Customer Reviews

Sony SRS-T33 Compact Portable Speakers (Blue)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

In my quest for the perfect portable speaker I came across this little beauty at Target. At about the size of a ballpark frank but less filling, the Sony SRS-T33 provides more than enough sound for an afternoon at the pool. Admittingly, I was fairly skeptical about getting decent sound out of any portable speaker; this was reaffirmed after plugging in my iPod. The sound was absolutely weak. I considered returning them but I wanted to hear what the power amplifier sounded like. So as soon as the NiMH AAA batteries I purchased were charged, I threw them into the speakers and the difference was like ketchup and mustard. The sound was full, deep and suprisingly powerful. I've "test driven" a few other speakers in this price range, mostly separates that are 3 times the size and weight (do you know how big a pain it is to carry those to the pool?) and the Sony definitely sounds significantly better, while the others usually sound like tin cans.

The only drawback is the audio cable is only 10 inches long, meaning you'll probably "reposition" (or knock over) your speakers as you're changing songs on your iPod. On the plus side, the cable integrates into the design and seamlessly hides when not in use (no wrapping the audio jack around the speaker 10 times). For $40 it's definitely the best choice for size, sound and design.

I find it hard to believe that any of the reviewers who have made positive comments have actually listened to and compared several different sets of portable speakers. If they had, they would tell you to avoid these losers.

The sound is tinny, even with the amplifier on. With only .15 watts per channel, you get volume only marginally above that of a typical set of headphones just lying on the table. These might do OK if you put them on the pillow next to your head, but I suspect that you will still be disappointed.

Instead, consider the Panasonic RP-SPT70 travel speakers. They are, when folded, only slightly larger than the T33s. They use four AA batteries and have 1 watt of power output per speaker. They also cost about $10 less than the Sonys.

To be fair, the Sonys DO fit in just about any handbag or briefcase. And they are very solidly constructed. But this does not compensate for the poor sound quality.

I purchased this product and specifically wanted to use it with an AC power source. As you can see from the technical specifications, it can use the optional AC-E60A AC Adapter. (The same note is provided on the Sony web site.) That is not true. I spent a long time today with Sony support and the same answer from everyone was that, in fact, this speaker is not compatible with an AC adapter. If you want to use batteries, fine (although it did sound "tinny"), but if you want to use an AC power source, look elsewhere.

I wanted a small, portable speaker for my mp3 player that didn't cost too much and had decent sound. This unit fits all of those criteria and I'm happy with it. No, the sound quality isn't extremely high fidelity and the bass lacks depth, but it gets the job done.

I got an iPod Nano about a month ago and wanted some speakers. I got these speakers because they were cheap and was a good company name. I got these speakers delivered 2 weeks ago and plugged them into my nano. They sounded soooooooo bad!

1. no volume control
2. batteries die out too quickly
3. no bass
4. sounds fuzzy
5. cord is too short
6. too small for big sound

[...]

Not worth the $5 I paid for them on sale at Target. The cord is so short it keeps falling off the table as I move my laptop around. It takes batteries--and gives poor quality sound.

Do not recommend.

Ok, after reading the multiple good reviews on Amazon i persuaded myself to buy these speakers thinking some people were just pessimistic. Ok, i got these and immediately put a pair of batteries in. These things sound absolutely awful, it goes about the volume of someone quietly talking and the sound is distorted and fuzzy, forget about any bass. Absolutely do not buy these things. Oh yeah, whoever has been rating these things as good must be working for sony or something cu these things are terrible

I didn't buy these speakers. I was traveling to my mother's friends house, and her daughter owned these. I wasn't sure if they were new or used, but overall they worked well. I listened to them while doing my hmework with my cheap off-brand mp3 player.

These are pretty good because you can plug them into anything with a speaker input.

The girl who owned it had an iPod, and when she plugged it in, the sound was much lower because she had a lock on how high the volume could go [that was set on her iPod].

So if the sound is too low or high, it's the mp3 player or iPod.

I personally bought this item in silver, but assume it's the same as the blue. I always travel with my laptop and have been wearing headphones to hear good sound or listening to very poor (if audible) quality from the speakers on my laptop. These speakers, at $40, do a great job; no more headphones in the motel room. Without batteries, it's useless, but I installed normal alkaline batteries and got as good, if not better sound than the TV in my expensive hotel room. I've listened to music and DVD's on this speaker and won't wear headphones on the road again. The cables from my amplifer to my speakers at home cost more than $40 and this certainly doesn't duplicate that sound, but for a traveler or for someone going on vacation with their family, this speaker, at $40, is a great value. The only reason I rated it a 4 stars rather than 5 stars is that, as we all know from experience, there will be better speakers tomorrow. (Today, it deserves 5 stars).

I purchased these speakers to use at my desk with my XM radio. They work fine for that because I don't need them to be very loud, and so I can leave the speakers internal amplifier off, and they will play quietly in the background. If you want to get more sound out of them, then you will need to have to AAA batteries. The sound is good, and considering it's only 2 AAA's it really isn't too bad there either. I have seen similar speakers that require as little as 4 AA's, or as much as 4 D batteries. I would reccommend however that you get rechargeable batteries.