Sony 'Sountina' glass omni. Anyone heard this thing? Or know what it really is?

[bwaslo]

Ran into this on the net.
Sony Global - Sony Design - Activity - Feature Design
Looks like an omni tweeter using a glass radiator. Maybe a bending wave launched up the end edges of the glass? I imagine something like one of those Parts Express stick-on-sound drivers stuck on the bottom end of a glass tube...

I wonder there is more to this than just something to look space-age-y (and break-a-ble)?

Of course, no measurements are anywhere to be found, but oddly, also very little in the way of a listeners' report, particularly for something listing for a kilobuck. Has anyone here perchance heard it?

[twest820]

Originally Posted by bwaslo

Maybe a bending wave launched up the end edges of the glass?

Yes. More like 10 kilobucks, though. Rather odd mix of point and line source omni. No US availability, which may explain the lack of reviews. Perhaps if you tried a Japanese language search?

[bwaslo]

twest820, thanks for the link. I somehow managed to miss that. I probably spend an hour googling tbe subject but didn't go back to the Sony site where it was!

And yes, that's 10kbucks, not 1.

So, does the tube have to be glass?

[twest820]

Originally Posted by bwaslo

So, does the tube have to be glass?

Of course not; anything that supports suitable wave propagation will work. Off the top of my head glass would be one of the easier materials to use for this purpose, which is probably why Sony chose it. From a DIY perspective getting suitable material with the right wall thickness seems tough.