- Bluetooth and wired audio player with retro looks
- Unfortunately it's a concept, not a real product
- I'd buy one in a heartbeat
We don't often cover concepts, but this innovative Bluetooth speaker design by Jinkyo Han deserves attention. It combines elements from Teenage Engineering with nostalgic influences from Dictaphones and the original Sony Walkman, resulting in a visually striking piece.
While the exterior boasts a retro vibe, Han's design incorporates modern technology, featuring both wired and wireless audio capabilities along with a high-resolution DAC. This fusion of classic design and contemporary circuitry is truly impressive.
You spin me right round
As Han describes on Behance, the design evokes the image of a cassette tape spinning on a circular shelf, transforming nostalgic materiality into a modern object. The front showcases a perforated speaker grille and a rotating circle reminiscent of vintage reel-to-reel tape recorders.
This design brings to mind the FiiO KA15 portable DAC, which mimics a cassette player, part of a retro-modern trend that has also seen FiiO revive the portable CD player and the portable cassette player in stylish ways.
While I doubt that the moving parts would make it to a production model due to cost and battery life concerns, I would love to see more hardware inspired by this design. It evokes memories of 1970s sci-fi films like Silent Running and shows such as Space: 1999.
Han's portfolio includes other intriguing audio designs, such as wall-mounted speakers that would fit perfectly in IKEA's recent catalog and a more industrial Bluetooth speaker inspired by 1970s and 1980s portable cassette recorders. Check out Han's portfolio for more.