The Sony party speaker takes on a more rounded appearance in this refreshed avatar compared to the older XP500. It still holds the IPX4 rating, which is a good thing. The lights are placed in front where the grooves are and at the bottom. When it is on, it looks good - not too tacky and cheap but not overly mature either like one of those studio monitors. It has a fun party speaker vibe.
The build quality is superb all around. It’s tough as nails but there are a few things we wish Sony had paid a little more attention to. The XV500 doesn’t have any dedicated feet to rest on, and the groove on top to hold your smartphone doesn’t have any soft edges, so you risk scratching your phone when you place and displace it. Another thing to note is that the back panel has a rubber/silicone flap that we know with much experience, deteriorates over time and might compromise the IPX4 capabilities of the speaker.