BeoSound 8. A Colorful & Cool Docking Station For iPhone, iPod and iPad.

BeoSound 8 is a new product from high-end audio favorite Bang & Olufsen. A powerful, essential speaker dock that unfolds your digital music collection taking the experience to a completely new level, conveniently and seamlessly. The BeoSound 8 defies industry standards as it features a distinct two dimensional design, bold form, and a superior sound quality due to its custom-made conical speakers and high-performance amplifiers.




It is also one of the few docking stations on the market that is directly compatible with the iPad, without having to utilize any extra wires or adapters, ensuring a clean, minimalist design.





BeoSound 8 (text from B&O):


Think of a room, any room. A bedroom, guest room, or open-plan kitchen? In a summerhouse, chic apartment, or family home? Now just add BeoSound 8 to fill up your room with Bang & Olufsen sound and style. If you keep your music on an iPad, iPhone, iPod or computer, you are all set to discover the iconic style and breathtaking sound quality that has made Bang & Olufsen one of the most sought-after names in home audio.



Move BeoSound 8 from room to room or hang it on a wall. All you need is a power outlet, your music player of choice, and a desire for real sound quality. Secure your iPad, iPhone, or iPod firmly in the adjustable holder and prepare for a surprise. The sleek speaker design gives little clue about the fidelity and depth of the sound that is about to come your way.



The conical shape of the speakers on BeoSound 8 has two functions. Design-wise, the shapes ‘disappear’ to create an unobtrusive impression from most viewing angles and make placement easier. In terms of audio quality, they eliminate standing waves by avoiding parallel surfaces. It may sound very technical, but you’ll find that the proof is in the experience.

Playing music from your own phone, computer, or media player gives you the advantage of a familiar navigation environment. In addition, you can now download an app version of the sleek and stylish BeoPlayer for your docked iPad, iPhone, or iPod. You can also adjust sound levels and skip tracks quickly and conveniently on BeoSound 8 itself. Music on a docked or USB linked device can be controlled via the dedicated round remote control or of course your existing Beo4 or Beo5 remote controls if you already own other Bang & Olufsen equipment.

To match your personal taste and the room you place it in, BeoSound 8 comes in either black or white with aluminium details and matching power cord. When you feel the need to add a splash of colour to the room, the list of options includes six fabric speaker covers in lavender blue, purple, green, yellow, black and white.

BeoSound 8
Price: $999
Dimensions: 26" x 9.4" x 6.5"
Weight: 9.35 lbs

Buy it here

BoomCases Will Have You Rocking Retro-Style.

Dominic, aka Mr. SiMo, is a self-proclaimed "audio-nut" who had the interesting idea to turn vintage hard-sided suitcases into self-powered boom boxes, making music portable in a retro fashion. He takes wood and leather vintage suitcases (which he prefers to thin or plastic cases because the acoustic sound quality is better) and adds speakers and more.




Prices Start at $250 for a plug-in only case and at $300 for a battery/plug-in case.

Options include:
•iPod – iPhone/USB Charger: $15
•Double Battery Capacity: $45
•Solar Power Charger: $65
•Wireless Audio Playback: $100 (must have Bluetooth compatible device)




The Self Powered, Portable Suitcase Stereo system works with your iPod/iPhone or any device with a headphone jack. The cases will last several hours on a single charge (the charger is built in). In addition to running on batteries, The BoomCase can also be plugged in when the party goes inside. To save on weight, you can opt for a plug-in only version.

Many of the BoomCases shown in this post have already been sold, but Mr. SiMo has a slew of vintage hard sided luggage in various shapes, sizes and colors, just waiting to be turned into BoomCases for you.









all images and info courtesy of Mr. Simo
special shout out to Erica Mayer for turning me onto these!

Get your own cool BoomCase here.

Davone Audio's Newest Speakers, Ray, Are An Homage To The Eames Lounge

Davone Audio of Denmark has just finished designing and producing their second luxurious set of high-end loudpeakers. Following Rithm, their new set of speakers is housed in a bowed walnut wood veneer and set atop metal legs. Similar in color, design and style to the iconic lounge chair by Charles and Ray Eames, the speakers are named "Ray" an obvious nod to the designers of the famous chair.


The iconic Eames Lounge chair and ottoman:

making the bowed veneers for the housing of the equipment:

detailed shots of the Ray Speakers:




The first set of finished speakers have just been sent to New York to appear as a prop in an upcoming major motion picture that will be released in 2011.

Purported to cost $6,000 a pair, no specs on the speakers have yet to be published, nor are they yet available.

Below is their first set of loudspeakers, the Rithm:

Davone audio

It's A Lamp. It's A Speaker. It's The Amplamp By Futuros

Is it a table lamp? Is it an audio speaker? The truth is that the amplamp is a unique combination of both. The amplamp is hand-crafted by Dominic Bromley, one of the UK's most successful lighting and ceramics designers - and the guy behind Scabetti.

what does it look like?
Available in black or white and with your choice of shade.




How does it work?

Amplamp delivers a unique sonic experience that easily compares to the most advanced consumer audio products. The sound combines tightly controlled deep bass with crystal clear presence, accuracy and precision.



By using a unique configuration of Airsound drivers and a transparent NXT panel speaker, the Amplamp is able to create a 360 degree spatial sound with realistic staging. The listener is enveloped in exquisite stereo sound, regardless of wherever they are in the room.



With the shade in place, the unit delivers above 20kHz, which is higher than you can hear - the domain of cats and bats. And at the same time it reaches down to less than 40Hz - lower than the lowest note on a bass guitar. So you really will not miss a thing.


Features include:

• On-board amplifier - 80 watts including sub woofer
• Spatial stereo from one amplamp
• NXT and Airsound technologies
• Optional docking station controls and charges your iPod


An exceptional speaker- The amplamp takes the speaker out of the conventional black box. An active speaker for an iPod, MP3 player or any other sound source, the amplamp uses cutting edge technology to produce a precision, room-filling stereo sound from a single unit.



The listener is enveloped in exquisite stereo sound, regardless of where they are in the room. A powerful, vertical-firing, bass sub woofer adds a depth and richness only found in larger, higher specification, hi-fi systems.




About NXT technology:

NXT's technologies are unique and based on harnessing the natural modes of vibration in a panel to reproduce sound. These technologies are derived from a profound understanding of bending wave physics and its applications to sound generation.

Traditional speakers act like a piston, pumping air with a rigid cone. NXT speakers are different. A transducer is used to excite a carefully designed panel, which vibrates, & converts the mechanical energy into sound pressure waves over the entire surface area. It is the same principle that makes an acoustic guitar or violin make its sound.

An additional characteristic is that the sound volume does not decay over distance like a standard speaker. This allows users to set a volume that is comfortable whilst they are sitting close to the unit while also being sufficient to fill the whole room with sound.

A powerful, vertical-firing, bass sub woofer adds a depth and richness only found in larger, high-specification, hi-fi systems.



About airsound technology:
It works by using small side firing speakers to reproduce spatial information contained within a stereo input signal. The resulting sound is used to interact with & modify the mono sound field generated by a forward facing NXT panel speaker.

Pre-order yours now here. Or call: +44 (0)1249 700 643
Read about Dominic and Frances Bromley of Scabetti here.


Other wild audio speakers worth checking out:

Ross Lovegrove's KEF Muon Speakers

Tons of unusual and amazing audio speakers

The G1 Giya speakers

the wireless Ferrari speakers

Symbio Design's Loud speakers

Artcoustic wall speakers

Mini-Gods speakers from Marka27

Symbio Design Loudspeakers; Alpha, Beta & EggO

The Alpha or Alfa (sic):



The design of the Alpha loudspeaker system is based on a baffle made from laminated composite. A bass-reflex tube is made the same way and, after the manufacturing process completion, it becomes an integral part of the baffle.



In addition, the bass-reflex tube orifice shape prevents the turbulence generation with air circulation in the tube, when a higher sound volume is set, which very often adversely affects the systems sound character and brings undesired noises into the performance. The shell is made with laying stress on the standing waves elimination without a single joint, so we eliminated pressure losses. The selected construction provides high shell rigidity with a big inner acoustic attenuation.




Parameters:
number of bands: 2
baffle type: bass-reflex
recommended placement: floor, shelf, in-wall installation, ceiling
total weight of the system: 5.5 kg/piece
max. high 580 mm, max. width 330 mm, max. depth 470 mm
Woofer:
response (1W,1m): 91 dB SPL
frequency characteristics: 40 - 4000 Hz
nominal impedance: 8 Ohm
weight 1,41 kg
long-lasting maximum power 75 W
short-lasting maximum power 250 W
Tweeter :
response (1W,1m): 92 dB SPL
frequency characteristics: 2000 - 25000 Hz
nominal impedance: 6 Ohm
weight 0,5 kg
long-lasting maximum power 90 W
short-lasting maximum power 220 W

The Beta:


Upon customer’s request, it is possible to individually change the standard high-gloss snow-white surface finish, which comes from ALFA, for any other colour of the RAL colour palette. Generally, the model is also supplied in black and silver colour.



The Beta loudspeakers are designed to be put on a table top or any other suitable place, including floor. We are also preparing light in-wall or ceiling installations. The minimalist solution assumes a simple connection to your audio system using the loudspeaker cable, which is the part of delivery.




Wideband loudspeaker system with an enclosed baffle. The system is bedded with two special FDS loudspeakers.

Parameters:
number of bands: 1
baffle type: enclosed baffle
recommended placement: floor, shelf, table, in-wall installation, ceiling
FDS 100-30 loudspeaker
Type: Extremely flat wideband loudspeaker
Total maximum installation depth, including
the basket and diaphragm: 27 mm
response (1W,1m): 85 dB SPL
maximum acoustic pressure: 100/b>
wattage rating: 40 W RMS
wattage rating (peak): 60 W RMS
frequency char. (+/-3dB): 130Hz – 16 kHz
flare angle (120 Hz – 12,5 kHz): > 90° (-5 dB)
resonance frequency: 130 Hz
maximum core deviation: +/- 6mm
material of magnet: neodymium
material of basket: ABS
material of diaphragm: paper, TPU
diaphragm diameter: 100 mm
weight: 220 g

The EggO



The EggO is a passive loudspeaker system with a band-pass baffle type bedded with one low-frequency speaker. EggO subwoofer is supplemented with an efficient amplifier. Correction elements of amplifier contain output level and crossover frequency controls.



Parameters:
number of bands: 1
baffle type: band-pass baffle
recommended placement: floor
SEAS loudspeaker
Type: low-frequency speaker
impedance: --- Ohm
response (1W,1m): --- dB SPL
maximum acoustic pressure: --- dB
wattage rating: --- W RMS / --- W peak
frequency characteristics (+/-3dB): 40 - 200 Hz
maximum core deviation: +/- --- mm
material of magnet: neodymium

SYMBIO Design, s.r.o.
Brigadniku 44
100 00 Praha 10

Mgr. Petr Malenicky - sales , Andrej Jakovlev - technology Mg.A Jerry Koza - design

T: +420 777 253 713 (sales)
T: +420 608 420 006 (technology)
T: +420 777 253 702 (design)
E: info@symbiodesign.cz
W: www.symbiodesign.cz

If speakers are your thing, be sure to see 'Speaker Manufacturers Turn up The Volume On Design'