Sony ULT Field 3 review: Compact, loud and ambitious

When I first unboxed the Sony ULT Field 3, in Forest Grey, I was struck by how much it felt like a premium travel speaker rather than a bulky desktop unit. At Rs 24,990 in India, it occupies a niche: not quite a “party speaker,” but more than a tiny portable. Let’s unpack how well it walks that line.

Unboxing & Build Quality

Inside the box, you’ll find the speaker itself, a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, user documentation, and a detachable branded shoulder strap with metal buckles. Sony supports fast pairing (such as Google’s Fast Pair on Android) which worked immediately when first powering it up.

The Forest Grey finish is tasteful, neutral but stylish. The front grille hides the drivers, while the sides are wrapped with rubberised material for grip. The top houses rubber buttons, each with a raised icon and LED feedback. There is also a battery/battery care button that lets you check remaining battery and toggle battery preservation mode (limiting charge to avoid ageing). The ULT Power Sound button is decorated with an under-glass colour-shifting icon which lights when active.

On the back there is a water-tight flap that conceals the USB-C port. Because it is sealed, you don’t need to dry it before charging after exposure to water. The same USB-C port can also act as a power-out port to charge phones. The sides include rubberised feet to reduce vibrations and protect from shocks.

Sony claims dual ingress protection: IP66 (resist water jets) and IP67 (submersion to 1 meter, 30 minutes). In my testing near a pool and beach, the unit survived splashes and dusty conditions without issue. The strap hooks are a neat touch — you can sling it over your shoulder or use the strap to hang it. For travel, that is a clever feature.

Sound Architecture & Modes

Internally, the Field 3 houses a mid-bass woofer, a 20 mm tweeter, and two passive radiators (one on each side) to push bass further. Sony markets this as a 2-way active design. With the ULT mode off, the sound is clean, vocals crisp, midrange very natural, and treble reasonably airy. But bass without ULT is moderate.

Once you press the ULT button, the system beefs up low frequencies. The ULT mode boosts warmth and adds heft to electronic, hip-hop and dance music. It thickens the mids slightly, but I found it holds clarity of vocals quite well, which is impressive for this class. The extra bass is fun for parties and gives more punch outdoors.

Sony has also implemented room correction/sound field optimisation via its Sound Connect app. The speaker listens to acoustic reflections and adjusts equalisation accordingly. In practical terms it improves fullness and reduces harshness in echoey rooms.

Volume, Clarity & Performance

At a calibrated volume level of 22 (well below maximum), Field 3 is loud enough to fill small rooms or outdoor settings up to ~3 meters with comfortable audio. Voices remain clear. At full volume (50) with ULT mode, the speaker can push sound farther — you can hear it 10+ meters away, though the top volumes begin to compress dynamics. It does compress when pushed hard, meaning you lose some separation in busy tracks. That said, for its size it performs admirably. RTINGS notes that maximum loudness is not significantly higher than smaller siblings, and compression is noticeable.

Midrange and vocals are a strong suit; clarity is consistent. Bass becomes prominent only when ULT mode is active. For video or movie playback, it is serviceable but not exceptional; audio track dynamics sometimes feel flattened.

Sony has also included multipoint Bluetooth pairing (BT 5.2) so you can keep two devices connected, and a built-in mic with echo and noise cancelling for calls. The mic also helps with sound field optimisation. In testing, call clarity was decent, though not studio-class.

Battery & Charging

Sony claims up to 24 hours of playback with ULT mode on, volume at 22. In practice, I found that with moderate use you can approach this mark but not always hit it. Under full volume with ULT on, battery life drops sharply — it may last 5 hours at max. A quick 10-minute charge gives roughly 2 hours of playback (again, at volume ~22). These figures match Sony’s marketed values. 

Battery care mode (limiting charge to 90%) helps preserve battery longevity if you don’t need full capacity every time.

Final Verdict

For Rs 24,990, the Sony ULT Field 3 is one of the most compelling premium portable speakers available in India. It strikes a rare balance: compact enough for travel, powerful enough to hold its own outdoors, with smart features and a durable build.

If your priority is sheer loudness or room-filling output with zero compromise, a larger speaker may still lead. But for someone who wants a single speaker to travel with, beach with, or hang in a balcony corner, the Field 3 is a standout. The ULT button gives you a choice: cleaner sound when you need it, bass when you want to feel it.

If Sony tweaks volume headroom or compression in future firmware updates, this could become a go-to portable. As it is now, it delivers enough to justify its price for the right audience.