A candle is at the heart of the speaker’s unique aesthetic. An LED light inside a protruding glass tube can be set to shine at varying levels, from flickering to bright enough to read under.

The speaker is sculpted from machined aluminium and measures 90mm x 277mm. At 1.1kg (2.4 pounds) it is portable, but hardly travel-friendly.

With its 360-degree sound, the speaker is at its best when placed on a table between listeners. But at only 11W, don’t expect the volume to go too high.

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Features

So how does the speaker make use of its glass cylinder?

Here’s the technical answer. The tube is made from organic glass, also known as acrylic resin – the kind of material used in windows in buildings, on car headlights and in sunglasses. It acts as a tweeter and vibrates when tapped by the actuator underneath it. The speaker’s “Advanced Vertical Drive” sends the sound vertically up and out through 360 degrees.

However, the real reason for the use of a tube is because it increases the surface area of the tweeter compared with those found in regular speakers, which increases musical detail.

Behind the unusual tech and elegant design are some practical features. The speaker’s weighty base, which houses a 35mm passive subwoofer, has a 3.5mm jack for attaching audio devices if you don’t want to go wireless. Otherwise music gets into the speaker via Bluetooth from any smartphone or tablet, though it’s also got built-in Wi-fi and is compatible with Spotify Connect. Its battery lasts for around eight hours.

The LSPX-S2 is one of the rare gadgets these days that you can’t talk to – there’s no Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri – though more problematic is the lack of Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast. Can Bluetooth really cut it when it comes to sound quality? Actually, it can.

Performance

The LSPX-S2 isn’t that versatile, with a lot of the marketing talking up its skill with jazz and acoustic music. That rings true; high-octane, bass-heavy tunes often result in unwanted buzz and vibrations. Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, however, stuns; it is crystal clear, with bags of detail and plenty of depth. A warm soundstage pervades the John Coltrane Quartet’s “Ballads”, though the speaker impresses most with voice: Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake – that kind of thing.

However, a 360-degree speaker has issues. You can pick out a trumpet, a violin, or a backing vocal, but since there’s no traditional left-right stereo placement – and native 360-degree music doesn’t exist yet – the speaker’s design is a little ahead of its times. So too is its ability to play hi-res audio tracks – high-resolution music sold in uncompressed formats – which remains a niche market.

Though Sony has been pushing hi-res audio in the last few years, it is the lack of native 360-degree audio that’s currently bothering it, and as such the LSPX-S2 seems like it is just trying to make a point, albeit a very stylish one.

Unveiled in January at the Consumer Electronics Show tech exhibition in Las Vegas, the speaker was accompanied by several announcements about a new immersive music format called “360 Reality Audio” that puts 24 channels of audio within a 360-degree soundstage. Sony is hoping the new format will catch on since it’s mostly designed to be streamed over mobile music-streaming services and played through compatible headphones.

The LSPX-S2 has a detailed and joined-up 360-degree sound that goes beyond easy listening, and those who really like it can even daisy-chain up to 10 of them together. Sony’s Music Centre app then configures a multi-room system, as well as taking care of the intensity of the LEDs, the sleep timers and streaming over Wi-fi from various apps on a phone. The speaker is clearly more practical than it looks.

Only time will tell if anyone will want to pay extra for “glass sound” and basic 360-degree music, but if nothing else the LSPX-S2 is a great-sounding conversation starter.

Four other portable speakers for the outdoors

1. The JBL Xtreme 2

A fixture in airports, JBL’s huge variety of portable speakers includes the Xtreme 2 (US$215), a Bluetooth speaker that’s big on bass. At 140x290x130mm and 2.4kg it’s not exactly travel-friendly despite the provision of a shoulder strap, but it’s great around the home and outdoors.

With a 15-hour battery, you can forget about constant top-ups, while its IPX7 waterproof (down to 1.5m underwater, so good for swimming pools and wet rooms) and rugged build quality makes it ideal for homes with kids.

2. Ultimate Ears Wonder Boom

Easily the most travel-friendly Bluetooth speaker here, the Wonder Boom (US$63) is just 102 x 93.5 x 93.5mm and weighs 426g. Lasting 10 hours between micro-USB charges, it’s also IPX7 rated, so good with water, while its 360° output makes it a (very) basic version of Sony’s glass sound speaker. It’s also great for sharing music; two phones can be connected simultaneously, though up to eight phones can be paired. It’s also drop-proof and able to withstand a fall from 1.5 metres.

3. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay P6

Though primarily known for its design aesthetics, this portable speaker from Danish company Bang & Olufsen packs some serious Scandinavian sonics. Equipped with three amplifier channels, the Beoplay P6 (US$400) has two stereo 30W speakers and a 36W subwoofer for booming bass. Measuring 170 x 130 x 68 mm and weighing 1kg, the Beoplay P6 is a heavyweight, so it’s best taken from room to outdoor sitting area, rather than between holiday resorts. Its battery life is 16 hours.

4. Sony GTK-PG10

Also from Sony, but a completely different beast to the LSPX-S2, is the GTK-PG10 (US$250), an outdoor speaker with something extra. Designed for barbecues, garden parties and picnics, the GTK-PG10 has two tweeters and a big subwoofer, an “outdoor party mode”, a carry handle, a 13-hour battery (that can also refuel a smartphone via USB), Bluetooth, an FM radio and … a fold-out table that has four cup holders. Now that’s a surprise. At 33 x 38 x 30cm and 6.7kg, it’s one for special outdoor events.