Skip to main content

Sony Goes (Very) Mini with HT-IS100 System

Sony Goes (Very) Mini with HT-IS100 System

We’ve seen miniscule speakers done before by the likes of Bose and Orb Audio, but the latest home theater system out of Sony takes the concept to its logical extreme. Fresh out of Japan, the HT-IS100 features tiny speakers that Sony equates to the size of a golf ball.

The 5.1 system gets five of the mini dynamos to serve as the left, right, center and surround speakers, along with a not-so-tiny sub. It accepts three 1080p HDMI inputs with support for up to eight uncompressed audio channels for use with home theater systems.

Recommended Videos

Despite its discrete appearance, the system handles 450 watts (RMS) of power. It also includes extras like Sony’s Digital Cinema Auto Calibration tool for automatically configuring it to a room, and Dialogue Enhancer with Night Mode for boosting movie dialogue when you have the volume turned down low.

Although the system is brand new and was only recently even announced for the Japanese market, the speakers are actually the same one’s found in last year’s similar DAV-IS10 system.  The HT-IS100 will debut in July for with an MSRP of $700.

Nick Mokey
As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…
Sony Bravia X95L mini-LED vs. TCL QM8 QLED: The best LCD TV and the one you should buy
Sony X95L vs TCL QM8

This comparison puts Sony’s flagship mini-LED TV, the Sony X95L, versus the TCL QM8, TCL’s best mini-LED TV. I’ve called the Sony X95L the best LCD TV I’ve ever tested, and I’ve said that the TCL QM8 might just be the best value in TV right now, despite a few notable quirks.

But is this really a fair fight? There’s more than $2,000 separating these 85-inch TVs. In terms of price, Sony’s X90L is a closer match to the TCL QM8. But in terms of technology and the fact that these are the best LCD TVs on offer from Sony and TCL, I think this versus will be fun — never mind whether it makes a lot of sense.

Read more
Hisense just debuted the world’s largest mini-LED TV at 100 inches
100-inch Hisense U8K 4K mini-LED TV.

Hisense now makes the world's largest mini-LED backlit 4K TV: the 100-inch U8K TV. It announced the new TV at CEDIA Expo, the annual conference for AV professionals and installers, taking place in Denver, CO from September 7-9. The new TV might be the world's biggest, but its price is surprisingly accessible (at least, for a TV of this size) at $10,000. Hisense's TVs are often deeply discounted, sometimes as soon as they go on sale, so we expect this price to drop soon. It will be available from retailers like Best Buy and Amazon later this fall.

"Popularity and consumer interest in big screens continues to grow," said David Gold, President of Hisense USA, in a press release. "While our laser TV lineup can reach up to an impressive 300-inches, we also wanted to offer an option that showcases Hisense’s superior mini-LED experience, and there was no better choice than what’s proving to be our most award-winning TV to date: the U8K Series. We’re the only brand offering mini-LED at the 100-inch size, at this performance level, with this feature set, and a value package."

Read more
TCL’s new QD-Mini LED televisions point to a very bright future
The TCL X955 QD-Mini LED television.

The TCL X955 QD-Mini LED television TCL / TCL

TCL today has taken the wraps off its next generation of televisions, and you're going to want to sit down for this. Or stand up. And maybe cheer a little. Because (on paper anyway), there's a whole lot to like here.

Read more