Sony makes great consumer tech products. Be it its headphones, smartphones, speakers, or TVs, its offerings often rank among the best in their respective categories. However, there's one downside to its products, and no it's not their quality or how they work – it's their naming conventions.
Take headphones, for example. When searching online, you'll stumble upon options such as the Sony WH-1000XM5, Sony WH-CH720N, and Sony WH-XB910N, to name a few. These names are not only hard to remember but also equally confusing for the average person.
This is thankfully changing, and Sony has already started the work. A few days back, the Japanese company unveiled the ULT lineup of headphones and speakers with a much better naming scheme. Yesterday, it introduced the 2024 Bravia lineup of TVs and soundbars with much simpler names.
Sony Has Been Hesitant To Let People Remember Model Names
We tend to remember products by their names, which can also provide information about the products and their positioning. For instance, you probably remember Samsung‘s Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. When their new generation lands, you’d expect them to be called the Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro.
However, imagine if you had to remember the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 as Samsung SM-R177, and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro as SM-R510 instead. How confusing would that be? Also, could you determine which one’s better just by these names? Probably not. The same has been the case with Sony's products for a long time.
The company, for some reason, refrains from giving its products proper names and directly calls them by their model numbers. For instance, its current flagship headphones are called Sony WH-1000XM5, while its top-end earbuds are called Sony WF-1000XM5. If you ignore the initial acronym, you won't know which product you're referring to.
Changes Are Afoot
Thankfully, you'll soon not need to get your heads crazy over Sony's naming schemes. The company has launched some products over the past week, and one significant change is that the names are now much easier to understand.
Sony ULT
Last week, Sony released the ULT lineup, comprising three product types: ULT Tower for large speakers, ULT Field for portable wireless speakers, and ULT Wear for headphones. Previously, its speakers fell under the SRS acronym, followed by some numbers. The recently announced Sony ULT Tower 10 speaker surely sounds better than Sony SRS-XP500 or Sony SRS-XE300, right?
Sony Bravia
Sony has also simplified the naming of its new TVs and home theaters. It recently launched a lineup of Bravia TVs with a better naming scheme. The Bravia 9 is its highest-end mini-LED TV, available in different sizes. As per Sony, it's the brightest 4K TV yet. The Bravia 8, an OLED TV available in three sizes, sits below it. Further down is the Bravia 7, another mini-LED TV but with less brightness than the Bravia 9. Lastly, there's the most budget-friendly Bravia 3, a direct-lit LED TV available in a variety of sizes.
Alongside these TVs, Sony also revealed some audio products, mostly soundbars, now dubbed Bravia Theater. The current lineup includes the Bravia Theater Bar 9 and Bar 8, its home theaters, the Bravia Theater Quad, a four-speaker home theater system for 360° audio, and the Bravia Theater U, a wireless neckband system.
Here’s How You Can Understand Sony’s Audio Products
Sony has been releasing devices with tricky names for a long time now. Other than the newly launched products, its entire range of products is filled with confusing names. However, did you know that there's a way to distinguish between its audio products, as the initial acronyms in these names have meanings?
The WH in the name stands for Wireless Headphones. If the name starts with HT, it's one of Sony‘s Home Theatre systems. Similarly, WI indicates a pair of wireless earphones, while WF means you’re looking at a pair of true wireless earbuds. And if you're seeking extra bass in your device, search for products with XB in their name.
