When we were children, this is probably what we thought things would look like in the future: robotic chrome, straight lines, blinking lights. That we also thought those things would be able to fly is rather beside the point.
Regardless, the Sony SRS-X88 has plenty of other features that would have boggled our infant minds. Essentially, this is a pretty clued-up piece of wireless kit, heavily focused on delivering highresolution audio. For that, Sony has its own Big Three: the S-Master HX amplifier, which it claims will reduce distortion and noise; its Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, which upscales compressed files to nearer high-resolution quality (the SRS-X88 is happy to play AAC, WMA, AIFF, ALAC, DSD, WAV, MP3 and FLAC); and ClearAudio+, which Sony says optimises audio for clarity and separation.
Muscular inside and out
And the SRS-X88’s stature, brawny and stout, hints at the set of drivers you’ll find behind its grille. Sony has armed it with a pair of 20mm soft-dome tweeters and two 4cm magnetic fluid mid-range drivers, sandwiching a 7cm subwoofer and a dual passive bass radiator.
Generous indeed, as is the range of connections at its rear: USB types A and B, LAN and 3.5mm line in, as well as input for your mains adaptor. Yes; unlike the KEF and Libratone the Sony is mains-powered, so if you’re looking for portability, it’s out of the running here. Wirelessly, it will cope with Bluetooth (whose quality is claimed to be enhanced by Sony’s LDAC technology), AirPlay, wi-fi and DLNA. Google Cast and Spotify Connect are on board too.
As we said: plenty of features. Rather a doddle to use, as well. Even if you don’t want to take advantage of its NFC one-touch pairing facility, connection is quick and hassle-free. It’s compatible with Sony’s SongPal app, too, which allows you to control music on various sources as well as build a multi-room system.
Music to match
We want to feel the full weight of the Sony’s stock, so begin by playing Queens Of The Stone Age’s Songs For The Deaf. And wallop. You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire, bursts through like a kick in the teeth.
We are immediately made aware of how quickly the SRS-X88 goes from 0 to 60. It’s ferocious, but organised: while some competitors might let the guitars meld behind Nick Oliveri’s searing screams, this Sony keeps them working together but stationed apart on its generously sized soundstage. It leaves breathing space in that sense, but also dynamically there is another gear into which it can slip for fuzz-drenched guitar ornamentals.
Close analysis
Most importantly, though, there is intensity. The sound isn’t only loud and spacious, it really feels like it’s trying to get somewhere. Take the frenetic drive of First It Giveth or Go With The Flow: there’s a movement in these songs that this speaker manages to capture where many struggle.
There is only so much analysis a speaker such as this can offer but, as the drum kit is laid almost bare during the intro of A Song For The Dead, you can hear the modest size of space in which it was recorded.
We draw back a little with Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois and are greeted by a sound not only as spacious as before, but capable of great delicacy as well. There is still impetus, but the SRS-X88 manages not to be heavy-handed with it. There is a good amount of overall depth, thanks to that subwoofer and dual bass radiator, but we’d like that to support the midrange with a little more body and warmth. Libratone’s Zipp hits the spot more accurately here.
Our only other caveat is that the SRS-X88 is sometimes left a little wanting rhythmically. With Shye Ben-Tzur’s Tawhid, for example, it sometimes gets slightly tongue-tied, thus making the oft-changing Eastern rhythms of this ethereal guitar song difficult to decipher. It doesn’t detract from our enjoyment of the rest of the sound, but the KEF Muo clearly has the edge here.
Nonetheless, we like this speaker a lot, not least because of its sophisticated design and bold, spacious sound. It doesn’t trouble the KEF overall, but it shows the Libratone Zipp how to really party.
VERDICT
You’ll know when someone’s switched on a Sony SRS-X88: it has a sound befi tting its muscular stature.