Sony reveals its sound and vision for the PC

Sony IT Group is releasing a speaker set for PC soundcards and the first in a new range of Trinitron monitors.

Both products will be supplied through Sony's usual channels of Merisel, West Coast and MicroP and retailed through Byte. The speaker kits will also be on sale at PC World and Dixons.

The SRS-PC51 speakers, which for u55 feature brackets that allow them to be free-standing or clipped on to the sides of a monitor, are complemented by the SRS-PC3DW subwoofer to boost the bass response (u99). Neil Berville, sales and marketing manager for Sony IT Group, said: "By first purchasing active speakers from the Sony range, users can have quality sound and then add the subwoofer at a later stage, spreading the cost of investment."

The monitor range marks a departure from naming the product after its screen size, hence the Multiscan 15sx replacement is now the Multiscan 100sx. This has become necessary because of US advertising regulations that force companies to state the maximum viewable area rather than the diagonal measurement of the cathode-ray tube. A spokeswoman for Sony IT Group said: "In Europe we will still be advertising the traditional measurements but we don't think it will be long before Europe follows the US."

The 100sx is the entry-level model in a new range that will be revealed in the run-up to Christmas. The company will start promotions in the New Year and will be emphasising that Trinitron is its technology which is merely copied by other manufacturers.

For the speakers, POS stands will be appearing in the retail outlets before Christmas. The metal stands are supplied free by Sony and come with a Sony Diskman as a sound-source which can be switched between each set of speakers to show the quality levels at different price points.

Retailers must purchase four sets of speakers from the Sony range at demo model prices to qualify for a stand. The company has shipped 25 of these units so far.