UK company Orbitsound chose CES 2010 to showcase several of its speaker units that make use of its airSOUND technology, the T12 soundbar and T3 personal mobile speaker. The T12 dock features six front speakers, two side speakers and a subwoofer that create a permanent “sweet spot” no matter where the listener is in the room, while the T3 can be hung around the listener’s neck, also creating quality spatial stereo sound.
The T12 soundbar, which has been successfully on sale in the UK for six months, uses Orbitsound’s airSOUND technology that renders true spatial sound regardless of the unit’s positioning. In a point of difference to other docks on the market, six front speakers provide mono sound, and along with a seperate subwoofer, two side speakers project sound in space - rather than broadcast to two stereo channels, the T12 splits the music into sound and spatial information. This allows the unit to be placed anywhere in the room without harming the quality of sound, effectively making the entire room the “sweet spot”. The unit is presented in a black wood finish, with second generation releases later in 2010 expected to offer television connectivity.
Also showing at CES was Orbitsound’s smaller companion to the T12, the T3 personal mobile speaker. Incorporating the same proprietary airSOUND technology the unit, around the size of an iPod classic, can be worn around a user’s neck to produce a “unique stereo aura”. Originally designed for use in conjunction with iPods and iPhones, the T3 is also compatible with handheld gaming consoles and laptops and desktop computers. Weighing about 115g and giving 10 hours play on a single charge, our man on the ground at CES tried one out with an iPod Nano and was suitably impressed by the quality stereo effect it provided.
Both the Orbitsound T12 and T3 are expected to have a US release towards the middle of the year, priced at US$350 and US$149 respectively.