Sony Japan just announced the SRS-LSR100, a little wireless portable speaker designed for your TV, with a built-in remote frankenstein’d on top. It’s a bizarre gadget — but it actually makes complete sense.
The stated purpose of his device is to be able to hear your television when you’re far away from it. I’m sympathetic to this idea, in a way. Why blast the TV so you can hear it from across the room when you can just bring the point-source of the sound closer? As for the bundled remote — sure? I like that big ‘ol volume knob on top.
The speaker pairs with your television via a dongle. It costs about $US165 — and is available in Japan only. Sony has a long history of making strange gadgets that don’t necessarily immediately fit into an obvious consumer niche. As the company’s terrible Tablet P illustrates, they don’t always land. But sometimes, as in Sony’s recent experiments with cameras, the risks result in vanguard products that lead consumer electronics in entirely new directions.
This speaker-remote isn’t going to start revolution — but it’s a good reminder that sometimes the only way to get back on top is to weird your way back.