iVictrola Amplifies Your iPhone Without Electronics (And Costs Only $425)

Meet the iVictrola, the weirdest and possibly the coolest iPhone dock you’re likely to see this Christmastime.

Or should I say not likely to see, as it appears that the limited stock at Design Within Reach has already sold out. Oh well.

That’s not the end of the world, though. Consider it a moment of inspiration, and see if you can design your own acoustic amplifier.

After all, that’s all this is. There’s no electronics, just old-fashioned acoustic tricks. Like yelling through your cupped hands, it takes sound from the device’s external speaker and bounces around the metal horn, concentrating it and amplifying it. You can do the same thing if you have any cone-shaped objects lying around, or can manufacture one.

Of course yours might not look quite so stylish, but then it probably won’t cost you $425 either. (That’s DWR’s price; you might be able to find it elsewhere for less. Designer Matt Richmond has a web site, and a similar product called “iPhone Horn” is available from Dwell for $160-$200.)

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Merge New and Old with an iVictrola iPad Dock, No Electricity Required

And while looks matter more than anything else to some people, when it comes to iPhone docks, surely sound ought to matter most? I can’t help thinking that the iVictrola might be just a little bit, how can I put this – tinny?

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