Sony makes tubular speaker concept a reality

(Credit: Sony)

Given that concepts are a penny a dozen, it's no surprise that most never make it off the drawing board at most companies--and Sony is no exception. So it is with some surprise that the company has decided to take that rare step and make one of them a reality.

Sony's "Soutina" (purportedly a mashup of "sound" and "fountain") first made the rounds in draftboard form last year under a different name. But now the unusually designed acrylic speaker--which is described as "a transparent organic glass tube that vibrates and expands 360 degrees"--will be released June 20 in Japan.

There is the small matter of its price, however: $9,600, according to the Associated Press, which estimates the 3.3-foot Soutina to be "slightly thicker than a baseball bat." But hey, you can always pretend it's a giant Lightsaber.