Qualia (Sony)
Encyclopedia
Qualia was a boutique brand of high-end electronics, created by Sony
to showcase their best technology. Some Qualia products are brand new while others are upgraded and rebranded versions of regular Sony products. The line was launched in Japan
in June 2003 and the U.S.
in April 2004. In 2005, Sony discontinued the Qualia series except in the United States
. In early 2006, Sony discontinued the series in the US as well.
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
to showcase their best technology. Some Qualia products are brand new while others are upgraded and rebranded versions of regular Sony products. The line was launched in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in June 2003 and the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in April 2004. In 2005, Sony discontinued the Qualia series except in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In early 2006, Sony discontinued the series in the US as well.
Products
| Function | Unveiled | RRP | Model number | Based on | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualia 001 | Video processor | January 2005 | US$5,080 | Q001-CB01 | - |
| Qualia 002 | HDV HDV HDV is a format for recording of high-definition video on DV cassette tape. The format was originally developed by JVC and supported by Sony, Canon and Sharp... camcorder |
April 2005 | US$5,800 | Q002-HDR1 | HDR-FX1 |
| Qualia 004 | SXRD Video projector | June 2003 | US$25,000 | Q004-R1 | - |
| Qualia 005 | 46" LCD television | August 2004 | US$10,000 | KDX46Q005 | - |
| Qualia 006 | 70" SXRD rear-projection television | September 2004 | US$15,000 | KDS-70Q006 | KDS-70XBR100 |
| Qualia 007 | SACD SACD SACD, founded as Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques on 7 March 1829, is a French collecting society, undertaking collective rights management for authors... player and amplifier |
June 2003 | US$6,700 | Q007-SCD | - |
| Qualia 010 | Headphones | April 2004 | US$2,400 | Q010-MDR1 | |
| Qualia 015 | 36" CRT Cathode ray tube The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and... television |
June 2003 | US$11,000 | Q015-KX36 | |
| Qualia 016 | Modular compact digital camera | June 2003 | US$4,000 | Q016-WE1 | - |
| Qualia 017 | MiniDisc MiniDisc The disc is permanently housed in a cartridge with a sliding door, similar to the casing of a 3.5" floppy disk. This shutter is opened automatically by a mechanism upon insertion. The audio discs can either be recordable or premastered. Recordable MiniDiscs use a magneto-optical system to record... player |
June 2004 | US$1,700 | Q017-MD1 | MZ-E10 |
| - | In-ear headphones | June 2004 | US$200 | MDR-EXQ1 | MDR-EX71 |