Sony back with audiophile speaker - the $27K/pair SS-AR1

Danny Tse

Since Pioneer can do it with its TAD line, I suppose Sony can do it as well. From TWICE.com...

Las Vegas - Looking to break back into the lucrative high-end audio business in the U.S., Sony took the wraps off its first U.S. high-end audiophile speaker, the SS-AR1, due in April for $27,000/pair.

These are not new speakers, however. They've been on sale in Japan for about two years, as has a slightly smaller and less expensive sibling, the AR2.

"Millions of people still care about music," said Neal Manowitz, Sony's director of home audio and video, during International CES. "It's collegial, compelling, controversial and extremely important to us. Sony believes in high-quality music. We're the inventor of CD, the co-developer of SACD. We wanted to make a statement, to bring high quality back for people who truly enjoy music. It's a Sony product, but it's not intended to create a new branding or a new product subset. But it's a positioning for Sony, to show the breadth of the product line."

Standing 42.5 inches tall and weighing a hefty 125 pounds, the floor-standing SS-AR1 is a four-driver, three-way vented system with Sony-designed 1-inch dome tweeter, 5-inch sliced-paper cone midrange drivers -- paper cut once then glued together to reduce resonance -- and twin 8-inch aluminum cone woofers.

The front baffle on the meticulously constructed cabinet is cut from special maple trees grown in Hokkaido and harvested only in November after the summer but before the frost arrives to warp the wood. The rest of the largely unglued cabinet is made from a lighter Finnish birch. They're finished in a sheer, glossy piano black. They deliver 28Hz to 60kHz frequency response and handle up to 200 watts per channel.

Face

Those are ScanSpeak drivers, I love how Sony makes it sound as they designed them. It's possible that they are modified for their use, but still.

ScanSpeak D3004/6600-00 Textile Dome, AirCirc

Scan-Speak 15M/4531K Revelator 5.5" Midrange

ScanSpeak 22W/8857T 8" Revelator Woofer, Aluminum Cone

tonyb

Still don't see what sets them apart from other speakers in that price range.

Pycroft

They do look sexy though.

James

YeorgoT

CES has everything...

halo71

Good looking speaker for sure! $1000 roughly in drivers.....helluva cabinet they are in I suppose. :eek:

DON73

At $27,000 they'll make Stereophiles list of recommended components for sure.

Danny Tse

DON73 wrote: »

At $27,000 they'll make Stereophiles list of recommended components for sure.

I think the Sony SS-M9ED was the last pair of Sony speaker to make the Stereophile list and I don't remember those costing that much. The SS-M9 looked a lot better IMHO.

nooshinjohn

And ugly studs to hold the grills in place?

Pycroft

They surely are less unique than my SS-M9's, but I think they look great. I would never buy something that expensive, because frankly, I've got a lot higher priorities, but if I had a chance to hear them, I would love to.

James

cnh

Well they look High End enough but I bet some Focals (or any number of other brands) in that general price range, or a bit above it, would kick their butts!

cnh

Danny Tse

Pycroft wrote: »

They surely are less unique than my SS-M9's, but I think they look great. I would never buy something that expensive, because frankly, I've got a lot higher priorities, but if I had a chance to hear them, I would love to.

Here're the dealers for them, so far....

David Lewis Audio in Philadelphia; Goodwin's High End in Waltham, Mass.; Music Lovers in Berkeley, Calif.; Definition AV in Santa Monica, Calif.; and AV Worx just north of Salt Lake City.

If I have $27K (+ sales tax), I'd have a relatively nice new car and a nice sounding system.

Monster Jam

The front baffle on the meticulously constructed cabinet is cut from special maple trees grown in Hokkaido and harvested only in November after the summer but before the frost arrives to warp the wood.

They seem nearly magical - like a the root of a Mandrake.

bluecomet

I think i'll wait five years and then snag a pair on ebay for a grand. Twenty seven grand for speakers, that is insane. Excuse me, I have to get back to my SRS 1.2tl's. Priceless.

grimmace19

They look fantastic, but for that much money one could certainly put together a whole system that would rival nearly anything like them.

BlueFox

You guys sound like speaker cable nay-sayers. 27K is really quite reasonable for high-end speakers. Personally, I want a pair of Wilson Shasa Watt/Puppy speakers at the same price level. I spend much more time listening to music than I do driving.

tonyb

One thing I don't get about Sony and Pioneer for that matter when it comes to speakers. How do you offer speakers in an under 500 buck catagory, then zip up to 27 g's with nothing inbetween ? Baffles me, because if you have the know how to put together high end speakers, why not use it to grab back some of the mid line market ?
I know it'a a battle for middle earth, but there's also plenty of 30 g speaker makers out there too, with proven track records to boot. I would be leary on buying expensive speakers from a company thats extent in speaker making as of late has been HTIB stuff.

Danny Tse

tonyb wrote: »

One thing I don't get about Sony and Pioneer for that matter when it comes to speakers. How do you offer speakers in an under 500 buck catagory, then zip up to 27 g's with nothing inbetween ? Baffles me, because if you have the know how to put together high end speakers, why not use it to grab back some of the mid line market? I know it'a a battle for middle earth, but there's also plenty of 30 g speaker makers out there too, with proven track records to boot. I would be leary on buying expensive speakers from a company thats extent in speaker making as of late has been HTIB stuff.

I think the problem with Japanese mainstream brands, not just Pioneer and Sony, is that their speakers are not taken seriously here in the US, especially their less expensive offerings. Sure, occasionally there is a model here and there that received critical acclaim, like the Sony SS-M9ED. I remember back in the 80s Sony offered a line of transmission line speakers that sounded very good (they were made in the US and sold through retailers like Crutchfield), but no one cared. More recently, Sony had the SS-K series at retailers like Circuit City and no one cared either....except for this after-the-fact review of the SS-K70ED floorstanding speakers. Yamaha currently has a line of relatively high-end speakers in its US lineup, the Soavo series, which has received wide acclaim in the European hi-fi press but no one cared on these shores. Over at avsforum.com, many are praising Pioneer's new inexpensive Andrew Jones-designed speaker series (available at Best Buy) but will we hear about them in any audiophile magazines? Most likely no.

tonyb

Sony,Pioneer,Yamaha...all have some major weight behind them with their advertising dollars. I'm sure if they wanted to, they could have a mag. do a shoot out with some brands like Canton, B&W, and a host of other brands that have complete line ups. Its a matter of dedicating the dollars. Which confuses me since they see dedicated dollars for high end speakers in a down economy as a good buisness plan.

halo71

BlueFox wrote: »

You guys sound like speaker cable nay-sayers. 27K is really quite reasonable for high-end speakers.

I know R&D/XO development etc play into the grand scheme here. But if they are using off the shelf drivers. I just can't see what makes these 27k speakers.

tonyb

Now here's something 7 g's cheaper,

http://www.stereomojo.com/Legacy%20WhisperXD%20Review.htm/LegacyWhisperXDReview.htm

I'd love these bad boys sitting in my family room with the grills off.

halo71

Damn Tony, I didn't see any speakers on that link.

tonyb

You've been hanging with Keiko too long then.:biggrin:

mantis

halo71 wrote: »

Damn Tony, I didn't see any speakers on that link.

My kind of speakers , nice Tweeters.

Back on topic , years ago Sony came out with B&W looking speakers when SACD was still new. I went to a Sony Trade show and they had a 5.1 system setup with Sony ES separates . I was amazed on how good they sounded. Maybe not B&W caliber speakers as they tried to appear to be , but damn nice.

tonyb

Well, thats my point Dan, you know they can compete for the hearts and minds of the average Joe consumer. As crowded as it is, I just don't see how 30 g speakers can be any less profitable than the middle. Or...is it just a statement piece for CES to get noticed and have people whispering their name again ? Advertisement. I thought Sony was on the verge of a comback with their ES line of gear, then they just fell off the cliff again. Who knows, but for me, Sony would have to do lots more for me to even consider spending that kind of coin for a product by them.

larry777

I can just imagine what those speakers would do to my Livingroom.

Monster Jam

BlueFox wrote: »

You guys sound like speaker cable nay-sayers. 27K is really quite reasonable for high-end speakers. Personally, I want a pair of Wilson Shasa Watt/Puppy speakers at the same price level. I spend much more time listening to music than I do driving.

At first I thought this comment was a piece of satire. Then it dawned on me that this was serious.

As to music listening habits, I listen to far more music IN MY CAR than I do at home. Thus, it is ironic that I am saddled with the worst sounding factory car stereo man has ever made (Bose/Chevy) when all my money is wrapped up in LSi speakers that get very little air-time.