It's not always practical or cost-effective to have a sound system in every room of your home. If your light bulbs could play music, however, it would kill two birds with one stone. Well, Sony Japan has unveiled precisely that: an LED light bulb with a built-in Bluetooth speaker.
Similar functionality is already provided by a number of products, such as Sylvania's MusicLites and the more recently released Cosmic LED bulbs from eTiger. Sony's offering, though, looks perhaps the most like a traditional bulb.
The LSPX-100E26J (we'll stick with "light-bulb speaker" from now on) has a standard E26 cap screw fitting and is designed for use in ceiling light fittings or lamps. It is installed in the same way as a standard bulb and pairs via Bluetooth with an accompanying iOS or Android app.
The app allows users to control the audio output of the bulb, including the EQ settings. A remote control is also provided from which users can adjust the volume and brightness of the bulb and can control a sleep function.
Sony explains that it has employed what it calls "optical lens Glove" technology, which is said to help minimize any shadow cast by the speaker mechanism within the bulb. The luminaire itself consumes about 7 W of power and the speaker about 2 W.
Sony's light bulb speaker will be available in Japan from May 23 and is listed at 24,000 yen (about US$200) on the firm's website. There is no word yet on when or if the bulbs will be made available elsewhere.
The video below provides an introduction to the LED light-bulb speaker.
Source: Sony Japan