The BGC amphitheater was packed with the young and young-at-heart donned in their fire streetwear fits to celebrate the very heart of Filipino pop culture: Music.

Sony Philippines held the ULT Power Sound: Vibe Live last Aug. 2, an event that aims to not only launch their latest lineup of audio equipment from their ULT Power Sound series but also present its duality as both a music companion and a fashion statement. This feature was presented through a mini-concert and runway show featuring some of OPM’s hottest artists and rising talents.

“Sony strives to create products that tap into your emotions. As part of Sony’s corporate direction, we aim to get closer to the people by deep diving into the heart of what makes people who they are,” said Shuhei Sugihara, President and Managing Director of Sony Philippines, Inc., who opened the show with an inspiring talk on the company’s vision. “It’s their passions or interests, such as filmmaking, movie watching, music, photography, videography, and content creation, that get people to move. I believe our technology can boost creativity and support your ideas and passions.”

The Beat Manila got to sit front row and center at this thrilling music celebration, and we’re here to tell you about some of our favorite moments, as well as what makes the ULT Power Sound series the ultimate music and vibe companion.

Where Music and Fashion Collide

Anyone who’s anyone knows who Sony is. The Japanese multifaceted brand is known for its diverse activities, from manufacturing consumer electronics to producing films and music. One thing it’s really good at is promoting sound excellence through innovative audio electronics such as speakers and headphones.

The ULT Power Sound series was first launched in the country last July 2024, highlighting the ULT Field 7 and ULT Tower 10 speakers. They also launched the “For the Music” campaign in 2023, which aimed to promote their classic headphones.

This year, the brand is expanding the lineup with four new products designed to give customers an unparalleled listening experience—music that you can bring wherever, whenever.

Portability is one of the top things we consider when purchasing speakers, and the ULT Power Sound series embodies this very feature with its two categories: Tower and Field. The former caters to those who want loud, powerful, and punchy bass, while the latter is designed for music on the go.

Arbie Bandiling, Senior Product & Marketing Communications Executive, Personal Audio Systems of Sony Philippines, Inc., gave us a brief rundown of the new products, highlighting their best features and explaining how these speakers marry music with fashion.

Let’s start with the big guy: the ULT Tower 9, which gives you a chance to fully immerse yourself in the music. Its soundfield optimization feature detects local noise and automatically changes the sound setting to deliver clear music even when you are surrounded by other sounds. Another highlight is the prominent “ULT” button, which gives you two types of bass modes: press once for ULT1 to get a deeper, lower frequency bass, and press twice to activate ULT2 for a powerful, punchy bass.

The ULT Tower 9 also has several fun features that make sure you can carry the party with you wherever.  The 360-degree party lights can turn any room into a rave, while its built-in handle and wheels let you carry, lift, or pull over the speaker with ease across any distance. The speaker also has a splashproof top panel, and has a plugged-in(P39,999) and battery variant (P52,199) — the latter giving you around 25 hours of playtime in a full charge. For context, a full charge will take around 3 hours, and in exchange you get over a full day's worth of speaker power.

For those who want their music on the go, the ULT Field 3 (P10,999) and ULT Field 5(P19,999)give you top-tier sound quality with soundfield and bass optimization, as well as battery life of over 24 and 25 hours, respectively. It has the signature ULT Power Sound bass, but in a more compact design. Its highlights include a stylish color range and functional handheld features, such as the adjustable strap, which allows you to wear it cross-body or over your shoulder like a purse. Who says your speakers can’t sound and look good?

Lastly, the ULT Mic 1 (P9,999) is for every Filipino karaoke lover. Light, wireless, and powerful, this product aims to enhance your experience with the speakers. Although designed to work best with Sony speakers, you can still use the mic with any audio equipment that has a mic input.

Sony Hypes Up the Local Music Scene

In Mr. Sugihara’s opening speech, he mentioned the Japanese term “Kando,” a word that describes “the sense of awe and the emotion you feel when experiencing something beautiful and amazing for the first time.”

And what better way to experience that than through live music?

“To strengthen our music efforts in the Philippines, we have exciting synergies with our sister company Sony Music,” mentioned Shuhei, as he welcomed the “ULT Squad” — a group of musicians and dance artists who are inspiring and entertaining the current generation. “We aim to further strengthen the collaboration with several artists to showcase the diversity and strength of our brand. We ask for your continued support in creating kando together.”

Sony organized a spectacular way to showcase their new speaker lineup by allowing their customers to experience it firsthand through a series of live performances by some of the country’s trending musicians, dance artists, and fashion influencers.

“Sony works with music people behind the scenes, like producers and music engineers, to capture every note — making it feel like they are in the studio with the artists,” said Mr. Kentaro Imamura, Marketing Director of Sony Philippines, Inc. “We keep our promise in creating authentic music experiences by connecting listeners and creators.”

The show began with a fashion show, the night’s guest artists strutting down the runway carrying an ULT Power Sound speaker or wearing the ULT Wear headphones. Artists present at the event include couple fashion influencers David Guison and AngeliqueManto, P-Pop girl group KAIA, and singer Jeremy G.

This was quickly followed by a thrilling dance routine by A-TEAM, who showed us all the moves and grooves, and dance artist Carlos Serrano III, who danced to Destiny’s Child’s classic hit, “Brown Eyes.”

Jeremy G then hit the stage and kept the party rolling with his cover of Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” and Cup of Joe’s hit “Multo.” He also serenaded his fans with his latest single, “Parking Lot,” and gave them an up-close-and-personal moment when he went down the stage to vibe with the crowd. Talk about #FangirlMoment!

The fiery girls of KAIA also lit up the Sony ULT Vibe stage with a string of their hits, such as “YOU DID IT”, “Dalawa,” and “TURN UP”, sending ZAIAs (fandom name) into a frenzy. As if the night couldn’t get any better, rising singer-songwriter Maki took to the stage to perform some of his most popular songs, including the viral “Dilaw,” “Bughaw,” and “Namumula.”

The OPM trendsetter is known for his color-themed songs that are currently making waves on local and international music charts. During his set, Maki mentioned how Sony collaborates with local artists by giving them the chance to use their equipment, which has helped support their creative and production process. He then proceeded to announce his forthcoming album, “KOLORCOASTER,” which drops on Sept. 19, and performed his latest single, “Kahel na Langit,” as well as his song, “Saan?” before wrapping up the concert. The audience echoed every lyric, singing and vibing along to each number, proving how music’s blend of emotion and sound can truly bring people together.

Sony Philippines didn’t just give us a great show but also big surprises, having given away several speakers for the attendees, as well as the ultimate karaoke setup to one lucky winner. Safe to say, Sony passed the vibe check, and we can’t wait to see more of how they will elevate the music experience for every Filipino.

The ULT Power Sound series is now available at a Sony authorized dealer near you and online. For updates, follow Sony Philippines on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube.