Stefan Mileschin

With Sony's CES press conference literally just starting, we're pleased to be able to give you an early look at the latest sound pushers from its Personal Audio Division. The company is still aiming for that classicly subtle retro-futuristic look on these new devices, so you might not be swayed if you've never been a fan of the aesthetic in the past. That said, we're pretty impressed with what's inside of 'em. To start, there's a duo of new NFC-packing speaker bars intended for use in and around the house -- think of them as wireless replacements for your old docking speaker. Monikered as the not-so catchy SRS-BTX500 and BTX300, both can handle AAC and apt-X streaming over Bluetooth and stay charged for eight and six hours, respectively. Naturally, NFC handles pairing and powering the devices on for seamless tap-to-start playback.

Both systems will house "damperless" drivers, which Sony's claims reduces vibration and increases clarity. Each also features a USB port that'll charge your devices and speakerphone capabilities, as these are becoming the norm. While the bars we handled were dummies, we aren't fond of the fragile kickstand found on the smaller 300. We managed to easily knock the speaker over trying to fiddle with it's clumsily locking switch. Otherwise, these might make a nice addition around the house if the sound matches up to the $300 (BTX500, in black) and $200 (BTX300, in white or black) price points in March. Beyond those, Sony's announcing US availability during the same month for its smaller -- also NFC and Bluetooth-packing -- SRS-BTM8 ($99, in black) and BTM5 ($69, in black, white and pink) speakers. The BTM8 is begging to be taken on your next picnic thanks to its carrying handle, while the BTM5 is palmable orb with one up-firing speaker for when you need a speakerphone in a pinch.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/c...an-headphones/