Dave Horvath
22 May 2008 13:28
Companies are always trying to find ways to condense media centers into smaller more compact spaces without losing the quality that consumers demand. Sony has made another attempt at honing the smaller is better stigma with the announcement of their new 5.1-channel HT-IS100 HTIB surround sound speaker setup. What makes this setup special is that it touts golf ball sized satellite speakers receiving 45 watts each and support Dolby Digital / Dolby Pro Logic II / DTS and comes with a remote.
The roughly cube-shaped speakers, to go on sale in Japan next month, measure just 1.7 inches on each side, Sony Corp. spokeswoman Eiko Sato said Thursday. The 90,000 yen ($870) system includes five golf ball-sized speakers as well as a bigger, 17 inches tall box for the amplifier and subwoofer, a feature for producing bass sounds.
The Home Theater System HT-IS100 will go on sale in North America and Europe, but pricing and dates aren't decided yet. The technology for achieving the miniature size cannot be disclosed, Sato said.
The system connects to TVs, Blu-ray disc recorders, Sony's PlayStation 3 video game consoles and other gadgets through a trio of HDMI and optical digital audio jacks, coaxial digital audio, composite (x2) and stereo outs as well.