Sony has unveiled a couple of rather ballsy offerings at IFA 2011 in the form of the SRS-BTV25 and RDP-V20iP. The compact spherical units pack Sony's 360° Circle Sound audio diffusion technology that promises to deliver omnidirectional sound to all corners of a room. The SRS-BTV25 model is designed to play audio streamed from Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, Walkmans and iDevices, while the RDP-V20iP is an iPhone/iPod charger and speaker dock that can be controlled via an included remote.
Both the SRS-BTV25 and RDP-V20iP feature a 5.6 cm (2.2 in) woofer and 2 cm (0.78 in) tweeter and deliver 13W when powered by the AC adapter. The RDP-V20iP can also be powered for up to five hours by its Ni-MH rechargeable battery, but this will drop the speaker power back to 4W. Both units also include a bass-boost function and a 3.5mm audio in jack, which allows the SRS-BTV25 to be used with non-Bluetooth-enabled devices and the RDP-V20iP to be used with non-Apple devices.
Both also have the same 145 x 145 x 145 mm (5.7 x 5.7 x 5.7 in) dimensions but, presumably thanks to its rechargeable battery, the RDP-V20iP weighs in at 600 g (21.16 oz), compared to the SRS-BTV25's 500 g (17.63 oz). The SRS-BTV25 also features a USB port that can be used to charge mobile devices.
Sony will offer both units in black or white, while the RDP-V20iP will also comes in red. Now word on pricing or release date as yet.
