Sony is doubling down on bass-heavy party audio with three new speakers designed to make the music feel less like background noise and more like the main event.

The company has introduced the ULT TOWER MAX, ULT TOWER 7, and ULT TOWER 5 as the latest additions to its ULT POWER SOUND lineup. All three are built around the same basic idea: big bass, high sound pressure, plenty of lighting, and enough connectivity to turn a speaker into the center of a party rather than simply another Bluetooth accessory.

Sony announced the trio on September 1, with the speakers going on sale in September 2026. In the U.S., the ULT TOWER MAX starts at $1,499.99, while the ULT TOWER 7 and ULT TOWER 5 cost $649.99 and $449.99, respectively.

That pricing puts the three models into very different territory. The TOWER MAX is aimed squarely at people who want the biggest system in the room, while the TOWER 7 looks like the more practical middle ground. The TOWER 5, meanwhile, takes much of the party-focused formula and puts it into a smaller package.

Sony isn’t being subtle about what these speakers are supposed to do. The company says the new generation has been built around newly developed large circular woofers, large-capacity speaker cabinets, and its ULT DUCT design, all intended to produce deeper low-frequency output and greater sound pressure.

The flagship ULT TOWER MAX takes that approach furthest. It has three woofers, with two facing forward and another positioned at the rear. Sony pairs those with a high-powered amplifier capable of up to 2,150 watts of output. The speaker also has four tweeters and mid-range speakers working alongside the rear woofer to create what Sony calls 360° Party Sound.

In other words, this isn’t simply a giant subwoofer with some lights attached. Sony is trying to create a speaker that can throw sound around an entire room while maintaining vocals and mid-range detail. That’s important for a party speaker because the person standing directly in front of it shouldn’t be the only one getting the good version of the music.

The ULT TOWER 7 takes a step down in size and power, but it still promises plenty of headroom. Sony rates it at up to 420 watts of output and gives it the same 360° Party Sound concept found on the MAX. The smaller ULT TOWER 5 goes up to 300 watts and is designed to be easier to carry around, making it the most approachable of the three for smaller gatherings.

The new speakers also mark a change in how Sony is thinking about the ULT button. Previous ULT products have made bass enhancement the star of the show, but the new models add two additional sound modes alongside ULT1 and ULT2.

ULT1 is designed to enhance deep bass, while ULT2 pushes the low end and sound pressure even further. FLAT is intended to provide a more neutral, source-focused presentation, while LIVE attempts to recreate the spacious character of a live performance. The LIVE mode can also be assigned to the ULT button through Sony’s Sound Connect app.

That’s a useful addition because not every song benefits from being hit with maximum bass. A bass-heavy electronic track and an acoustic recording have rather different needs, and having FLAT and LIVE available gives owners a way to dial things back when the situation calls for it. Custom EQ is also available through the Sony | Sound Connect app.

Sony says it worked with several hip-hop creators during the development and tuning process, including Grammy-nominated producer Dot Da Genius, drummer and producer Daru Jones, DJ and producer Dready, and audio engineer Dennis “ROC.am” Jones. The company says their feedback helped shape the low-frequency performance, impact, and vocal clarity of the new speakers.

Then there’s the part that makes these unmistakably party speakers: lighting.

The new lineup gets three lighting modes. BEAT synchronizes energetic lighting effects with the rhythm, WAVE provides more ambient effects for social settings, and MELLOW slows things down for more relaxed listening. It’s a small distinction, but it makes more sense than simply having one permanently frantic light show.

Connectivity is another area where Sony has gone considerably beyond basic Bluetooth. The new ULT TOWER models support XLR, RCA, and USB-C connections, giving the range enough flexibility for everything from casual home parties to DJ setups. Sony also supports stereo configurations with compatible speakers for larger spaces.

And yes, karaoke is very much part of the plan.

Owners can connect Sony’s optional ULTMIC1 microphone for karaoke, while the new Party Chain feature uses Bluetooth Auracast broadcast technology to connect multiple compatible Sony speakers. Sony says Party Chain can synchronize both music and lighting across connected speakers, which could make a collection of ULT speakers considerably more interesting at a larger gathering.

Portability is also getting more attention. The ULT TOWER MAX and TOWER 7 have carry handles and upgraded wheels with wider treads, which Sony says should make them easier to move across different surfaces. That sounds like a minor design detail until you’ve tried dragging a large party speaker across grass or uneven pavement.

The TOWER 7 and TOWER 5 also have an IPX4 water-resistance rating when they’re positioned vertically and their waterproof port covers are properly closed. So they can handle some outdoor use, although this isn’t an invitation to leave either speaker sitting in the rain.

Battery life is another reason the smaller two models look particularly interesting for outdoor use. Sony claims up to 30 hours for the ULT TOWER 7 and up to 20 hours for the ULT TOWER 5 under its specified test conditions, with ULT1/ULT2 enabled and lighting turned off. Actual runtime will vary with volume, music, temperature, and other usage factors.

Sony has also designed the speakers to work vertically or horizontally, giving owners more flexibility depending on the space. Its enhanced Sound Field Optimization system can analyze speaker placement and surrounding noise and adjust the overall sound balance across the frequency range. Sony says the system isn’t limited to bass adjustment, with the goal of maintaining clearer, more balanced sound as the environment changes.

There’s a sustainability angle, too, although it isn’t the headline feature. Sony says roughly 35% of the total plastic used in the ULT TOWER MAX is recycled plastic, while the ULT TOWER 7 and ULT TOWER 5 each use approximately 20% recycled plastic by weight, excluding packaging and instruction manuals.

The launch also fits into Sony’s broader push to make ULT POWER SOUND about music culture rather than just hardware. The company has partnered with Red Bull Dance Your Style 2026 as an official wireless speaker partner and is also working with the DJ development program Your Shot, supplying ULT POWER SOUND speakers and headphones to participants.

The interesting thing about this generation is that Sony isn’t trying to make one party speaker for everyone. It’s building a three-level lineup around the same formula.

The ULT TOWER MAX is clearly the statement piece. At $1,499.99, it costs more than many people would ever consider spending on a speaker, but its three-woofer setup, 2,150-watt amplifier, 360° sound system, DJ connectivity, karaoke support, wheels, and lighting make it much closer to a portable party sound system than a conventional wireless speaker.

The ULT TOWER 7 is arguably the more interesting model for most serious party hosts. It still gets 360° Party Sound, up to 420 watts of output, 30 hours of claimed battery life, wheels, outdoor-friendly IPX4 protection, and the same broader party features, but at $649.99 it’s less intimidating financially.

Then there’s the ULT TOWER 5 at $449.99. It drops the 360° Party Sound system found on the two larger models, but retains the ULT approach, party lighting, DJ connectivity, karaoke functionality, portability, IPX4 protection, and up to 20 hours of battery life.

Sony has essentially taken the old party-speaker recipe—big cabinet, big bass, colorful lights—and added a lot more flexibility around it. You can crank ULT2 when the room needs to shake, switch to FLAT when you actually want to hear the recording more naturally, plug in professional-style audio sources, add a microphone, connect multiple speakers, or simply wheel the whole thing outside.

Whether the new ULT TOWER lineup actually sounds as impressive as Sony’s specifications suggest will have to wait for hands-on testing. Wattage numbers and woofer counts don’t tell the whole story, particularly when it comes to distortion, tonal balance, bass extension, and how a speaker behaves at high volume.

But the direction is clear. Sony isn’t treating its ULT line as a side project anymore. With the ULT TOWER MAX, ULT TOWER 7, and ULT TOWER 5, the company is building a proper range for people who want their music to be physically felt as much as heard—and apparently aren’t particularly interested in keeping the neighbors out of the experience.

The ULT TOWER MAX is priced at $1,499.99 in the U.S., the ULT TOWER 7 at $649.99, and the ULT TOWER 5 at $449.99. All three are available starting September 2026.