Sony revealed pricing and ship dates for its expanded series of Extra Bass Bluetooth speakers but the company hasn’t yet disclosed the pricing and availability of new soundbars or the midpriced Dolby Atmos/DTS:X AVR introduced at the show.
More product details, however, have emerged about the AVR and soundbars on Sony’s website.
Here’s what’s coming:
Bluetooth speakers: In its Extra Bass series targeted to 18- to 34-year-olds, Sony is expanding the selection of Bluetooth speakers to four models from two at prices from a suggested $59 to $249. They’re due in stores in March. The two models in the previous selection were priced at $99 and $149.
The Extra Bass series also includes headphones and high-power audio systems.
The top three Bluetooth speakers are the company’s first Bluetooth speakers with a Wireless Party Chain feature that enables 10 speakers to play the same song simultaneously.
The three SKUs also feature LED lighting that pulses to the beat of the bass, with two models offering a choice of lighting colors via an included app.
Dolby Atmos/DTS:X AVR: Due in the spring as the top model in the core AVR series, the 7.2-channel STRDN1080 will be the first core-series AVR with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based surround decoding. The core series currently tops out at a suggested $599.
The object-based surround formats starts at higher prices in the premium ES series of AVRs.
Besides adding Atmos and DTS:X to its predecessor, the new model will also add HDR support on all five rear inputs instead of just three of five, Chromecast built in, and phantom back-surround channels. It will be the first Sony AVR in any series with phantom backsurround channels. Like its predecessor, the STR-DN1080 offers wireless multiroom audio and high-res playback via USB and wireless multiroom.
Soundbars: Four new soundbars include Sony’s first model with Dolby Atmos and the company’s first two that network with the Google Home smart speaker. Those two models also feature Chromecast built in.
One of the four models also features high-res music playback, two feature three HDR-supporting HDMI inputs, and one works with select Sony wireless-multiroom speakers to create a discrete 5.1-channel surround.
