Sony attempts to lure audiophiles with 'Premium Sound' microSD

by Mark Tyson on 20 February 2015, 12:50

Tags: Sony (NYSE:SNE)

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Sony is launching a new super-expensive 64GB microSD card aimed at audiophiles. Claiming to offer 'Premium Sound', the Sony SR-64HXA micro SDXC memory card costs more than five times the average price of a similar specced card offering the same amount of storage.

The SR-64HXA micro SDXC memory card will start shipping next month, and will rip a $160 (£100) hole in your wallet if you believe Sony's claims and feel the need for such a 'Premium Sound' memory card. According to the Japanese electronics firm, this card is designed to produce less electrical noise when reading data, pandering to an audio enthusiast's passionate pursuit of crystal clear sound quality. The company suggests that while the speed and capacity of memory cards can be the same, the parts and materials can make a difference to the sound files read from them and delivered to your ear drums. We aren't sure if the SR-64HXA spec includes precious metal plated contacts.

What Hi-Fi suggests that Sony might find buyers from the same seam of the population that invested in its $1,200 NWZX2 Walkman that plays 'high-resolution audio'. However even the company is unsure about the potential of this new memory card. "We aren't that sure about the product's potential demand, but we thought some among people who are committed to great sound quality would want it," a Sony spokeswoman told the WSJ.

The Sony SR-64HXA will become available on 5th March in Japan. However, unless you have special sensitive ears and an insensitive wallet, we'd suggest that a regular 64GB Class 10 microSD card costing less than $30 will probably be adequate for your portable music storage needs.



HEXUS Forums :: 77 Comments

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Sony entering the snake oil market…..
This sounds like an April Fools joke that's been leaked early…
This is going to be one of those things like ‘premium’ HDMI cables. No matter how many people point out that the ones and zeroes of digital information either get there or they don't and hence there's no difference between a £5 cable and a £500 one, there will always be a market for this stuff.

They won't sell many, but at that price they don't need to!

Edit: Also, I find it amusing that What Hi-Fi have taken a skeptical stance on this product, and at the same time they will happily recommend a £100+ HDMI cable http://www.whathifi.com/chord-company/active/review. Just saying…
A promoted comment on the Ars article explains this a bit better, before people get the pitchforks out: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/02/sony-will-sell-a-premium-sound-microsdxc-card-to-audiophiles-in-japan/

Yeah, it's probably mostly pointless, but something digital being called ‘low noise’ isn't necessarily nonsense if steps have been taken to e.g. reduce interference with analogue circuitry.

There's a lot more sound (pardon the pun) reasoning to this than a lot of ‘audiophile’ rubbish at least.
Whats the world coming to :(