A Chip Off The Ol' Giant Skull Speaker. New MinuSkull Speakers by Kuntzel+Deygas.

above: The 2010 Grateful Vanity accoustic sculpture and a 2011 walnut miniskull speaker by Kuntzel+Deygas

above: artists Olivier Kuntzel and Florence Olivie (Kuntzel +Deygas) with their new minuskulls

These cool new 50 watt portable speakers, the miniskulls, designed by Kuntzel+Degas were inspired by their unusual and striking oversized accoustic sculpture, Grateful Vanity.


above: Olivier Kuntzel and Florence Olivie (Kuntzel +Deygas) stand in front of their accoustic sculpture, Grateful Vanity



The new tabletop version, handmade in France, comes in walnut wood or lacquered piano black or lacquered piano white. Not only are they scary looking, but the prices are equally frightening at €1600 for the walnut and €1750 for the black or white- not including shipping.




MinuSkull can be connected to any source of sound (Ipod, mp3, computer,etc). The better the source the more you can enjoy MinuSkull’s high-quality sound.



Technical components inside the skull consist of two broadband Fostex Fe-83 speakers with a membrane made out banana leaf pulp (the eyes). A mini subwoofer for a large and natural restitution. They chose a tailor-made speaker (made in France), which lies underneath the skull. A tailor-made Mosfet amplifier that allows a transparent and dynamic quality of listening without using an additional amplifier.



MinuSkull is expandable : this speaker can be used alone or as a duet in order to improve the stereo effect. Using 5 MinuSkulls creates the basis of a Home Cinema Sound System (a subwoofer should be added in this case).




In the designers' words "MinuSkull is a mini loudspeaker made for a high-quality sound experience at home. Its extraordinary Hi-Fi system creates a perfect sound, and most of all, to our own standards, it has a soul."

specs:
WIDTH 9.25 Inches HEIGHT 10.63 Inches, DEPTH 5.91 Inches
WEIGHT : 11 lb
BANDWIDTH : 60 TO 20,000 HERTZ
AMPLIFIER: 50 WATTS
CABLE POWER : 220 VOLTS
Connection : 2 Cinch RCA stereo entries
all images and information courtesy of Kuntzel+Deygas and Minuskull.

buy them here

Sound You Can See. Transparent Speakers From People People of Stockholm.

A well established definition of sustainability is to satisfy the needs of people, planet and profit. This speaker design by Stockholm design group People People tries to accomplish exactly that.



The transparent design lets the speaker blend in to any living room out there. The size can be big enough to offer a good sound quality, yet the speaker takes little visible space. The box is transparent, but the sound creating components are clearly emphasized.




The speakers come with a small rechargeable WiFi antenna that plugs into any headphone socket. It can plug in to any computer, music player or smart phone out there. It will also work for old stereos or vinyl equipment. The aim is to set the music free regardless where it’s stored.



The speaker is then assembled at home, IKEA style. This also means that the components that breaks first (the rubber ring and the speaker cone) can be easily replaced, keeping the product away from any landfill.



Being big is good for sound quality, but not so good for shipping. Any other speaker will ship a lot of air around the globe before ending up in your living room. This speaker ships in a small, flat package that goes in through your mailbox. The glass sheets making up the box is being ordered through the glass repair shop closest to every single customer. In that way the speaker reduces shipping with up to 90%, and supports local handicraft in one go. A very economical and ecological solution.


all information and images courtesy of people people

The speaker is still under development, and not available for purchase yet. If you are interested you can drop a mail to speaker@peoplepeople.se and we will keep you posted on the progress.

People People

Ultrasone's $2,750 Edition 10 Limited Headphones

Music and luxury lovers, are you listening?
German Headphone company Ultrasone has come out with a luxuriously stunning set of headphones inspired by butterfly wings and made with the finest materials including Ethiopian sheepskin leather, Ruthenium metal and Zebrano wood.



The technology matches the craftsmanship and the price may be the only sound that is appalling to your ears. At almost $3,000 a pair, I certainly hope you're listening to something other than Justin Bieber.



Ultrasone - Edition 10 (as described by Ultrasone):
Each Edition 10 is hand-made in Germany and offers open natural sound design without any limitations. It’s the perfect combination in technology and luxury. Materials of the highest quality have been chosen to encompass the latest developments in open-back sound technology. Enjoy the know-how and passion embedded in each Edition 10 model.



Creating a complete new headphone design is always promising but Ultrasone has risen to that challenge and designed from the ground up an amazingly rich product, utilizing the best combination of superlative styling, finest materials, and sound technologies.




The Edition 10 is the first OPEN-BACK pair of Edition headphones by Ultrasone. The wings of a butterfly inspired the basic look. Ultrasone Edition headphones not only provide brilliant sound but couple that with best materials available. Precious Ethiopian sheepskin leather covers ear cups and head band. Enjoy the comfort of the balanced and matched dark brown sheepskin leather. This is the smoothest leather available. The noble metal matt ruthenium, which is known for its elegant look and durable properties, covers the ear cups. The decorative shiny warm finish of the ruthenium surface shows a variety of eye-catching reflections. The ear cups are emblazoned with inlays of decorous Zebrano wood. Featuring a unique and stylish full metal headband that is also an extremely lightweight, solid design also bestow the highest comfort at the same time. Summing all this up, these headphones stand for extravagance in comfort, sound, surface feel and appearance.




Included you will find a specifically designed Edition 10 headphone stand. The geometrical alignment has been transferred from the ear cup inlays to define the delicate shape. This stand is a piece of art. To complete this complementary styling, the stand is made of the same Zebrano wood as the clasps on the outer ear cups. This elegant stand secures a safe storage for the edition 10 headphones.




Of course, edition 10 is equipped with the latest technologies such as ULE-technology (Mu Metal shielding) and S-Logic Plus technology. The special cable with silver-plated oxygen-free copper and Aramid fiber endows the Edition 10 with greater electron flow, lower weight and a maximum of flexibility and durability.




Treat yourself with luxurious materials and advanced technologies to experience highest comfort in safer hearing and longtime pleasure with your music.

Specs:
* Open-back deluxe headphones with reduced emissions, using the ULE standard (Ultra Low Emission) and S-Logic Plus technology.
* Frequency range: 5 - 45000 Hz.
* Impedance 32 Ohm.
* Sound pressure level 99 dB.
* MU Metal bufferboard.
* 40 mm titanium-plated driver.
* Magnet NdFeB.
* Weight 282g (excl. cord).
* Cord length: 3m.
* Aramid fiber enhanced.
* Silver plated high-flex cable.
* (OFC 99.99 % pure copper).
* 6.3 mm gold plated plug.
* Hand crafted Zebrano wood headphone stand.
* Wooden storage box.

Price? $2,749.00
buy them here

Thanks to TG daily for bringing this to my attention.

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

Symbio Design Loudspeakers by Jerry Koza: 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'