We check out the latest in Bluetooth speaker style, including a trio of eccentric collaborations, from yacht builders to prog rockers and Danish fashion brands, plus three new devices that offer up new form factors and functionality.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 and Beosound 2 Riva Edition
First up, yet another collaboration from those accommodating Danes. Bang & Olufsen’s newest partners (following a frequent hook up with Ferrari) is another Italian icon, this time Riva Yachts. The new Riva Edition versions of the Beosound A5 and Beosound 2 are speakers fit for the quayside, beach or above or below decks.
Riva is all about nautical glamour, with B&O taking on board the yacht and speedboat specialist’s well-established palette of materials, most notably mahogany, maple and aluminium. The speaker covers themselves have been made at the company’s shipyard in Sarnico, on the shores of Lake Iseo. You’ll also find splashes of Riva’s signature aquamarine blue to round off the connection between the two brands.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 Riva Edition, €2,400/£1,999, Bang-Olufsen.com, RivaBoutique.it
Bang & Olufsen Beosound 2 Riva Edition, €5,000/£4,299, Bang-Olufsen.com, RivaBoutique.it
Heliot Emil x Monolith
This mighty new edition of the Nocs Design Monolith speaker comes courtesy of a partnership with Danish fashion brand Heliot Emil. Daniel Alm, founder of Nocs, explains that the new edition comes out of a ‘mutual fascination with the raw, industrial character of steel, and our shared commitment to modernism.’
The speaker, developed in collaboration with Heliot Emil’s creative director Julius Juul, pairs Nocs’ 5-way driver array with a case milled from a hefty chunk of stainless steel, hand-made and hand-finished in Sweden. A pure streaming experience, up t eight mighty Monoliths can be linked together for a colossal sonic experience.
Heliot Emil x Monolith edition x MONOLITH, £4,000, NocsDesign.com, HeliotEmil.com
Audio Pro T3+ Mikael Jepson Edition
Musician Mikael Jepson isn’t a household name outside of Scandinavia – his band, The Ark, was one of the region’s biggest rock bands. Whether or not you’re piqued by the histrionic Scandi-glam of the Swedish group is immaterial to your enjoyment of this Jepson-infused T3+ speaker from Audio Pro.
Building on the guitarist’s second career as an artist and designer, the compact Bluetooth speaker is a riot of very non-tech colours. Offering over thirty hours of playback, it’s a welcome diversion from the industry’s obsession with matt black and grey.
T3+ Jepson, Audio Pro, £ 180, AudioPro.com
Edifier D32 Tabletop
For a rather more retro experience, Edifier’s D32 is a desktop offering that takes visual cues from pre-war radiograms and even old school car interiors. The piano key selectors on the front, brown, black walnut and white and gold colour schemes and cloth-style grille conceal a thoroughly modern 60 watt three-speaker system. Apple AirPlay2 connectivity comes as standard, as does a USB and Aux connector, and there’s 11 hours of standalone playtime if you don’t want to keep it plugged in.
Edifier D32 Wireless Speaker £179.99, Edifier.com, Amazon.co.uk
Artizta Ferro
The Artizta Ferro speaker was successfully crowdfunded earlier this year. The cylindrical speaker actually contains a total of 10 speakers within its fluted form, six of which are active and four passive. At just 28cm high and 18cm in diameter, the Ferro packs a lot of power (130 watts) into a compact footprint. We especially like the traditional round volume dial – a welcome return to an analogue form that offers an instant snapshot of the output level. Battery life is around 21 hours.
Artizta Ferro, further details at Artizta.Audio
VQ Halo Speaker and Lantern
The VQ Halo Bluetooth speaker doubles up as a power bank and portable lantern. The British brand has come up with a simple concept that’s suitable for home or garden use, with added functionality that’ll come in handy at festivals and campsites.
The Halo offers up 22 watts of 360-degree sound, three-stage illumination for the lantern (full bright, reading mode and nightlight) in addition to a separate ‘candlelight’ mode, and IPX4 water resistance. It’s available in six very contemporary-sounding colourways, Sapphire Noir, Slate Chic, Crimson Radiance, Natural Elegance, Mint Majesty and Azure Ambiance.
VQ Halo Bluetooth Speaker, £69.99, MyVQ.co.uk, Amazon.co.uk
