Crystal Audio launches £200 SSB-1 soundbar with iPod dock

Crystal Audio SSB-1

B&W's Panorama comes in at a mighty £1500 (we're testing it in our June issue), but Crystal Audio and Acoustics is targeting the budget end of the market with the £200 SSB-1.

For your £200 you get a built-in iPod dock, virtual surround sound created from eight speakers using digital signal processing (DSP), and an internal 100 watt subwoofer.

The SSB-1 can be placed on a shelf or TV cabinet, or mounted directly to a wall using the wall mounts inlcuded as part of the package.

Users can connect the soundbar to a TV, DVD player, PC, iPod, MP3 or games console to enhance the sound they get from their software.

Non-iPod MP3 players can be connected using the 3.5mm input, and there are five additional inputs for other devices.

A touch-screen display and remote control are designed to make set-up and operation simple.