You may constantly need to explain yourself to your parents or conservative family members when they first take a look at the Sony LSPX-S2 Glass Sound Speaker, because trust me, it looks uncannily similar to something you’d find in a college-going teenager’s room.
Mary Jane reference aside, this product, weird as it may look, is classic Sony. Sony as a company is famed for creating products that are state of the art, but also weird (Verge has chronicled most of them down)… and the LSPX-S2 or the Glass Sound Speaker is the latest entry into that category. Designed to look like a candle stand (I believe that was the original intent), the Glass Sound Speaker was made to serve as an all-round piece of audiovisual entertainment as it packs a light into it too. Made to sit on tabletops or bedstands, and to serenade one with music while cozy in bed or while preparing a meal or having a romantic dinner, the light within flickers with the intensity of a candle flame, but what’s more interesting is the audio setup that sits underneath.
The speaker, right below the glass tube, comprises a 35 mm mid-range driver and a passive radiator to deliver the mids and the low-ends. However, for the higher frequencies, the speaker relies ON the glass tube. “The organic glass body itself vibrates after being tapped by the actuator under it to spread the sound vertically in a 360-degree direction. The organic glass tube tweeter has a wider surface (compared to conventional speakers) to create crystal clear sound with minimal loss of volume.”, says Sony. Innovative, for sure, but I still can’t shake off the overall shape that Sony decided to go with… and priced at $700 that’s a mighty expensive water-pipe looking piece of tech right there.
Designer: Sony
