Tag Archives: Audio

World’s First Earphones with 5 Audio Drivers basically puts a 5-Speaker Home Theater in your ear

Posted on by

Designed in tandem with Cowboy Bebop’s 25th anniversary, these Anime-themed earphones hold the distinction of packing the most number of audio drivers in a singular tiny wearable design. Dubbed the “Tribrid 5-Driver System”, the TE-ZX1 from AVIOT uses multiple drivers to cover a variety of frequencies, much like a home theater uses a series of speakers to create an immersive soundscape across low, mid, and high-range audio frequencies. The result, according to AVIOT, is staggeringly great sound that feels nothing like the cheap $99 TWS earbuds you find all over online retail platforms. For a price of $218, the TE-ZX1 offers the option of putting the world’s smallest home theater in your ear… along with hybrid noise canceling to sweeten the deal!

Designer: AVIOT

Click Here to Buy Now: $217 $334 (35% off). Hurry, offer ends soon!

An earphone’s biggest advantage and disadvantage is usually its size. Designed to be small enough to fit in your ear cavity, these audio devices are conveniently compact, but that also limits their capabilities because of how small the drivers inside them are. To account for this, earphones rely on digital signal processing or DSP to help improve sound quality, soundstage, stereo imaging, etc. The distinct advantage the TE-ZX1 has is the fact that it uses multiple drivers to make up for its small size. Equipped with a staggering 5 drivers per ear, the earphones cover a wider range of frequencies, and reproduce them much more accurately, relying less and less on DSP and more on accurately reflecting the audio signal exactly how it is.

Enjoy Wireless High-Resolution Audio with LDAC

The TE-ZX1’s Tribrid 5-Driver System features a combination of a planar magnetic driver and a dynamic driver, along with three balanced armature drivers to produce a wide spectrum of sounds with crystal clarity. “These three types of drivers, each with distinct characteristics, complement each other to perfection. We have uncompromisingly refined the characteristics of each driver, creating an overwhelming amount of information. The result is a dynamic and transient-rich sound across the entire frequency range,” mention the folks at AVIOT. The earphones also come with LDAC tech, supporting all relevant codecs to ensure that high-quality sound is transmitted perfectly over Bluetooth, and hybrid noise canceling to ensure that external sounds don’t muddy the quality of what the TE-ZX1 has to offer. High-quality microphones also help ensure crystal-clear calling, allowing the earphones to serve as more than just audio-listening devices.

All this impressive tech sits encased within an incredibly edgy outer design, courtesy of the tag-team duo of mechanical designer Kimitoshi Yamane and graphic designer Toshiaki Uesugi. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the iconic anime TV series Cowboy Bebop, the earphones and their case draws inspiration from the high-speed combat ship ‘Swordfish II’ featured in the series. The eye-catching aesthetic balances ergonomics rather wonderfully too, with an outer shell that relies on additive manufacturing – the same cutting-edge manufacturing method used by premium in-ear monitors worn by professionals and experts. Additive manufacturing helps build out complex shapes that other molding/machining methods can’t achieve, resulting in a form that’s highly precise with an intricate acoustic design (that fits those 5 drivers on the inside). A metal nozzle helps effectively channel audio from the Tribrid driver system directly into your ear, and each TE-ZX1 comes with as many as 8 different silicone tips to choose from, for a snug fit regardless of ear type.

The earphones and their charging case come with a gorgeous metallic red colorway, complete with black accents that definitely should grab a few eyeballs. The earphones are rated IPx4 waterproof, making them suited for wearing while exercising or even in mild rain, and come with a battery backup of 8 hours, extendable by an additional 20 hours when used alongside the charging case. Approximately 10 minutes of charging gives you a full hour’s worth of listening, so you’re never left hanging for too long while your fancy 5-driver earphones are charging! The TE-ZX1 starts at a rather affordable $218, putting them square in the mid-range for the TWS category… even though the sound they promise rivals gear that’s 3x the price!

Click Here to Buy Now: $217 $334 (35% off). Hurry, offer ends soon!

The post World’s First Earphones with 5 Audio Drivers basically puts a 5-Speaker Home Theater in your ear first appeared on Yanko Design.

LV Nanogram Speaker has travel-friendly design, decorative allure, and exceptional acoustic to match

Posted on by

Louis Vuitton has a habit of redefining the wheel with luxury. Case in point the LV Nanogram Speaker that refines opulence and quality for the seekers on the horizon of portable music and fashion accessory. Designed to take “beauty and sound to destinations unknown” the compact and lightweight LV speaker is a portable successor to the LV Horizon model.

As a premium tech offering, Masion’s creation embodies craftsmanship and quality in an on-the-go fashion accessory that resembles a tiny UFO measuring 13.5 cm across and tipping the scale at 520g. The hefty speaker is made from aluminum but with the embedded leather loop with a removable hook, the LV Nanogram Speaker, becomes a portable and travel-friendly option.

Designer: Louis Vuitton

The first thing you would notice on the speaker will either be the perforated grille or the debossed Monogram, depending on what your perception is. For me, the LV Nanogram Speaker with emblematic codes all over, is a premium speaker and so I see the grille before the logo, but you could have a different opinion.

The impressive design of the LV Nanogram is inspired by the LV’s circular Toupie bag. And in a similar theme, the leather loop and hook can allow the speaker to hang from the backpack, handbag, or just from the belt, if you don’t mind an additional pound on it. If you don’t mind the weight, then the LV speaker can give you a 2.3-inch loudspeaker with a frequency range of 170 Hz to 20 kHz anywhere, anytime.

While the speaker looks all decked up and sublime for indoor usage, it assures it won’t leave you wanting in the outdoors either, for this it boasts a long 17 hours of battery life. The speaker comes with a USB-C charger in the box which can juice up the battery in under two hours. The charging port is the on back of the speaker, hidden away from the plush façade.

Portability demands ruggedness we all know. LV is not known essentially for delivering heirloom speakers in the outdoor division; but adding substance to the design, LV Nanogram Speaker is provided with IP67 rated for protection against dust and water. Priced at $2,230 LV Nanogram comes in three colors: copper, silver, and a “Damoflage” edition. Irrespective of the color, each speaker is available with monogramming all over. The speaker can (courtesy of its built-in LEDs) create a light show that synchronizes with the music you are playing. And when you’re done, you can safely pack the speaker in its travel pouch and get going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2BwkJuHa68

The post LV Nanogram Speaker has travel-friendly design, decorative allure, and exceptional acoustic to match first appeared on Yanko Design.

Korg pays tribute to classic vinyl turntable with Handytraxx Play

Posted on by

I’ve never DJ-ed in my life, although I’ve touched a turntable or two in passing. But even though I don’t listen to much of their music, I’ve always found those who use that “instrument” to be fascinating since I have no idea how it really works. One of the more popular tools for DJs who wanted to be portable was the Vestax Handy Trax. Now a brand that has been producing gear for the modern DJ is paying tribute to that particular vinyl player.

Designer: Korg

Korg worked with the former president of Vestax, Toshide Nakama (who passed away before completion of the project) to come up with the Handrytraxx Play, a tribute to the original Vesta Handy Trax. It is able to bring what made the original a favorite among DJs together with Korg’s more modern features in a lightweight product that the musician can easily bring along wherever they need it.

Original Vestax Handytrax

The turntable comes with built-in 3-W speakers and you can choose to spin at either 33.3, 45, or 78 rpm. It is powered by AAA-sized batteries or if you can connect to an outlet, a USB-C cord. It also has a built-in looper that has variable playback speed, a crossfader with reverse mode, delay and scratch effects and several “unique and creative filters”. You can of course monitor playback through headphones and it also has a detachable control panel.

It looks like pretty much a normal vinyl turntable except that it is pretty portable and lightweight. A non-playable prototype of this gadget is expected to make an appearance at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show where Korg will be unveiling several other products.

The post Korg pays tribute to classic vinyl turntable with Handytraxx Play first appeared on Yanko Design.

Huge transparent horn speakers deliver an odd yet beautiful way to enjoy music

Posted on by

We’re long past the days when speakers, especially those at home, would simply be literal black boxes that belted out sound in whatever direction they were pointed at. While those still exist, many of the audio equipment marketed for home use have taken on more interesting designs that marry aesthetics and function without sacrificing either. Bang & Olufsen might be one of the most popular brands in this growing market of art-inspired speakers, but it is hardly the only one with curious and eye-catching designs. This loudspeaker set, for example, is just as much a work of art as it is a piece of high-end audio equipment, promising to elevate the listening experience to a whole new level that involves not just the ears but also the eyes.

Designer: Timothy Hill

In an iconic form, the speaker has always been represented by one of its oldest designs, a conical structure that curves from one end to another, creating what is commonly known as a horn shape. The Jetstream loudspeaker takes that shape and transforms it into an art piece by using transparent acrylic for the horn and blowing it up to human-sized proportions. The result is a distinctive, one-of-a-kind speaker that makes the drive unit look like it’s floating in mid-air. Viewed from the side, the speaker also looks like the sonic boom traces left by a high-speed jet, which given the background of the designer, seems almost fitting.

The horn shape chosen for the Jetstream might look ornamental, but it is actually based on a solid foundation of physics. Just like with horn speakers of old, the shape helps to propagate sound waves more freely and evenly, and given its size, it also multiplies that effect to reach all corners of a room. The loudspeaker system promises clear and dynamic sound, regardless of what you’re listening to, whether it’s classical masterpieces or modern movie sound effects.

Although the horn loudspeaker is definitely the center of attraction, it isn’t the only member of the Ferguson Hill Jetstream loudspeaker system. There’s also the bass speaker which takes the form of a transparent sphere with a large drive unit, held up by three metal cone feet. This gives the speaker a certain retro-futuristic aesthetic that perfectly complements the gigantic horn loudspeaker.

Although it functions primarily as a sound system, the Jetstream is also a statement piece that transforms any space into a unique audiovisual experience. It’s the kind of fusion of art and technology that truly redefines what it means to be a home speaker these days, offering value that goes beyond blasting sound but also touches the emotions and mind by appealing to more than one of our five senses. That said, it’s also a design that, at least in this case, carries a rather hefty price tag, though that could soon change as more audio equipment manufacturers embrace a more design-conscious approach to making speakers.

The post Huge transparent horn speakers deliver an odd yet beautiful way to enjoy music first appeared on Yanko Design.

Yamaha channels ‘Teenage Engineering’ with its incredibly funky SEQTRAK MIDI sequencer

Posted on by

I distinctly remember the first time I saw the Teenage Engineering OP-1. It was in a Swedish House Mafia music video (One feat. Pharrell), and the entire video was centered around that one gorgeous-looking synth, which the EDM trio even used in their own music production. The song seemed less like a dance track and more like the perfect endorsement of exactly how powerful and incredible the OP-1 synth was. Fourteen glorious years later, Teenage Engineering has absolutely cemented its position as an audio company with a fun streak… and it seems like Yamaha wants a bit of that too. Just last week, the company debuted the SEQTRAK, a funky-looking synth that tries to emulate the casual brilliance of the OP-1.

Designer: Yamaha

The SEQTRAK is a compact, affordable, and highly capable battery-powered MIDI synth that lets you play, sample, remix, loop, and manipulate audio from multiple sources, whether it’s from your laptop, an SD card, or even audio samples recorded on the SEQTRAK’s microphone. It’s got two rows of 12 keys each, a set of dedicated knobs for percussions, synths, and sampling, a few more for sound control and effects, and even a bunch of touch-sensitive sliding pads for working with audio envelopes, passes, and filters. Designed for both hobbyists as well as seasoned professionals, the SEQTRAK lets you do everything from jam to compose, and even occasionally deejay. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a cool music video too??

The SEQTRAK’s petite design is a crucial element in its appeal. Its compact size, fitting comfortably in a laptop bag, makes it an ideal companion for music producers who are always on the move. This portability doesn’t come at the cost of functionality; the SEQTRAK is equipped with a built-in speaker and microphone, allowing for impromptu music sessions wherever inspiration strikes.

Despite its compact form, the SEQTRAK doesn’t compromise on sound quality. It houses two versatile sound engines: the Advanced Wave Memory 2 and a four-operator FM engine. The former supports 128-note polyphony, offering a range of authentic sounds from acoustic instruments to synthesizers. Meanwhile, the FM engine can generate synth pads, leads, FM electric pianos, and more. These features are packed into a unit that sports a playful design, with an orange-gray variant reminiscent of LEGO bricks… or perhaps an unofficial hat-tip to Teenage Engineering with a playfully-minimalist design that we’ve come to expect from the Swedish design studio.

The SEQTRAK is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, catering to both beginners and seasoned music producers. Its one-to-one interface allows producers to take control of their music, effectively turning them into their own DJs. Additionally, the SEQTRAK includes a station sequencer for creating seamless compositions and arrangements. The machine’s station library, with over 2,000 presets of professionally crafted tunes, is a significant resource for experimenting with different styles and sounds.

Yamaha has enhanced the SEQTRAK’s functionality with streamlined connectivity options. The dedicated SEQTRAK app allows users to shape their sound with various editing features. The app also supports adding supplemental content, providing a more comprehensive music production experience. Additionally, Bluetooth MIDI and Wi-Fi functionality are included for wireless connections, further enhancing the unit’s flexibility.

The $599 Yamaha SEQTRAK represents a significant step in the evolution of portable music production. It combines quality sound, intuitive design, and connectivity in a package that’s both affordable and appealing to a wide range of music enthusiasts. Whether you’re a budding producer or a seasoned pro, the SEQTRAK seems to have something for everyone. And at a price that doesn’t hit a sour note, it’s poised to be a hit in the electronic music community. So, if you’ve ever dreamt of laying down tracks on a flight, sequencing synths at a café, or having a rave in your room, Yamaha’s SEQTRAK might just be your ticket to on-the-go musical nirvana​.

The post Yamaha channels ‘Teenage Engineering’ with its incredibly funky SEQTRAK MIDI sequencer first appeared on Yanko Design.

Devialet Phantom I Yang Bao Wa Liu is a golden take on the renowned speaker for Chinese Year of the Dragon

Posted on by

French audio brand Devialet’s Phantom I is already a celebrated wireless speaker with side-firing bass reflex ports and subtle color variants. Fittingly, two eminent artists have been summoned to give this iconic speaker a stunning new vibe for the Chinese Year of the Dragon, a festivity that marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Dubbed the Phantom I 108 dB by Yang Bao & Wa Liu, after the designers behind the new gold and red colored speaker, this lustrous take on the Devialet flagship creates a nice, visible amalgamation of physical and analog connections. To be available in limited edition between 23 January 2024 and 23 April 2024 (or until the stock lasts) this speaker also dubbed ANIMAL impresses with its “colors and textures reference the dragon of our cultural imagination” designer Wa Liu says.

Designer: Devialet

On the back of the hand-crafted speaker come the 22.5-carat gold leaf accents complemented by the red strokes. This artistic element replicates the rippling motion of the dragon’s movement. It’s more of a musical instrument that seems to have a personality of its own. According to Bao the play of light and shadows helps it cryptically blend into the surroundings. Another good reason it has a deliberate sculptural design to evoke a subtle presence.

The limited-edition Phantom I, justifies the symbol of the dragon with its intimidating presence as opposed to the Western counterpart. In a way, it mixes nature and music, power and serenity all in one go. Creating this version takes around two weeks which explains the attention to detail put in the making. As the artists explain, ‘We obviously work on a number of units at the same time.’ To this end, two gilders showcase their craft, brushing hammered gold leaf onto the surface of the Phantom, juxtaposing it with the thin lines of red lacquer. The intricate design is not only a visual combination of gold leaf and red lacquer, but the lacquer itself requires three painstaking layers of application!

No wonder the  Phantom I 108 dB by Yang Bao & Wa Liu will set you back a mind-numbing $6,700 a piece.

The post Devialet Phantom I Yang Bao Wa Liu is a golden take on the renowned speaker for Chinese Year of the Dragon first appeared on Yanko Design.

This LEGO version of the classic Sony Walkman WM-22 features an opening lid with removable cassettes!

Posted on by

Fashion is cyclical and it seems like cassettes may just be making their comeback. Audio manufacturer Fiio just debuted their latest retro CP13 cassette player at CES this year, and it shouldn’t be long before people are making mixtapes again. Just to prime us for that retro-resurgence, LEGO builder Srta.JirafaEnfadada designed a to-scale Sony Walkman made entirely out of LEGO bricks… and the best part, it actually fits LEGO cassettes in!

Designer: Srta.JirafaEnfadada

Before MP3 players and iPods pretty much changed the game, cassettes were the gold standard in music playback. Cars had cassette players, people owned boomboxes, and for a brief while, the Sony Walkman was one of the coolest products you could own. Designed to play cassettes on-the-go, the Walkman walked so the iPod could run. You could make your mixtape, pop it in, and listen to music either on the Walkman’s built-in speaker (if it had one), or on a pair of headphones or earphones for a private music experience.

This entry into the LEGO Ideas forum is based on the WM-22 Walkman, available in the iconic red colorway. It features the classic opening flap on the front that lets you put cassettes in and take them out between plays, with a transparent window that even lets you peer into the walkman’s insides to see which cassette’s loaded. Around the periphery are its play-pause and rewind/fast-forward buttons, and a simple rotary dial to adjust volume. The WM-22 didn’t sport a record button, which most costlier models had, allowing you to even capture audio directly to the cassette. However, it did have a 3.5mm jack, which can be found on this LEGO version too (right above the volume button), allowing you to hook a pair of headphones in. You’ve also got 4 different LEGO cassettes to choose from with the build, adding variety to your music library!

The Sony Walkman was submitted to the LEGO Ideas forum, an online dashboard where LEGO enthusiasts can share their own LEGO-based creations. The forum allows the LEGO community to vote for their favorite designs, with the top-voted ones getting turned into box-sets for us regular-folk to buy. The Sony Walkman sits at 2,068 votes as of writing this article, and if it hits the coveted 10,000 mark, it could potentially be made into a retail set! You can vote for the Sony Walkman or any of your other favorite designs on the LEGO Ideas website.

The post This LEGO version of the classic Sony Walkman WM-22 features an opening lid with removable cassettes! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds x Kith collab are fashion conscious pair of clip-on-buds that are glasses friendly

Posted on by

Open-fit earbuds have tickled the fancy of music listeners who don’t want those intrusive in-ear buds shoved in their ear canals all day long. The likes of Shokz OpenFit, 1More Fit S50, Soundpeats RunFree and Sony LinkBuds are good options for people who want a fashion-first, active lifestyle without any ear itches. Bose was the first major brand to release the Sport Open wireless earbuds back in 2021 but phased them out in just one year due to a lack of popularity.

While Bose has a good stronghold on the market with the Quite Comfort earbuds when it comes to ANC performance, they still want to take another chance with the rising trend of open earbuds. We saw a glimpse of that in the shape of Ultra Open earbuds (something like the Huawei FreeClip earbuds) spotted at CES 2024 and now the audio accessory is official.

Designer: Bose and Kith

They’ve launched the buds in collaboration with Kith, a fashion and lifestyle brand founded by Ronnie Fieg. Bose also created a version of the QuietComfort Earbuds II in close quarters with singer Normani, but this collaborative effort goes much deeper. It’s the start of a loṇg stint with Ronnie who’ll now be the creative consultant for integrating fashion, culture and sound to develop interesting audio products.

The open-style pair of buds have a very distinct design with a clip-on configuration that’s not at all intrusive if you wear glasses or want to sport sunglasses on a sunbaked day. The cuff-shaped buds hook onto the outer ear for all-day-long comfort wear and beam audio into the ear canal without disturbing others in your vicinity or compromising environment awareness in busy streets. The two sections of the earbuds – speaker on the inside and battery on the outside – are joined together by a flexible joint for easy on-and-off fit for active individuals.

The earbuds are being pitched as a “breakthrough audio wearable” for enjoying music while “still hearing the world around you.” The technical specifications are scanty at this time and all that is known is that they have 7.5 hours of playback time, Bose Immersive Audio and water resistance. As you can see they have a very prominent Kith branding on each of the buds and charging case as well, with the font done in Bose styling.

Kith edition Bose Ultra Open Earbuds will be available to buy in the US and Europe starting 22 January for a price of $300. These buds will come in limited numbers and it’ll be interesting to see if Bose releases a more mainstream version in the coming months.

The post Bose Ultra Open Earbuds x Kith collab are fashion conscious pair of clip-on-buds that are glasses friendly first appeared on Yanko Design.

Gundam-inspired headphones boast flexible listening configuration

Posted on by

Headphones are a staple for modern lifestyles, whether it is about listening to your favorite music while working, plugging into your podcast list, or simply killing time gaming on the couch. You’ll find hundreds of impressive designs and virtually the best audio technology crammed into these must-have accessories.

Finding a pair of headphones that resonates with one’s audio requirements and style statement is every audiophile’s dream. Of the countless headphones we’ve come across and tested ones that we have access to, it ultimately comes down to how well they’re designed. Take for instance this CES-worthy piece that’s a concept but still keeps my hopes alive it’ll be up for pre-order someday!

Designer: Kostas Dakanalis

Bearing a form factor that’s completely unrivaled, this concept design for headphones looks inspired by the Gundam mecha. While gaming headphones from the likes of Razer, Asus, HyperX, Turtle Beach and Steel Series have tamed the conventional design norms, this pair of cans is at another level. Those winged streaks on each earcup lend the pair a distinctive personality and also have a useful function.

These wings are connected to the central rotating dial that determines the equalizer being used currently. Also, depending on the settings chosen, rotating the dial can turn them from a closed back to a semi-open or completely open configuration. Audiophiles who are in the hobby of collecting headphones of every type possible will have solace in this single pair for multiple listening moods. The cool ambient lighting of the pair complements this.

Of course, we don’t know what hardware specifications they come with, but the sci-fi design and flexible design configuration make them super lucrative. Just imagine sporting one of these in an e-sports tournament or even in your home setup. They perfectly complement your geeky desk setup if you are into bias lighting and RGB lights.

The post Gundam-inspired headphones boast flexible listening configuration first appeared on Yanko Design.

Concept CD player for Bang & Olufsen brings quality design and idea

Posted on by

In case you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that CDs have made a comeback the past years, thanks in part to the Japanese and Korean music industry. A lot of fans have been buying CDs (sometimes multiple copies) of their favorite artists and Gen Z in particular has a particular fondness for something they actually weren’t alive yet when it was popular. The older generations buy it for the nostalgia. Both are benefitting from the audio quality of uncompressed music. However, the quality of CD players are not on par with what we were used to back in the day.

Designer: Anthony Chupp

Most of the big name audio brands have not been producing CD players but what if someone like Bang & Olufsen comes up with one? A designer came up with a concept for the Beosound Compact after studying the design and quality principles of the brand. What he came up with is a sleek and minimalist portable CD player that seems worthy of the brand that he created this concept for. It also brings back nostalgia feels for those who brought their Sony Walkman CD player around, although this is much more classy and shiny.

To reduce the need for an LED display, the player uses turntable styles for its volume controls and actual touchable buttons for its play controls. It is also textured to highlight the touchpoints that you need to access various controls. But the player can also be connected to the Bang & Olufsen app on your smart device in case you’re away from the CD player. There is Bluetooth connection as well to your headphones or wireless earbuds of choice as well as analog and optical output.

As someone who owns several CDs but still don’t have a CD player, I wouldn’t mind having something like this if Bang & Olufsen eventually decides to produce one. Having a quality CD player is just as important as having quality music from these CDs. Hopefully brands will catch on to this “trend” as it may be here to stay, for at least a few more years.

The post Concept CD player for Bang & Olufsen brings quality design and idea first appeared on Yanko Design.