Sony launched a couple of products at the famous CES expo in Las Vegas at the beginning of 2019. One of which is the Sony GTK-PG10 portable party speaker which looks more like a BBQ grille or mini bar than a speaker. The PG10 is aimed at the outdoor party market, more specifically tailgate enthusiasts with features for just about every party occasion.
The PG10 features a single 7" low-frequency driver with two 1½" tweeters. Sony doesn't specify the power output of the PG10 but I'd guess this to be in the region of 30W-60W. The PG10 has two wings on the top of the speaker which open out to form a table with four cup holders, which I'll get to in a bit. The tweeters are positioned on the front lip of the two wings. When the wings are closed, the tweeters fire straight ahead (just like a regular speaker would). When the wings are open, the tweeters fire upwards and outwards giving the PG10 a wider dispersion. The wider dispersion is obviously better for parties and gatherings where people are not always directly in front of the speaker. A genius design by Sony, who show they truly understand this market.
What would a Sony speaker be without bass? The PG10 features a MEGA BASS function which delivers Sony's signature low-end boost. Along with that, the PG10 is surprisingly loud for the size of the speaker. You can push the PG10 to max volume with MEGA BASS engaged and experience almost no distortion. The sound is clean and clear which is great for all genres of music.
In addition to a bass boost, the PG10 also features several EQ modes, including a sports mode, which enhances speech. This is great for listening to sports commentary. You also get movie, drama, game and news EQ modes – in case you want to use the PG10 as a speaker for watching content on your mobile device. A separate music EQ is available to fine-tune the PG10 to suit the music you are listening to. So loads of options when it comes to audio adjustment and tweaking.
The PG10 offers a lot of choices when it comes to audio inputs. These include; Bluetooth, RCA, USB, and ¼-inch jack. In addition, the GTK-PG10 has a built-in AM/FM radio, so you can catch any commentary if you're tailgating in the carpark outside a game. The ¼-inch jack is primarily for the microphone input. Yes, that's right all you karaoke fans, the PG10 can be used for singing along to your favorite songs and even has echo vocal effects so you can sound like a proper rock star. The microphone can also be used for speeches and making announcements. The USB port is an input as well as a charge output for mobile devices. This is great for topping up the phone from the PG10 built-in battery after hours of playing music.
Speaking of battery life, the PG10 has a 13-hour built-in battery which is more than enough for most outdoor parties. Keep in mind the battery life varies depending on the volume you play music at and the features you have engaged. Obviously charging mobile devices also consumes battery life.
As mentioned early on, the PG10 is designed for outdoor parties with wings that open to form a table. When fully open, the PG10 features a total of four cup holders for bottles or cups. This is really great for tailgating where table surfaces are often limited. With the PG10 you can put the speaker on the food prep table and not lose any space to place items or even butter the buns. The top of the speaker is splash proof, so any accidental spillages won't damage the speaker. Having said that, I would caution against spilling anything on the PG10 as it is not a waterproof speaker. The top of the PG10 is easy to wipe down and clean just in case you do make a bit of a mess.
The PG10 also features a pole mount hole on the bottom of the speaker. So, if you have a speaker stand, you can place the PG10 on top for better sound coverage. If you have a lot of people or you need to cover a bigger area, getting the speaker up high (head height) is better for sound clarity.
The PG10 features controls and LCD display on the front panel. You can perform all the usual functions like play/pause, volume, track skip, pair Bluetooth etc as well as tune the radio, adjust EQ, and engage the MEGA BASS feature. The speaker has voice prompts so you always know when settings have been changed or confirmed.
The PG10 also connects to Sony's Fiestable app which allows you to access all the same features as the front panel and more. The Fiestable app even comes with voice commands so you can control your PG10 without touching the speaker or physically adjusting settings on your phone.
I predict the Sony PG10 Portable wireless speaker will be one of the hottest tailgate speaker products of 2019. The system is portable and versatile enough to take anywhere for just about every type of party. The tabletop system is genius and the fact the dispersion changes to match is even better. The sound is great and the MEGA BASS feature is awesome for parties. Having the ability to use the PG10 for karaoke is another great bonus feature.