The middle of a global pandemic seems an odd time to launch a product used to throw parties, but that's what Sony has gone and done. The Sony MHC-V83D is a light and sound machine that promises to be the life and soul of any party – just look how much fun these people are having, for starters.
The big selling point is omnidirectional sound and lighting. The high-efficiency tweeter uses horn tweeters, while the midrange uses mid-horn speakers, all of which should deliver extra height and width. The result is the sound will travel further, covering a wider area.
The lighting promises to go from floor to ceiling, with waves of deep blue, sky blue and green with multi-coloured stripes. Its dynamic movement mimics that of a mobile DJ nightclub.
You can also set the lighting to be more subdued using the ambient light mode. These slower, more relaxed movements should make for a more relaxed atmosphere.
And – uh oh – there are microphone inputs too, if you want to "unleash your inner pop star", plus a guitar input so you can use the unit as a guitar amp.
Guests can add tracks to the playlist using the Fiestable app, which will also (unfortunately for you) rank your karaoke performance. A wheelie handle makes it easy to transport, too.
An HDMI (Arc) lets the unit double as a home cinema speaker, should you want to liven up those old Friends repeats, and it has both DAB and FM tuners for listening to the radio.
The MHC-V83D costs £700 (that's $930, AU$1270), while the lower-specced MHC-V73D is £590 (AU$999). Both will launch in October. Two more models (MHC-V43D and MHC-V13) with more durable cabinets and gesture controls will launch from March next year with UK prices TBC, and Australian prices set at AU$799 and AU$469 respectively.
MORE: