14 DAY TRIAL // Sony is now taking pre-orders for its latest iPod docking station, the S-Airplay Wireless iPod Dock. The dock is capable of sending out wireless signals to a total of ten speakers scattered throughout your house, with listeners from one room being able to choose playing music from the iPod, while those from another room can listen to their favorite radio station.
Basically, you connect your iPod to the S-Airplay and, using the remote, you can advance through your music library walking about, doing your stuff. As many as ten wireless speakers can receive the dock's signals, so whatever the room you find yourself in, the music will follow you everywhere. Best of all, Sony's new docking station is capable of playing either the radio or the music from an iPod through the speakers.
"This technology makes it easy to listen to music from a compatible iPod without carrying it from room to room," said Andrew Sivori, director of marketing in the personal audio group at Sony Electronics' Digital Imaging and Audio Division. "It's an easy, inexpensive way to get multi-room audio without professional installation."
The system ships with one docking station and two S-Air wireless speakers. S-Air technology is touted as being able to deliver audio wirelessly "to the included speakers" without interfering with other household devices. Note that this may not apply to other speakers, not "supported" by Sony. Since Sony makes a habit out of telling the user what is supported by its hardware and what is not, you can see where this is going.
The S-Air wireless speakers sport remote control capabilities, but only for the iPod player's music tracks. The speakers also incorporate sleep timers and an alarm clock function. To connect to an existing home theater system or television set, the docking station includes composite A/V outputs. Your iPod also charges when connected to the Sony S-Airplay Wireless iPod Dock.
Here's where you can pre-order the system. The S-Airplay will be made available in September for around $400, not only at Sony Style retail stores, but at select retailers in the US as well. Additional S-Air wireless speakers will also be available around the system's official launch date "for about $130 direct from Sony". Well, what do you know...