Xiaomi Sound Play review: a great-looking JBL rival, but it could sound a little better | Tech Radar

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Xiaomi is aiming right at JBL with this dishy yet durable Bluetooth speaker — but after hours of testing, I need more depth from the sound

Xiaomi delivers a unique yet affordable audio companion

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The Xiaomi Sound Play is a great-looking Bluetooth speaker with plenty of tricks up its sleeve — customizable LED lighting, excellent waterproofing, and an eye-catching infinity mirror to name a few. Audio isn’t the most open or insightful, but it’s still clear and good enough for the speaker’s ultra-low asking price, although a companion app would’ve definitely been good to see.

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It turns out that major mobile manufacturer Xiaomi also makes Bluetooth speakers, and its latest model, the Xiaomi Sound Play, is aiming to deliver “immersive, powerful sound” as well as a “stylish and versatile” design.

But that’s not all. The tech giant is doing all of this while keeping its speaker nice and cheap. It comes in at just £49.90 (about

So can the Xiaomi Sound Play compete with some of the very best Bluetooth speakers around? The answer is a little more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Let’s start by looking at the areas in which the Sound Play excels, and there are a fair few of these. I alluded to some a moment ago — its waterproofing and LED lights, for example. That IP68 rating means that the speaker is fully dustproof, but can also survive a dunking under a meter and a half of water for as long as 30 minutes, so you really can take it anywhere without fear of damage.

The lighting — a key selling point of this speaker — is pretty neat too. Lights sit on the base of the speaker and beneath a panel on the top side, which resembles an infinity mirror. And the rings of lighting really help to make your listening sessions more immersive, especially in lower-lit conditions. You can customize the color and pattern of the lights too, and one setting also syncs up to bass output. That level of customizability is spectacular to see on a speaker in this price category.

More generally, I’m quite a big fan of how the Sound Play looks. It comes in four very stylish colors — the Purple variant I tried is quite the looker, as is the Green version. It is reminiscent of the JBL Flip 7 in terms of look and feel, with a neat fabric exterior and psuedo-cylindrical build. The inclusion of the infinity mirror light and handy rubber strap also make it a real stand-out, looks wise.

Another welcome inclusion is a built-in mic, for speakerphone duties. This is something you don't often see these days and it does add value, on paper. However, I made a phone call and although my voice sounded clear on the other end, I noticed a high-pitched chime whenever the other person wasn’t speaking. It wasn’t a dealbreaker (my discussion was still easy to navigate), but it's my job to notice these things.

Other highlights include a JBL Grip-rivalling 14-hour battery life — which is excellent for a speaker of this size — as well as Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity, and true wireless stereo playback for anyone with multiple Sound Play models at their disposal.

Something that the Sound Play omits, however, is companion app support. For me, this is a bigger miss — an app could’ve opened up EQ adjustment, remote light alteration, and precise battery life tracking. The speaker’s nominal price doesn’t quite excuse this either. There are a number of budget-friendly rivals from the likes of Earfun, Edifier, and Tribit that do come with app support.

By now you must be wondering how Xiaomi’s speaker sounds. In honesty, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It’s a steady performer in some areas, but in need of improvement in others.

In general, the Sound Play delivers fairly clear audio. In Yes I Know My Way by Pino Daniele, vocals had good presence in the mix, and even had a decent sense of separation from other instruments in the mid-range. OK, higher-pitched drums weren’t the most expressive or articulate, but they didn’t sound tinny at mid-volume, and bass was weighted relatively well too.

With more energetic tracks, such as Trip by Ruze, the cracks started to show. There was a slightly compressed quality to the track, and the pumping bass just didn’t come through with the command or depth of similarly sized rivals, including the JBL Grip, which I directly tested against the Sound Play.

During this comparison, the Grip just delivered a more fun performance, with enhanced directionality and low-end punch. But that’s not to say Xiaomi’s speaker was blown out of the water — it still held its own with commendable clarity in the mid-range and fairly agile bass.

In House tracks, bass drops didn’t always have the impact or dynamism I was listening out for, and vibrant drums could occasionally sound on the blunt side. But then again, the Xiaomi didn’t succumb to a boomy, super-muddy sound that a lot of its budget rivals do — it puts up a fairly controlled performance overall.

As a smaller speaker, the Sound Play can’t get super loud, and bass will thin out substantially at top volume levels. It also won’t deliver the most detailed or open sound ever — again, I found a few tracks sounded a little compressed and narrow, which isn’t helped by the lack of higher-res codecs like LDAC or apt X.

All in all, I think the Sound Play sounds good enough for the price you pay. Sure, it’s not the most dynamic or revealing-sounding model on the market, but you get typically clear, decently balanced sound without having to shell out all too much cash.

So, looking at the Xiaomi Sound Play as a whole, would I consider it worth buying? Well that depends. If you’re on a tight budget, and you want a speaker for less than £50, then I think the Sound Play is an option worth considering. It doesn’t sound amazing, but it gets the job done, and I’m a big fan of its durable yet eye-catching design.

However, if you’ve got a little more money to play with, then I’d suggest picking up the JBL Flip 7. That model can produce truly seismic bass, incredibly clean audio, and has a top-class companion app to boot. The JBL Grip is another neat alternative, especially if you can grab it on sale.

The Xiaomi Sound Play was launched in May 2026, at the same time as its recently released 17T series. The speaker is available for £49.90 (about

Adjustable lighting, good battery life, but lack of app is a shame.

Adjustable lighting, good battery life, but lack of app is a shame.

Decently balanced audio with clear vocals, but lacks the depth and dynamism of some rivals.

Decently balanced audio with clear vocals, but lacks the depth and dynamism of some rivals.

Infinity mirror and lights look great, neat color options, well protected against the elements.

Infinity mirror and lights look great, neat color options, well protected against the elements.

Decent enough audio and great design at a very affordable price point.

Decent enough audio and great design at a very affordable price point.

You want something stylish I’m a big fan of the way Xiaomi’s Sound Play speaker looks. It comes in a funky range of colors, has personalizable lighting, and the infinity mirror feels like the cherry on top.

You’re on a tighter budget Something the Sound Play has over rivals from the likes of JBL and Bose, is that it’s available at an exceedingly low price. At £49.90 (about

You want the best-sounding speaker Although the Sound Play is a steady enough performer, offering relatively balanced audio output with clear vocals, it’s no sonic marvel. It lacks the extension and authority of similarly powered (and sized) rivals like the JBL Grip and JBL Flip 7 — so if you want truly great audio, it may not be your best option.

You’re looking for a speaker with remote controls Perhaps the biggest shame here is that the Sound Play omits a companion app. This would’ve enabled remote control of lighting, EQ, and more, and it’s something that a huge proportion of Xiaomi’s competitors can deliver.

2 x 40mm active drivers, 2 x 46.1x 65.2mm passive radiators

2 x 40mm active drivers, 2 x 46.1x 65.2mm passive radiators

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 Ah, the UE Wonderboom 4 — I just can’t get enough of this little Bluetooth speaker. For such a small model, it produces an awful lot of bass, but its compact form makes it ideal for taking just about anywhere you go. It’s also highly waterproof, offers solid battery life, and can be bought at a discount fairly regularly. Pretty good, right? Read our full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review.

JBL Go 5 The tiny JBL Go 5 recently earned a glowing five-star review from yours truly, and for good reason. Not only is it extremely affordable, but it's equipped with a sensational feature-set, is incredibly durable, and produces far better sound than its predecessor. Read my full JBL Go 5 review.

Reviewed by someone who’s tested more than 50 Bluetooth speakers

I spent multiple days testing out the Xiaomi Sound Play, during which time I listened to countless tunes, exhausted its various features, and compared it against various rivals.

When listening to music I mainly streamed tracks over Tidal, but I dipped into Spotify from time to time as well. As always, I started out by sifting through the Tech Radar reference playlist, which features songs from a wide variety of genres. I also listened to a ton of tunes from my personal library as well, though.

More generally, I’ve spent years reviewing audio gear here at Tech Radar, and have tested a whole lot of Bluetooth speakers — more than 50 in fact. I’ve tried out everything from pocket-sized audio companions like the Bose Sound Link Micro Gen 2 through to luxurious large-sized alternatives like the Marshall Bromley 750, as well as Xiaomi Sound Play rivals like the JBL Grip, so I know exactly what it takes for a speaker to stand out in this highly competitive market.

Harry is a Senior Reviews Writer for Tech Radar. He reviews everything from party speakers to wall chargers and has a particular interest in the worlds of audio and gaming. Harry has a background in business tech journalism, particularly around the telecoms industry.

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• Xiaomi is aiming right at JBL with this dishy yet durable Bluetooth speaker — but after hours of testing, I need more depth from the sound

• Xiaomi delivers a unique yet affordable audio companion