Sony SRS XB40 Power Output

Right front view of the Sony SRS XB40 speaker.

The SRS XB40 Sony Bluetooth speaker is a small to medium power, tabletop style unit with enough output power to fill a typical household size room with big sounding tunes.

But what does the amount of power output a wireless speaker has, tell us about how good it is? Firstly, the watt is a measure of how much power the speaker consumes or outputs. Plus, this metric is a convenient comparison measure. E.g. Generally speaking, speakers with more output audio power tend to play louder than those with less. And while they do cost more, have bigger, heavier batteries and chargers, along with larger drivers and magnets, they nonetheless offer greater dynamic range, have a deeper bass response, and the models that do stereo offer typically a bigger soundstage and better imaging to listeners.

The Sony SRS XB40 charging.

Thus in general, the more powerful the speaker, the better it sounds, even at lower volume. You get improved clarity due to higher accuracy reproduction of the bass, midrange, and treble musical content. More reserve power could mean less clipping distortion too. So, the speaker’s maximum power output is a primary indicator of speaker quality and performance. And as such, this value is of great interest to audiophiles and novice listeners alike.

In this case, the Sony XB40, as a smaller wireless Bluetooth speaker, is a decently loud model for all the bigger it is. Its music power output can fill a room with crystal clear music. See below for details on its power output.

Sony SRS XB40 Power Output: Details

All power figures listed below are expressed in watts.

1. Battery Capacity: 38.48 watt-hours (7.4 volts, 5.2 amp-hours).
2. AC Charger Power: 21 (9.5 volts at 2.2 amps).
3. Light Power: Less than 2.
4. Bluetooth Standby Mode Power: Less than 0.3.
5. Power Bank Output Power: 7.5 (5 volts at 1.5 amps max).
6. Total Audio Output Power on AC (RMS): 20.
7. Total Peak Audio Power (both channels): 28.28.
8. Output Power per Channel: 10 RMS.
9. Audio Output Power on Battery: Decreases as battery approaches depletion.

Notes on Sony SRS XB40 Power Output

1. The system tries to conserve battery power as the battery get close to total depletion. The XB 40 does this by reducing the audio output power somewhat.
2. This speaker may not get enough enough power from the AC adapter to keep the battery from discharging when playing at full volume, depending on what you’re listening to. So it’s possible that even with the unit plugged in, you could still see it shut OFF unexpectedly. Thus on the (rare) occasions that this occurs, just stop playing the 40 for an hour or two, to let it build up some reserve power while charging. Then, fire it up again for continued party fun.