Today Sony announced two new additions to its home audio line-up, and both are a little quirky and cool. Available in the next week, the S-Air Play (above) and the XROSS FADE (pic after the jump) offer two methods for pumpin' up the jams at your next party.

The S-Air Play is a multiroom audio system that could be seen as a simpler, more affordable alternative to the Sonos. It has an iPod/iPhone dock, along with an AM/FM tuner, and wireless "clients" with built-in speakers that can broadcast the iPod's output anywhere in your house (within reason, of course). The system is expandable to up to 10 clients, each one armed with the ability to control basic iPod functions remotely. The core system starts at $400.

The XROSS FADE is a behemoth, DJ-style sound system. It allows for live mixing between two different iPod sources, as well as regular playback from a built-in CD player, AM/FM tuner, a USB port, and enough audio inputs to support another stereo or a turntable. There's also a queuing function, allowing the designated DJ to queue up tracks in headphones without the rest of the party hearing the hard work, just like a real mixer set-up. The system goes for $500.

Look for a review of the S-Air Play on PCMag.com in the next month.

Post by Tim Gideon