Sky has unveiled a new sound bar which it claims will offer “powerful and immersive sound that puts the viewer at the heart of the action.”
Dubbed the Sky Soundbox, the device has been developed in partnership with Devialet and is compatible both with the Sky Q and Sky+ set top boxes as well as standalone TVs.
Featuring six woofers and three full-range speakers, Sky says the Soundbox uses the walls in the home to reflect ambient sound around the room and deliver a 360 degrees experience comparable to a full home cinema system.
The device will go on sale this autumn priced at £799 but Sky customers will be able to buy them for £299, and new and existing Sky Q Multiscreen customers will get a special price of £249.
Stephen van Rooyen, Chief Executive Officer, Sky UK and Ireland, commented: “Sound is a vital part of visual storytelling – whether you’re watching the season finale of your favourite drama, or an epic Premier League clash.
“That’s why we’ve partnered with audio industry leaders Devialet to launch Sky Soundbox and take the TV experience to the next level for our customers.
“Great TV deserves great audio – we believe Sky Soundbox is the Ultra HD of home audio.”
Quentin Sannié, Chief Executive, Devialet, said: “Sound is the future of television.
‘We are very proud to be partnering with Sky, to help them to unleash the full emotional impact of their content, through powerful, immersive, fully integrated sound.
“This first partnership illustrates our ability to pursue Devialet’s vision to enable revolutionary experiences through audio, and bring them to the widest number of people through partnerships with like-minded companies who are looking to challenge the status quo.”
Sky Soundbox technical details:
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Connectivity and compatibility 1 HDMI input & output cable included 1 Optical input cable included Bluetooth 4.1 Compatible with Dolby Digital+
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Software technologies Immersive sound processing and rendering Real-time speaker management Dynamic-Volume adjustment Automatic listening modes exclusively available with Sky Q |
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Effective bandwidth 35 Hz – 22 kHz |
Dimensions 37.5 cm x 21 cm x 9.5 cm |
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Loudspeakers
6 x 3-inch woofers in dual push-push configuration
3 x 2-inch full range drivers in 120° configuration
Closed cabinet
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Weight Approx. 4kg |
Separately Sky has confirmed it will follow in the footsteps of rival BT and add support for Dolby Atmos to Sky Q later this year. Like BT, it will include the higher quality sound in its UHD Premier League coverage.