Sony's Australian site lists the ULT Tower Max, Tower 7 and Tower 5 as new additions, sitting alongside last year's ULT Tower 9. Australian pricing from Sony's launch announcement, as reported, is A$549 for the Tower 5, A$799 for the Tower 7 and A$1,999 for the Tower Max, with all three available now. Kropp Media could not find those prices on Sony's own Australian product pages from this run, so treat them as announced rather than shelf-checked.

The three models

The Tower Max is the flagship. Sony's page describes three large circular woofers, two firing forward and one backward, matched to a new amplifier and a bigger cabinet. It has 360-degree Party Sound, which spreads the audio around the room rather than at one wall, plus DJ and microphone inputs, handles and wheels. Sony hasn't published a battery figure for it in the material seen here, so don't assume it runs unplugged.

The Tower 7 is the middle model and also gets 360-degree Party Sound, handles and wheels. Sony quotes up to 30 hours of battery, with IPX4 splash resistance when it's standing upright. The Tower 5 is the compact one, quoted at up to 20 hours with the same IPX4 splash resistance and carry handles but no wheels. Both can be laid flat or stood up.

The shared bits

All three have Sony's ULT button, which cycles through four modes: ULT1 for deep bass, ULT2 for more bass and volume, Flat for a neutral sound, and Live for a concert-style feel. There's a custom EQ in the Sony Sound Connect app. Party Chain uses Auracast broadcasting to link compatible Sony speakers with synced music and lights, and two of the same model can be set up as a stereo pair. Karaoke works with Sony's optional ULTMIC1 microphone, and the speakers have XLR, RCA and USB-C inputs.

Why it matters

The Tower 5 at A$549 is the one most families would look at: 20 hours of battery, splash resistance and a handle covers a backyard birthday. The Tower Max at A$1,999 is for people who host properly and have somewhere to keep a speaker that size.