said audio has always been part of the brand’s DNA.

Speaking about South Africa’s growing influence on global music, he said: “If you look at the music genres, gqom, Amapiano, house, Bacardi, it all originated from South Africa. These genres are shaping music lovers from across the world.”

Meet the real stars of the evening

Now to the reason we were there: the Sony ULT Tower 5, ULT Tower 7 and ULT Tower Max.

ULT is all about big, room-filling sound, with the speakers designed to deliver deep bass, sound pressure and clear vocals. In other words, this is not background music while you quietly wash the dishes. It demands to be heard.

Sony says it consulted producers and musicians during development, including Grammy-nominated producer Don Da Genius. Locally, the brand also worked with DJs and producers including Chronical Deep and DJ TK, who were able to put the speakers through their respective paces.

The demonstrations gave us a better idea of where each model fits.

• Sony ULT Tower 5: Delivering 300W of power, the speaker features IPX4 water resistance, a built-in battery with up to 20 hours of playback and DJ inputs. It feels suited to house parties, karaoke nights, braais or creators and upcoming artists looking for something they can use beyond simply playing a Spotify playlist.
• Sony ULT Tower 7: This steps things up to 420W, with IPX4 water resistance, built-in wheels and up to 30 hours of battery life. The bigger draw is the stronger bass and vocal delivery.
• Sony ULT Tower Max: And then there’s the big one. The AC-powered Tower Max skips the internal battery and delivers a massive 2,150W of power. This feels less like “bring a speaker to the braai” and more like “the speaker is the event”.

Big sound, without the shouting match

Across the speakers, the sound controls allow you to push the bass and sound pressure even further. Once they were switched on during the demonstration, this is where the range genuinely became impressive.

Despite the volume, we could still speak to each other without shouting. Individual instruments remained noticeable in the music, while the sound travelled well across the room thanks to the speakers’ 360 party sound.

For producer DJ TK-AP, that consistency was one of the standouts.

“When you push it, the sound quality doesn’t break. The mid-highs, lows and the bass are not distorted,” he said.

He also pointed to the mobility of the speakers, particularly for DJs or performers who need to take their equipment from one gig to the next.

And that’s probably who these speakers make the most sense for: people who really listen to music.

The person who can immediately tell when their favourite artist has changed an arrangement, added an instrument or played with the production. The one who pauses mid-conversation and says, “Wait, did you hear that?” before making everyone listen to the same 15 seconds again.

You know who you are.

With prices ranging from around R7,999 to R29,999 across the line-up, these aren’t all casual impulse buys. At the top end, the ULT Tower Max might need to make the Christmas wish list, preferably one read by someone feeling particularly generous.

These will be available in-store and online in a few weeks.

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