New from Parrot and Philippe Starck comes the ‘Zikmu’ couture stereo speaker system. As you can see from the image above, the design is sexy and somewhat stunning. Certainly more artistic than most current systems out there today. The speakers stand 2.5 feet tall, and allow you to plug in any current model iPhone or iPod touch for charging, or to simply pump the music out.
Speaking of the iPhone and iPod line, the Zikmu speakers have been designed for compatibility with all of the latest devices from Apple… including the iPhone 3G and the entire iPod line including the iPod touch. When your device is connected to the speakers, you can control it from anywhere within range using the Parrot by Starck smart remote control. On top of that, audio can be streamed from a PC or Mac to the speakers via WiFi or Bluetooth (A2DP).
In the official press release, CEO of Parrot Henri Seydoux commented:
“The way we listen to music has radically changed: when I was a kid, you took an LP, you put it on the record player and then you listened to it… Nowadays, you carry your music around with you, which can come from a wide range of sources. With the Parrot by Philippe Starck speakers, we wanted to create an eye-catching product to accompany these new ways of enjoying music…”
I can only imagine that the speakers sound wonderful. The press release claims that the speakers pump out a ‘360 degree immersive sound experience’ thanks to ‘NXT technology’. I always thought NXT was a golf ball? (Anyone? The Titleist NXT? Nevermind…)
Co-designer Philippe Starck commented on the design and sound of the speakers:
“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 humanlike in presence, like a fragrance.”
All I’ve got to say is WOW. I want them. Unfortunately for me however I will have to wait until Spring 2009 to get them. On top of that, Zikmu is expected to fetch a price of around $1,500. Yikes!