Sony will release a spectacular new speaker system in Japan as early as June 20th. The so-called Sountina (a combination of the words sound and fountain) comes in the shape of a glass tube, which is 184.5 cm tall. To be more specific, the device measures 325×184.5×325mm and weighs 12.5 kg.
Sony said today they plan to sell their stylish speaker not only to affluent individuals but also to hotels, department stores and similar facilities. The Sountina is supposed to vibrate and produce high quality audio, which spreads 360 degrees around the device. On the bottom of the tube, LEDs in amber, purple and blue are installed. The light is reflected by a steel plate located on top of the speaker. The LED colors can be change with a remote control.
Buyers also get a subwoofer (13cm), a medium speaker (7cm), and a tweeter made of organic glass. The frequency response is 50Hz – 20 kHz. Inputs include analog RCA, digital coax, optical TOS and 2 channel linear PCM (stereo).
Oh, and the price is $9,600 (1,050,000 Yen).
Hmm, gotta throw these up on thisnext.com
Stereo from a single point source? It has to be “quasi-stereo” or some type of synthetic stereo. Consider speakers for channels A and B in the same point in space. It’s difficult to comprehend how a stereo field can be generated with such a configuration. I have yet to hear a believable argument on how the Sountina can accomplish this.