Friday, December 19, 2008

Minimalist Sound System from Philippe Starck

Worldwide-famous designer Philippe Starck, the Zikmu loudspeaker system has been created for wireless gadget company Parrot and boasts a surprisingly alluring profile, despite its sheer simplicity and minimalist look. Famed for the stunning perspective upon the most common of everyday things, Starck has endowed the fluid shapes of the Zikmu with a strong personality, pleasantly contrasted with the overall simple and almost spartan looks. If you were expecting something classic from Starck, then you have been waiting in vain.

These speakers are fairly tall, measuring 2.5' (76 cm), and their floorstanding design combined with the small footprint will make them a nifty element in your décor, able to bring forward elegance and refinement, without being obtrusive or over-assertive.

Unlike other high-class loudspeakers, the Zikmu will not create any “sweet spot,” because it's not loaded with traditional drivers. Instead, Philippe Starck decided to use NXT flat panel ones, which were more capable of rendering his vision on acoustics, as Strack himself declared: “We were not aiming to create just another speaker.”




“Our design focused more on making the air vibrate. There is actually a three-dimensional feel to this vibration, meaning that the air is palpable, almost human-like in presence, like a fragrance.” Indeed, even by simply looking at these speakers one could by all means feel their uncommon nature and almost strange aura.

On the tech side, Parrot has brought in the cavalry – having achieved a worldwide fame for their exceptional wireless technologies, the British introduced their best in A2DP/Bluetooth streaming and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Zikmu also comes with a dock for iPods/iPhones, and with charging capabilities, but the fun part is that you can simply stream music wirelessly from your network and enjoy it with these speakers



Furthermore, things have also been taken care of on the comfort side – the Philippe Starck Zikmu speakers will be shipped with a wireless remote control, allowing you to interact with your sound system from any corner of the room, or from your cozy couch. The product will start being available in spring 2009 for a price of around $1,500 a pair.

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