Sony's HT-IS100 HTIB features micro-drivers

Sony continues its series of home theater updates today with a new HTIB, the HST-S100. Like some previous Sony packages, the HST-S100 doesn't feature a central receiver, instead integrating the 450W amplifier, 3 HDMI ports and Sony Digital Media Port right into the back of the sub. Furthering the stealth factor, the five speakers themselves are no bigger than strawberries -- which has us wondering about mid-range performance, but we'll withhold judgement until we actually hear 'em. You get some other mid-high-end goodies for your $700 as well, like S-AIR wireless speaker capability, Bravia SYNC for Theater, which simplifies operation with select Sony gear, and auto speaker calibration. Should be out in July, we're told.

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 5th 2008 5:26PM]

Does sony have these in laptops?

[Dr. Evil @ Jun 5th 2008 5:28PM]

... and in related news, geneticists have developed strawberries the size of a human head.

[waddaya @ Jun 5th 2008 5:35PM]

Put this on a Sony cereal box: enlarged to show texture.

[itlnstln @ Jun 5th 2008 5:45PM]

I guess the "Stealth Factor" applies to the quality, too, because I don't see it...

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jun 6th 2008 12:45AM]

..... You don't hear it..

It's true. They have had these at my local Costco for a few months now and I had taken sometime to listen to them and the output quality is very poor. The B.O.S.E. ACRONYM APPLIES TO THESE SONY SPEAKERS. Buy Other Sound Equipment.

[Hooterman @ Jun 6th 2008 11:48AM]

Boy
Our
Stuff's
Expensive

[Bizilento @ Jun 5th 2008 5:48PM]

Scaaary... Looks like Zoolander's phone. Sony should just give up making sound systems. I bet like other Sony sound systems, this one has something like 10% THD.

[k @ Jun 5th 2008 5:48PM]

I've actually seen and heard these bad boys. They don't sound bad at all even though I know that a good speaker needs air to perform quality sound. But, the bass box is about the size of a desktop computer and carries most of the weight as far as the sound goes. Overall, still not a bad sound at all. But you gotta have room for that bass box.

[itlnstln @ Jun 5th 2008 5:58PM]

You know, at first I was going to make a snarky comment about your use of "bass box," but, considering the "bass box" will be far from anything resembling a REAL subwoofer, "bass box" sounds about right.

[Asgiov @ Jun 5th 2008 6:51PM]

Hey, at least they are comparable in sound to a Bose Lifestyle system but $1200 cheaper. =)
I personally would never buy satellites of any kind for a good sound system, but they sound fine for their size at least.

I'm also willing to bet they did copy the Bose design though,
high-ends from the tiny speakers and everything else they can get to come out of the "bass box"

[Mr. B @ Jun 5th 2008 5:56PM]

Sears and Circuit City stores have had demo displays for these speakers for quite some time. It's hard to judge by such placement but in store they sound quite impressive for the size... would be appropriate for a bedroom.

[Jensen @ Jun 5th 2008 6:08PM]

The only thing that could be worse in terms of price/performance is Bose. :)

[muddipanda @ Jun 5th 2008 6:21PM]

You can hear these at Costco if you want. (I did earlier this week... so much for "out in July"). The speakers sound like tweeters with most of the mid coming from the sub. I think this would perform poorly in many setups where the sub sits obscured by a couch or TV stand.

[Chris Macdonald @ Jun 5th 2008 6:35PM]

wireless speakers the size of strawberries? i can see them getting lost in the couch pretty quick...

[muddipanda @ Jun 5th 2008 6:58PM]

Except they aren't wireless.

[Matt @ Jun 5th 2008 6:36PM]

Its all psychoacoustics...

The "subwoofer" (not that it would exactly have a good frequency response) handles most of the full range, then these tweeters take advantage of high frequency sounds being far more directional than bass and tricking your ears into thinking a lot of the sound is coming from them.

Basically, buy some real speakers.
A pair of them, yes that's right, good old fashioned stereo.
A good pair can kill any "prosumer" 5.1 system

[Maisum @ Jun 5th 2008 6:36PM]

thats one big ass strawberry...

[Asgiov @ Jun 5th 2008 6:55PM]

AGREED! These speakers sound fine but my pair of X-LS speakers I picked up for under $300 from AV123 kill these things in performance!

[muddipanda @ Jun 5th 2008 6:57PM]

That's fine until you realize that it is bass frequencies that are non-directional, and directional midrange frequencies are coming out of the single sub box, and also being muffled because again, they are not bass.

[Asgiov @ Jun 5th 2008 6:56PM]

Ack!
my last comment was meant in response to Matt's Comment!

[muddipanda @ Jun 5th 2008 6:58PM]

Yeah mine too were @Matt, but they got added to the wrong person's comments. Bah.

[WhyFi @ Jun 5th 2008 10:39PM]

Nice tweeter - where's the rest of the speaker?

[computer.dude.28 @ Jun 5th 2008 10:47PM]

"and and auto speaker calibration"

Is anyone anyone proofreading?

[phanbouy @ Jun 5th 2008 10:57PM]

they just stutter like Milton

[aZTEKv2 @ Jun 5th 2008 11:00PM]

kinda like these...

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DAV-IS10-5-1-Channel-Satellite-Theater/dp/B000ROQ0YO/ref=sr_du_1_map?ie=UTF8&qid=1212721088&sr=8-1

i helped the inlaws get these awhile back, they sound surprisingly good!

[Ankur Vashi @ Jun 5th 2008 11:41PM]

this speakers are amazing, i have a pair for my dorm room they are perfect for college especially if you have a small room, they produce home theater sound from my bed! hehe

[nicholas @ Jun 6th 2008 7:08AM]

you guys should stop knocking on products before you even know anythin about them!

http://www.trustedreviews.com/home-cinema/review/2007/11/22/Sony-DAV-IS10-DVD-Home-Cinema-System/p1

if these are anything like the ones i linked you too, then they'd be great! and if they were better... which is likely, then they'd be spectacular!

[Evan @ Jun 6th 2008 8:19AM]

Pure CRAP! If it's like the DAV-IS10, the cross-over frequency is 800Hz. All the lower-mid-range is converted to MONO and played out the "sub-woofer", so that you can hear voices coming out the sub-woofer!

A proper system has a cross-over frequency between 80Hz and 120Hz. Sound above 120Hz has too much directionality to come out of a single speaker.