Sony Introduces the SBH90C and STH40D Headsets at MWC

In addition to the Xperia Ear Duo, Sony also introduced 2 new headsets, the SBH90C and the STH40D.  Both are still labelled as coming soon, but I expect they will launch at the same time as the new Xperia ZX2 phone, so early to mid April.

• SBH90C offered in Black and Silky Beig, STH40D in Black, Grey, Pink or Green
• Up to 7.5 hours of wireless playback with the SBH90C, with support for Hi-Res playback and Qualcomm aptX support
• STH40D offers a wired 3.5mm connection and Open-ear style with bone conduction

The SBH90C offers both a wireless and wired mode (USB type C), where as the STH40D only offers wired playback using a 3.5mm jack, meaning if your phone has no 3.5mm jack (XZ2 line), then you are out of luck and will have to opt for the more expensive SBH90C headset or fine a USB type C to 3.5mm adapter.

SBH90C

The SBH90C will be offered in 2 colour options black and Silky Beige with support for Hi resolution audio using the built in USB DAC on the new Xperia smartphones that feature a USB type-C port.  This means there is no Hi Res playback using bluetooth but the headset does support Qualcomm's aptX, which does provide a better sound quality experience. The bluetooth version is 4.2 and NFC is also present. 

Frequency response is 20–40,000Hz for USB Audio, and 20–10,000Hz for wireless, but I feel the BT one is a typo and it probably is 20-20,000 Hz.  The headset features a 9.7mm driver and something Sony calls "Beat Response Control technology" which delivers a tight, deep bass response.  In addition, the ground cable and audio channel cables are separated to improve sound quality.

Battery life is around 7.5 hours for music, 9 hours for voice and standby time of 900 hours.  Recharge takes 2 hours, be that with the charging adapter or via a phone's type C port.  The box contains 2 cables, a USB type-C Cable for charging (USB Type-C–USB Standard A) and a dedicated headphone cable (Type-C Plug).  Pricing is unknown for the time being, same for availability. 

STH40D

The STH40D is a poor man's Xperia Ear Duo, kind of. Okay is an over exaggeration but they do offer the similar open-ear experience as the Ear Duo but are not wireless.  The headset will be offered in 4 colours that match the current Xperia XZ2 line but since they offer a 3.5mm jack, will work with other phones and more importantly, the current Walkman line.

Frequency response is 20–20, 000Hz, so no Hi-Res support and unlike the Ear Duo, there is no IPX certification, but I suspect a small drizzle won't hurt them much.  The lightweight design is a nice bonus and the dual listening capability is perfect for people who bike and jog since it doesn't cut out outside noise.  Currently unknown availability of pricing, I suspect an early to mid April launch with pricing around $50 USD max, anything more would be too much.

I wish Sony would release press releases for these types of devices.