Sony’s been making a push with high resolution audio since late last year, labeling its own products with a “High-Res Audio” logo to indicate compatibility.
Today Sony announced the latest product to get the “High-Res Audio” treatment: a new line of speakers called the Core Series. The new line consists of a traditional 5.1 speaker system, with the SS-CS3 floor-standing speakers, SS-CS5 bookshelf speakers, SS-CS8 center channel, and SS-CS9 subwoofer.
The tower speakers feature two 5.25-inch woofers in four driver design, while the subwoofer packs a 10-inch woofer and a 115-watt amplifier. The bookshelf speakers have a single 5.25-inch woofer, while the center channel has a smaller 4-inch driver.
While the Core Series speakers look nice and are reasonably-priced, the “High-Res Audio” label is a bit of stretch, as no special type of speaker is needed to playback high-resolution audio, unlike with other components. (And surely no human will be able to hear the SS-CS3’s “50 kHz maximum frequency response.”)
The new CS speakers will be available in May at Sony Stores and Best Buy. The SS-CS3 speakers will be sold individually for $240 per speaker, while the SS-CS5 bookshelves will sell for $220 per pair. The SS-CS8 center channel will cost $170, while the SS-CS9 subwoofer will sell for $240.