Teenage Engineering is renowned for its sublime design cues when it comes to audio equipment. The Swedish synth pros know their audio and they’ve gone beyond the realms to create an out-of-the-box Bluetooth boombox – radio combo which is unlike any other. Fusing elements of classic radios of the 1980s with that of a boombox and next-gen speaker, the “magic radio” OB-4 loudspeaker is an audiophile’s dream come true. OB-4 is designed with a minimal theme that looks clean and impactful for an audio lovers’ delight. Although don’t let that minimalism fool you into thinking that it is just another radio player with the customary Bluetooth music streaming abilities.
It can record 2 hours of the radio playback and when you come across a peppy track you want to replay, it can be done right away. For the immersive user experience, you can rewind, add loops or time stretch the track being played (just like on a turntable) with the motorized control dial or do it with the companion app on your phone. The cool bit is, the dial moves remotely with the intended input on the app! Teenage Engineering said. “Rewind, time-stretch and loop at the flick of your fingertips on purpose or by accident. Instant rewind on the radio is just one of the OB-4’s magic tricks.” The magic doesn’t end there, the loudspeaker has experimental features which include karma – for listening to mantras and quotes with a psychedelic twist, Ambient mode – to immerse in the soundscapes, and the Metronome mode – that plays grandfather clock sound at the desired tempo.
And if we just forgot to mention the audio quality, be rest assured with Teenage Engineering’s wizardry. The OB-4 has two 4-inch bass drivers and a pair of neodymium tweeters which generate a thumping 38-Watts power for each channel, chunking out 100 decibels of loud stereo sound. There’s a 5,000mAh battery on-board that delivers an average 40 hours of playback on a single full charge. The loudspeaker has a carrying handle that doubles as a stand for a relaxed listening position and you can also choose to drape it in the leather bag which gives it an upbeat urban appeal.
Teenage Engineering OB-4 comes in two color variants – matte black and gloss red – priced at $599 and $649 respectively. The loudspeaker isn’t cheap by no means, and the exclusiveness of design and functionality comes at a premium. So, it completely up to the users to gauge OB-4’s worth!
Designer: Teenage Engineering
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