Sony SRS-BTV25 Death Star speaker hands-on

IFA 2011: The sound is strong with this one

Sony SRS-BTV25 Death Star speaker hands-on

3 September 2011 12:53 GMT / By Paul Lamkin

Let's clear one thing up first. The Sony SRS-BTV25 isn't Star Wars affiliated in any way. And it's not called the Death Star at all. That's a name that Pocket-lint has coined for the speaker.

But, how can Sony release a gadget, that looks like this, and not expect us to refer to it as such? The resemblance is striking.

But that's not a bad thing. Often the bringer of quirk to the tech table (everyone remembers the Sony Rolly, right?) the SRS-BTV25 adds a bit of style to Sony's unconventional line-up.

The blue-glow, for example, looks fantastic and there are plenty of connectivity options too, including Bluetooth, aux-in, and a USB port for charging.

We couldn't really hear the sound too well in the incredibly loud Sony hall at the Berlin expo, but when we put our ear close to see if it was playing, it hurt - so we'd guess that the 13W output will be plenty for a bedroom or a kitchen. We can't really comment on the 360-degree Circle Sound technology yet though.

It's around the size of a melon at 145 x 145 x145mm and it weighs in 500g. We said the sound should be fine for the bedroom or the kitchen and so would the look. It oozes coolness and would be a talking point if nothing else. It also comes in white with a green tint.

Still no word on pricing or availability yet - we'll keep you posted.