At a combined 17 ounces, the SRS-A27 is a good travel companion for a portable MP3 player, CD player, or Walkman-style cassette player. Adding four alkaline AA batteries only adds a couple of ounces and gives you 30 hours of playing time.

An AC adaptor is not included, and given the battery life, probably not needed anyway. If the batteries run out, the speakers can be switched from "On" to "Off/direct," which bypasses the amplifier and lets your portable's headphone amp drive the speakers directly. Think of it like the police showing up to enforce noise complaints - the party can go on, only more quietly.

The speakers are magnetically shielded -- flux leakage from the driver smallish magnets won't affect picture when placed near a television.

DESIGN
The speakers, which have about the volume of a 12-ounce can of soda, are more attractive than you would typically find at this price point. The matte black paper cone drivers with reflective dust caps are recessed slightly behind a curved metal (not plastic) grille. The look is a bit like a fencing helmet from an angle.

Batteries go in the back of the left speaker, which also houses the amplifier circuitry, a power switch and volume knob.

Each speaker has a 44-inch cable terminating with a 1/8-inch jack. The one hard-wired to the left speaker plugs into a standard "mini" headphone jack, such as is almost universally found on portable CD, tape, and MP3 players. The other is a speaker cable that connects the amp to the right speaker. This gives you more stereo separation than is possible with those two-speakers-in-a-box jobs.

SOUND
At reasonable volumes, the speaker's sonic character is shaded slightly toward "hard edged," as opposed to mellow. This is a relatively benign tradeoff: A gain in immediacy and articulation at the cost of slightly increased listening fatigue. This character gets more pronounced with volume. You might experiment with turning the speakers slightly off-axis (not pointing directly at your ears).

These aren't speakers you would want to listen to for hours on end. Even at background levels, they don't allow a sonically immersive experience - you are never less than aware that you are listening to tiny speakers.

Speaking of volume, don't be fooled by that humble 1 watt per channel rating. The speakers will play louder than you might expect. I measured 87-88 decibel sound peaks (A-weighted at 1 meter) at maximum volume with Chariots of Fire by Vangelis. But even before they hit hard clipping, the progressively hardening sound annoys you into turning down the sound. Your results may vary -- they depend on your portable (and its volume setting).

No, they won't rock your world (or your house or your party), so put aside any unrealistic expectations. Remember: That THUMP you might get on a boom box will be more like a THWAP with these. There is only the suggestion of bass from their harmonics, not actual bass, so a little imagination is necessary. Incidentally, the product description above says these have Sony's Mega Bass circuitry, but I find that very hard to believe - this may an error.

CONCLUSION
I would put the SRS-A27 on a short list of portable powered speakers to audition at a $20 price point. At $10-$15 they would be a no-brainer, particularly if qualities like "crisp," "etched," and "clear" appeal more than "mellow," "warm," and "smooth." Be prepared to bargain: Dealers should be willing to give you change from a twenty, and near-flawless used examples can be found for under $10.

If you set your expectations low enough, you just might be satisfied. Sony SRS-A27 speakers aren't worth $14.99 let alone $19.99. With only 1w per Speaker, don't expect to much. I recommend you shop around unless you want to waste $19.99. Overall I give them 1 Star each for participation.

When I was looking for a pair of powered portable speakers, I looked at this pair from Sony, as well as a couple selections at Radio Shack, all for the same price of $19.99. Compared to the Radio Shack speakers, the Sony has these pros and cons:

Pros:
- lightweight
- better build quality (all are made in China)
- accommodates easier-to-find AA batteries vs. size C for RS
- slightly better sound with more clarity

Cons:
- no bass or treble controls as on the RS speakers
- not as loud as the RS speakers, but the latter gets distorted so bad so the maximum volume is meaningless

In the end I chose the Sony speakers for better sound and build quality as well as a longer warranty. I use them with my RCA Lyra MP3 Jukebox and also my Panasonic SL-SV550 CD/MP3/Radio player. Pretty happy so far.

For under $20 these speakers do their job. They get loud, and that's probably their best quality. They are pretty clear, but there is no bass. You are definitely getting what you pay for.
The speakers are not supplied w/ an A/C adapter and I had trouble finding an after market one to power them properly.

These speakers on definitely on the low end of sound quality. At a power rating of 1 watt per speaker, they sound much smaller than they look. The sound is a harsh mix of the mid-to-high-end range. There is no hint of bass.

Battery life (four AA batteries) will give you between 15-30 hours of play. While this isn't bad, it also means that if you accidentally leave the power switch on, you'll be on your way to the store for more batteries. Good thing there is an AC plug (but no cables).

On the lighter side, the packaging mine came with said that these could be used with a Walkman, CD Walkman, MD Walkman, or PC. It then stated that "Walkman and PC is not supplied." Rats, I thought I was going to get a PC for twenty bucks!