Dubbed a “wireless handy TV speaker” by Sony, the SRS-LSR200 is designed to be a foolproof and more flexible alternative to a soundbar; to easily boost TV audio around a home without the restrictions of a 'fixed' set-up.
The primary aim of the compact, portable device, which can easily be carried from room to room, is to boost on-screen dialogue. It has a dedicated centre speaker for voices, which is flanked by left and right stereo drivers, plus a Voice Zoom mode that detects the human voice and makes it clearer and easier to hear. Voice Zoom brings voices to the front of the presentation, while Voice Zoom 2 emphasises high frequencies.
By delivering the lower register of the voice through the left and right speakers, too, Sony says voices sound natural and realistic through the SRS-LSR200.
The new Sony speaker works wirelessly with TVs from major brands (Sony, Hitachi, LG, Loewe, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp and Toshiba), and features an integrated remote for controlling them.
The transmitter and speaker are connected by 2.4GHz wireless transmission, with Sony promising low-latency so that both the SRS-LSR200 and your TV speaker can be used simultaneously for extra volume (which sounds... interesting). As the connectivity range is around 30m, the idea is that if you step away from the TV room you can still take its audio with you. Again, this is no ordinary speaker.
A 3-hour charge on the supplied charging dock allows for 13 hours of playback. It also has a handle for carrying from room to room, and is splash-proof (equivalent to IPX2 standards).
The Sony SRS-LSR200 will be available from this month in the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with availability in the rest of Sony’s European markets due in September.
MORE:
