Sony | Music Center 17+

This app does everything that it should. My problems are with the layout and how clunky the operation is. For example, I run an STR-DN1080 and often run zone 2 speakers. I hate how hard it is to get to control the volume for that zone. I have to open my phone, open the app, select the zone then adjust the volume. The zone 2 options should be right up front with everything else. Also don’t like that there isn’t an EQ for zone 2, but this probably has more to do with the stereo. It’s also odd how the settings are at the bottom of the page when this is an item selected more than the source.

In the end this app holds the monopoly on Sony connectivity, does everything it needs to do but is clunky to use. It’s creation is certainly only to serve the app market but didn’t have much thought out into it. This app is definitely not a selling point of their products.

I just bought the srs xb31 for $150, I love the speaker but you must have the app running and Bluetoothed in order to use any extra features.... ok that’s ok if it actually would work 1/4 if the time. It’s always losing its sync and goes to default. There’s a party mode where you can bang on the speaker to play drums and stuff and I love it! Gives you something to tap while listening to music but half 75% of the time the app doesn’t recognize the device even when I’m still playing music, so I have to close the app, turn bt off and on, reconnect because it doesn’t try to automatically, then go into the app crossing my fingers, and half the time it shows 3 extra speakers saying “need to be setup” but still doesn’t connect to mine.... so repeat. Finally have it working and your settings ready to go!? Well have fun when you lock your phone and go back into the app because it’s unsynced again... and just a helpful tip, don’t lock your phone while in the app, eventually you’ll have to restart your phone to even get it to work because it bugs out.... the quality of the speaker is what I expected with Sony but the app really ruins their reputation with me if I see “extra features in app”. Recommend the speaker if you just want good sound and bass, but don’t recommend it if you was wanting to use the extra features of the speaker and if that’s you deciding factor between $150 and another good speaker with as good quality for $60...

Checking in almost a year after first purchase. App is still garbage. Basic functions continue to fail. No idea what all these monthly updates are for, literally nothing has gotten better. App still crashes every other time I try to connect to a device. Forget party chain. If you ever get it working, which is rare, leave the app and don’t return, or it will crash. If this app represents Sony, they have fallen a long, long way. I would never have bought these speakers if I knew this app was required. Their failure to address major problems in over a year shows they just don’t care. UPDATE: Another year gone, and this app continues to get worse. I have no idea what updates they are making, but they obviously don’t read these reviews or bother to test their app in the least. I can almost never pair speakers correctly, and when they do pair, the volume on each gets reset after each song. Most of the time the app just fails to work properly so it doesn’t matter. I have 3 speakers, all of which are great individually, but this app is so, so, so terrible. Any 2+ star reviews are either from company employees or people who haven’t actually used this app.

Update: 4 years later and nothing has changed. Still the worst app ever published.