December 27, 2013 at 13:09Sound Sphere - Sony SRS-BTV5 speaker review
We continue to publish reviews of various accessories that are designed to make using your Sony smartphone (and any other Android device) more convenient and enjoyable. For example, a new speaker system with the difficult name of SRS BTV5.
Appearance and Ergonomics
The column looks very impressive and rightly cosmic - a matte ball with a cut bottom and two wide holes in the upper part through which a silver speaker is visible. It is made of nice plastic with a soft touch coating and is available in two versions - black and white. The controls, represented by three round buttons, do not protrude from the surface of the ball and are almost invisible. At the bottom there is a three-position switch, holding it in the far right position you can turn the speaker on or off, the middle position is required to set up wireless communications and create a pair, and the left one serves to turn off NFC in order to save some charge. The device is charged via the included micro-USB cable from a standard charger, or from a sufficiently powerful port. One charge lasts about 5 hours of continuous use. The kit also includes a small mesh case.
The connection is via Bluetooth, for installation it is enough to touch the NFC icon on the top of the column with a phone that supports this technology, we checked it with the Xperia Acro S and Xperia Z1, as well as a pair of devices from other manufacturers - everything was determined the first time and worked perfectly. If your phone doesn’t have an NFC or if the device is undecided for some annoying reason, you can always find it in the Bluetooth settings and create a pair. To do this, you will need to put the bottom switch in the pairing position. Well, if you are an ideological opponent of wireless connections or want to use a speaker, for example, with a player - under the cap there is a regular 3.5 mm mini jack connector. Although, in our opinion, the main point of this column is precisely in the absence of wires. Sound is confidently transmitted at a distance of 10 meters, but if you move a little further - interruptions begin. For a couple of rooms, however, this is quite enough, so you can listen to music stored on a computer in the kitchen without any problems. This column is also an excellent choice for home parties - you can leave it in the center of the party, and carry a phone with music so that no one encroaches on a specially prepared playlist.
Sound
As for the sound, in fact, for such a compact speaker system it is really good - clean enough, without overloads and any distortion even at maximum volume. There are even basses (as far as possible, of course), but the volume limit is not so great, although it is quite enough for decent audibility in a large room. Sound interruption and a squeak when changing the volume are a bit in the way, but you can get used to it. The output power is 1.2 watts. 360 Circle Sound technology lies in a pyramidal ledge, the top of which is directed to the center of the speaker, which allows you to disperse the sound in all directions and make it more legible and voluminous. Since there is only one speaker, it is recommended that you turn on the player’s mono-compatibility mode, otherwise sounds that are widely separated in the panorama may disappear or sound too quiet.
A very interesting detail is the built-in microphone. If someone suddenly called you, it’s not necessary to go into your pocket or go to the other end of the room to get a smartphone - just click on the answer button and talk right through the column, which, in this case, works just like any wireless headset, well and music is muffled by the phone itself during a conversation.
Summary
Stylish and compact speaker with a very decent sound for such dimensions, a number of interesting functions, good autonomy, lack of wires and the ability to use them if you want or need.
Appearance and Ergonomics
The column looks very impressive and rightly cosmic - a matte ball with a cut bottom and two wide holes in the upper part through which a silver speaker is visible. It is made of nice plastic with a soft touch coating and is available in two versions - black and white. The controls, represented by three round buttons, do not protrude from the surface of the ball and are almost invisible. At the bottom there is a three-position switch, holding it in the far right position you can turn the speaker on or off, the middle position is required to set up wireless communications and create a pair, and the left one serves to turn off NFC in order to save some charge. The device is charged via the included micro-USB cable from a standard charger, or from a sufficiently powerful port. One charge lasts about 5 hours of continuous use. The kit also includes a small mesh case.
The connection is via Bluetooth, for installation it is enough to touch the NFC icon on the top of the column with a phone that supports this technology, we checked it with the Xperia Acro S and Xperia Z1, as well as a pair of devices from other manufacturers - everything was determined the first time and worked perfectly. If your phone doesn’t have an NFC or if the device is undecided for some annoying reason, you can always find it in the Bluetooth settings and create a pair. To do this, you will need to put the bottom switch in the pairing position. Well, if you are an ideological opponent of wireless connections or want to use a speaker, for example, with a player - under the cap there is a regular 3.5 mm mini jack connector. Although, in our opinion, the main point of this column is precisely in the absence of wires. Sound is confidently transmitted at a distance of 10 meters, but if you move a little further - interruptions begin. For a couple of rooms, however, this is quite enough, so you can listen to music stored on a computer in the kitchen without any problems. This column is also an excellent choice for home parties - you can leave it in the center of the party, and carry a phone with music so that no one encroaches on a specially prepared playlist.
Sound
As for the sound, in fact, for such a compact speaker system it is really good - clean enough, without overloads and any distortion even at maximum volume. There are even basses (as far as possible, of course), but the volume limit is not so great, although it is quite enough for decent audibility in a large room. Sound interruption and a squeak when changing the volume are a bit in the way, but you can get used to it. The output power is 1.2 watts. 360 Circle Sound technology lies in a pyramidal ledge, the top of which is directed to the center of the speaker, which allows you to disperse the sound in all directions and make it more legible and voluminous. Since there is only one speaker, it is recommended that you turn on the player’s mono-compatibility mode, otherwise sounds that are widely separated in the panorama may disappear or sound too quiet.
A very interesting detail is the built-in microphone. If someone suddenly called you, it’s not necessary to go into your pocket or go to the other end of the room to get a smartphone - just click on the answer button and talk right through the column, which, in this case, works just like any wireless headset, well and music is muffled by the phone itself during a conversation.
Summary
Stylish and compact speaker with a very decent sound for such dimensions, a number of interesting functions, good autonomy, lack of wires and the ability to use them if you want or need.