Hasta La Gadget!

Libratone has just made an announcement for the first no-compromise and hassle-free wireless speaker in the market, calling it the Libratone Zipp. You know that you have got yourself quite the winner here with the Libratone Zipp, where it comes in an attractive and compact form factor that is also proud to be the first and only device which is capable of delivering the performance and convenience of AirPlay without having to have a Wi-Fi network in the vicinity. Not only that, you are able to kiss goodbye to all kinds of complicated setup courtesy of Libratone’s all-new PlayDirect technology.

The battery-powered Libratone Zipp will enable you to take wireless high-end audio to the outside world, although I am not quite sure whether sharing your devoted musical taste in Justin Bieber is something that the general public would appreciate. It is said that a full charge on this puppy is capable of delivering up to eight hours of continuous playtime when wired, and half that amount when you rely on a wireless connection.

Not only that, when you want to be fashionable, the Libratone Zipp will not disappoint you at all, since it also comes with changeable wool covers in eight vivid colors that is able to suit all tastes and occasions. Similar to the rest of the Libratone product family, the Libratone Zipp will play nice without a hitch or hassle with the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Mac, and of course, who can forget the venerable PC.

If you are interested in the Libratone Zipp, you will be able to pick it up in Salty Grey or Raspberry Red October 2012 onwards at $399 a pop. Alternatively, you can opt for the Libratone Zipp to come in a 3-pack-color box with two extra wool zip-on covers thrown into the mix, and these will set you back by $449 per box.

Press Release
[ Libratone Zipp AirPlay speaker is a true blue portable device copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Wool-clad speaker company Libratone has outed its latest model, the Zipp, a wireless AirPlay-enabled model with battery life good for four hours of standalone streaming. Borrowing the fabric covered style of its felty predecessors, the Zipp supports direct AirPlay connections using Libratone’s own PlayDirect WiFi technology, allowing the $399 speaker to hook straight up to your iPhone or iPad rather than requiring a wireless network in-between.

Alternatively, there’s a wired audio input option, with the Zipp’s battery good for eight hours of play. It will also work with your PC or Mac, and there’s a Libratone app for iOS devices which allows equalizer settings to be tweaked.

As for the sound itself, Libratone’s FullRoom “360-degree sound” system is implemented again, with a digital amp powering dual ribbon tweeters and a system which basically fires out audio from all directions; there’s no front or back as such. It works reasonably well in our experience with Libratone’s Beat.

Like the Beat, though, none of this comes cheap. The Zipp is offered at $399 with a single wool sleeve, and will be sold in red and grey at Apple Stores from October. At the same time, Libratone will also be offering $449 bundles of a single Zipp and three extra covers, with either the black/blue/red or black/pink/yellow sleeves packaged together.

Libratone Zipp takes AirPlay mobile is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

High-end Danish speaker company Libratone makes some quirky clothed speakers, and the latest, the Zipp, is no different. But like most things, appearances don’t always tell the whole story.

The Zipp, it turns out, is different than anything else available for a number of reasons. Sure, it has an interchangeable collection of Italian wool sweaters and a unique 360-degree array of ribbon-based tweeters, but how you connect to the speaker is the most interesting part about it. Not only is the Zipp AirPlay-compatible, but you can connect your iOS device or computer (Mac, PC) to it via a direct Wi-Fi connection — not over your existing Wi-Fi network. That direct connection is unique to the Zipp and allows for more data to be transferred, Soren Pedersen, chairman and CEO of Libratone told me.

Setting up your device to the Zipp is simple and quick and no different from connecting to any other Wi-Fi network. You can also jack in any device via the 3.5mm port located in the back. There wasn’t any noticeable lag when streaming music through the iPhone’s music app but there was noticeable lag when changing tracks through MOG’s app. Sound quality appeared to be quite good, but for the sake of others in the office, we didn’t crank the volume up very high. (We’ll have a review sometime next month.)

Another notable feature of the Zipp is the ability to adjust and optimize sound quality based on the speaker’s location (distance off the ground, from a wall, etc.) through the company’s existing iOS app. It’s a feature that’s been available for the other speakers in the lineup but new to me.

Pedersen also told me that it took the company quite some time to find the right material that wouldn’t hinder audio quality, and that they ultimately settled on the wool from a purveyor in Florence.

The Zipp will be available starting next month at all Apple Stores in an array of colors starting at $399. Exclusive to Apple will be red- (non-Product Red related) and grey-only versions for $399. There will also be two three-pack versions to choose from, as well. The “Classic Color Collection” includes a black, blue and red wool zip-up, while the “Funky Color Collection” includes black, pink and yellow. Both kits will sell for $449. All colors will be available a la carte for $50 a pop.