Sony reveals full details on it's upcoming 360 Reality Audio Speakers

Eight grand and ugly as hell!

jeff

 

The do appear to be about as ugly as they could possibly be.

 

Looks like they are going for an Apple Homepod type device. The HomePod uses a tweeter array and calibrates the soundfield using the microphone array it uses to listen to commands.

I've only heard it in the Apple Store, which is a noisy, acoustically reflective box, so I can't comment too much on the sound quality, but it tends to compare favorably to other smart speakers in reviews.

 

It's another "lifestyle" related product.

You can now listen while making coffee, fold socks, watch cute cat videos while texting, and walking in place to get your steps in.

 

Not really any different than having a radio on your kitchen table.

 

BUT, has Sony achived sound "wandering around the room" like Bose back in the day?

 

That appears to be what they are claiming.

 

They look like something to stop the car rolling back when jacking it up.

I could be wrong but I don't see them becoming best sellers.

 

Based on my Sony purchases, they will fail a few months after the warranty expires. Those look to maaaaaaaaaybe have $200 in parts, rippoff.

 

At $8k a pair, I wonder if the market is large enough to pay back the cost for engineering and manufacturing them?

With as unattractive as they are, I doubt that any normal audio company would be successful at selling them at a $4k price point?

 

Just buy some Ohm Walsh's and call it a day.

 

I am not even sure there would be too many takers at 1k either, if they are meant to be just a desktop item, not too many people will spend that money for what would probably be a secondary system. I also have serious doubts the sound will match the price tag, there are plenty of other powered speakers that are likely to satisfy at a much lower cost.

 

And not that there’s anything right with it either.

 

True, but there are people who have money. A nice pair of monkey coffins run in the $8k (or under) price range and some stellar bookshelf designs run half of that.

I have some nice Peachtree/Era bookshelves that retailed for $1K each, the DS5's. They also make a slightly smaller version the DS4's, which are very nice, with 4" woofers. These are 10 1/2" high and weigh 10.5 lbs.



They make the best desktop speaker that I have come across. It is the DS 4.5. These also have a 4" woofer are 8 1/2” high and weigh 5.3 lbs.


The Sony's take up too much space to be practical on a desk top.

 

Looks cool

 

Can agree with them being ugly af, but the technology is what matters and what I'm most excited about. Interested to see where stuff like this goes.

 

I would be curious to actually heat them to see if they are all they are cracked up to be?

 

Good point. My brother hates Sony due to experiences like that.

 

It can happen with any brand, I still have an open reel from the early 70's and when connected last year it was still running with the original belts. That is among several other items that still run despite being over 20 and 30 years old.

 

It looks like the thing from Dr. Who - Exterminate!

 

Just got a bit confused with references to a price of $8000 which I think is for a product linked earlier. The speakers that are the subject of the thread according to audioxpress.com (presumably USD):
SRS-RA5000 model will be priced at approximately $550, while the SRS-RA3000 will be priced at just $300, both available from February 2021.

 

You are right, the 8k one is the pair of SA-Z1.

 

For a company that is revered as much as Sony is, their customer service outright sucks!

 

Are the bashers the same people who like to say, "If you haven't heard it, shut up" about audio gear?

Asking for a friend.