Designer Tristan Zimmerman has created a unique speaker for your iPhone or iPod that uses no power.
Through passive amplification alone, this unique piece instantly transforms any personal music player + earbuds into a sculptural audio console.
Without the use of external power or batteries, the Phonofone II inventively exploits the virtues of horn acoustics to boost the audio output of standard earphones to up to 55 decibels – or about the max output of typical laptop speakers.
But the Phonophone is only peripherally about sound.
The Phonofone is a clever piece of applied science, a beautiful icon of nostalgia, and an ironic twist on the insular nature of personal listening devices. It is not intended to be used as home stereo system. The device, more a functional work of art than a gadget, is constructed entirely from ceramic, which is not only environmentally low impact, but also inherently rigid and resonant, creating a naturally rich sound ideally suited for the classical, blues and folk music called to mind by its throwback design.
$600 at Charles & Marie.