WORLD’S FIRST LEVITATING SPEAKER

Everyday the world seems to get weirder and weirder. A few days ago we wrote about the new automated music generating platform Xhail, well today, its all about speakers that fly.

Om Audio has created what they call a “paradigm shift” in audio tech, the Om/One, the world’s first levitating Bluetooth speaker. Do the whole “Wingardium Leviso” spell, then whip this bad boy out at your next gathering and watch your friends fight over who gets to play with it first.

The speaker has a magnetic base, which causes the main orb to float, to see the best action, you need to give it a spin. Without the spinning and flying it just becomes a normal Bluetooth speaker, albeit one that will fit in the palm of your hand.

The Om/One is available in black, white and (if you can believe it) mirrorball version. Om say it’s iconic design, will look good in just about any room.

It has a definite nod to the 70s retrofuturism aesthetic, and wouldn’t look out of place in the Korova Milky Bar from A Clockwork Orange, or even being carried by Leeloo in The Fifth Element (alongside her multipass). It kind of reminds us of those giant floating marble balls, that you occasionally see as office building art.

Jack Conte, Founder of Om Audio said “I didn’t believe it until I saw it — there’s something weird about walking toward a beat, only to realize that it’s coming out of a rotating orb, floating in mid air. That’s some cool sh*t. This will make a great gift!”

The speaker comes with Bluetooth 4.0 allowing you to connect your phone/tablet easily to it. There’s also a microphone for taking calls from anywhere in the room, or car, or wherever you plan to show it off..

Om Audio may get plenty of kudos for the novelty factor, how does this thing sound? Pretty good apparently.

The levitation prevents the speaker syncing to surrounding surfaces (the table, walls, etc.) which means no low-end loss, the music remains dynamic, clear and full. 

David DeVillez, the co-founder and CEO of Om Audio, told Mashable, “The fact that it levitates gives us an angle on some audio techniques that make the speaker a lot better. The unit has a 3-watt RMS [root mean square] amplifier inside of it, and it can produce a 110dB output, where competitive products like the [Jawbone] Jambox or the [Beats] Pill… they’re using 9 to 10 watts to get 110dB.”

The company raised production funds via a Tilt campaign (link) and received almost US$800,000 in pledges.

Pricing and Availability

The Om/One speaker is available from the Om Audio website for pre-order as a single for US$199 or as a stereo pair for US$398 and the company says it will begin shipping in time for Christmas. Website: www.omone.com

OM/ONE Base

Magnetic base that levitates the Speaker Orb plus USB port to charge your Speaker Orb and other devices.

Size

• 6.3″ diameter x 1.6″ height
• Weight: 1.3 lbs.
• Speaker Orb Floating Height: 1.2″
• Total Height: 6.4″ (Base: 1.6″ + Float: 1.2″ + Orb: 3.6″)
• Total Weight: 2.1 lbs.

Power

• 12Vdc (power cable included)

Final specs subject to change.