Audio Wrap is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a bag wrapped with flexible speaker on the surface, allowing the users to enjoy music in a more convenient and fashionable way. The flexible speaker adopted to make these bags is developed by the governmental Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan, and it can produce the same volume as a small mobile speaker. So, when you wanna listen to music on the go, play your bag!

Designer: Jules Parmentier and Nancy N’Guyen

One piece of equipment that most boys and girls may be interested in is of course the speakers, and quite often they spend many months and days in making unique ones-speakers that can represent their own characteristics. And here we’d like to share some interesting concepts with you guys, so can you imagine that they’re all built by computer fanciers rather than professionals?

The play of imagination gives a new life to an old cooking stove, which now turns into a fantastic household acoustic apparatus with four 6.5-inch loudspeakers, one 7-inch touch screen and something else. Doesn’t that look good on the pictures? I even couldn’t wait to make my own one.

Do scanners merely turn printed text into digital format? Apparently the answer is no, as the ‘BookReader’ launched by Cerritos, CA-based manufacturer Plustek Technology Inc also reads the book for you. Mainly aiming at visually impaired users who still want to read books, the device not only uses the optical character recognition software to convert printed books or documents into digital formats, but adopts the text-to-speech recognition software to translate them into audio files. So simply put a book page on the scanner, press the button and then you can listen to the page. That’s cool!

The device could scan in three different modes: plain text, a grayscale PDF scan and a color scan.

Can the water tower be used for any other purpose? Just come in and check it out…

Have you guessed right? The gadget is also a speaker system designed for iPod. It integrates a fuel cell that runs on water to provide a stable current for the device, helping a lot in sustaining the environment and reducing the electricity consumption. You only need to ‘water’ the speaker on time to have it work for you. Easy as that!

Designer: Stefanie Koehler

Claiming to produce an illuminating sound-space, ‘Spica’ is a new gadget shown during the Tokyo Design Week 09. And when the music goes on, a beautiful and shocking scene will then appear. That’s really beyond my words, so let’s keep on to enjoy more pictures below.

Designer: yuki yamamoto

Wow, if not knowing clearly that Crayon Shin Chan is merely a cartoon character, I’ll surely treat the Asspeaker as his masterpiece. It is the only thing, in my opinion, that could compete with the ass dance by him! The strangest audio device is connected to the controller via Bluetooth, and it works in an interesting way. Once tapped on the right half, the unit is activated. And if you want to turn the sound up or down, just tap the left half.

Designer: Younes Daneshvar & Javad Yazdani

What a cute radio! With the horn shaped speakers as its two eyes, the Mint radio seems just like an owl. It is endowed with pendulums to help control the channels and the volume. The left two pendulums are for channel changes and the right ones are used to control the volume. Aside from this, you will also find the radio conditions displayed on the base.

Okay, here’s another cool product coming with a neat idea. Named as Quackie, the CD player is constructed of a round body and a black speaker. Basic functions of play/stop/next/back and volume up/down are all included, which could be changed by either rolling the body or clicking the black speaker. Wow, really cute!

Designer: Mac Funamizu

In Kawasaki, a city of Japan, an important event is held every year to exhibit assorted wind-bells. Exciting, huh? But how do you like a radio based on the wind? I’ve recently in love with the “Breeze Radio” by Chiu Chi Hung. It features a “sound-only era” concept, aiming to bring us back to a simple time before MP3 players that are designed with complicated features and functions. Whenever the radio is activated by air flow like wind, it then starts to play. But if the wind direction and intensity is changed, the program is accordingly altered. Amusing!

Designer: Chiu Chi Hung

Have you been fed up with traditional square radios and looking for a personalized one? Then you will fall in love with the Nifty Radio. Seemingly a sculptural decorative piece, the radio is constructed of two round speakers on each side of its X-shaped frame. The cute radio amuses you with its special usage. You can tune into different channels when moving the right speaker up and down while the left speaker is intended for volume control.

Designer： George Abdoulas

Stereo systems like speakers have certainly brought us with much amusement and convenience, but they do have some defects, for most of them couldn’t work when not connected to the energy source with a power line, let alone they’re usually not green. That’s why Tryi Yeh has come with the “Sunny Song”. Base on the NXT panel technology, the smart flower speaker is eco-friendly enough as it is powered by solar energy. Still, the green speaker can be connected to players with a Bluetooth technology.

PS: NXT, invented by the British NXT company, is a panel technology that is used to create thinner speakers while the bass of which will be weaken.
Designer: Tryi Yeh

The music cage, a new product from Japan, is a wireless speaker system that simulates the shape of a delicate cage. No matter you hang it on a shelf or put it on a table, the music cage is always an excellent speaker that streams music through a Wi-Fi network or a Bluetooth system.

Designer: Nendo

Wanna mix your own music just like a DJ? Let the iPhone DJ mixer assist you. Built with a speaker connection and microphone jack, as well as a turntable, the mixer can combine music from two iPhone, iPods or mp3 players to create perfect sound effects including reverb, flange and filter, cross-fade slider, etc. Also, your iPhone, iPod will get charged when the mixer works.

Selling Price: $120
Buy it here

What types of speakers can perfectly embody the core personality of your computers? If you’ve got no idea, I’d like to recommend some cute speakers.
The ceramic pig speakers, available in black, white and shiny gold, are unique for a full-range speaker in their bellies, and the toilet speaker from China looks as vivid as those real ones.

Price: ¥4725
Buy it here

“I’m also a singer!”
Price: $14.99
Buy it here

In the action movie “Kung Fu”, the classical scene in which the female charterer bellow and shout with a trumpet to defeat the adversary has impressed most people, even till today. Similarly, the so-called “Mint Horn”, created by Jongchul Kim, can also amplify sound from your players without any power source. Whenever you attach your earphone holder to it, the Mint Horn will always bring you a wonderful music time.

Designer: Jongchul Kim

Obviously the wall-mounted speakers are striking for their magniloquent and eccentric design. When hung on the wall, it looks just like an outstanding logo that is appeal to most people. Available in red and white colors, the speaker system is made up of six smaller speakers and two touch screens. Both MP3 and CDs are compatible with it.

Speakers tend to stick out in any room, no matter in which ways they are fixed. Thank God, the speaker modules from Italia come to match your room perfectly. Made of various colors and materials, they can be used as shelves to become a natural part of your room.

More Information Here

The solar sound bluetooth speaker is powered by the solar panel on its top, which will last for 8 hours with middling volume and only last for half that time when you turn on the maximal volume. Both USB and Bluetooth are available to connect it to cell phones, MP3s and computers. What’s more it contains a touch screen that means a free and easy control to your music.

Selling Price: ￡49.99
Buy it here

Let the speech bubble speakers “speak” for your computer and MP3! Shaped like the speech bubbles we generally see in cartoons, these lovely gadgets are the best way for you to express your feelings to music. So why not write down your sentiment and put it on the bubble?

Selling Price: $120
Buy it here

A fancy-looking speaker that occupies little space! To save up more space and collaborate with the decorative paintings to embellish the room, the shutter-like speakers can be rolled up like those sun-blinds and shine up in the dark.

Designer: Wonho Bae

We’ve been use to regulating the equalizer on most music systems to find the best sound effect, and then how about controlling the equalizer by moving our speakers? Believe me, it’s not one of tat Arabian nights, but a unique speaker integrates equalizer with the sound boxes. Move each speaker, which looks like button on an equalizer, you can also easily find the equilibrium model for your each favorite tunes. So convenient!

We were taught that sound is invisible as the air since our childhood, but is that absolutely right? Not necessarily. Recently, the designers have broken the stereotypes of contemporary square speakers, and invented a new one that allows you to see the sound. When you play the music, the rings on top of the speaker, shinning blue, will start moving, vibrating to the rhythm of music and thereby let us to see the sound. Magic!

Designer: Young Sang Eun

May it be another emissary from the sea? Similar to conches, the rocking chairs also creates sound of the sea and spread it from the speakers on the back. Like the wind passing by the woods, like affectionate call from mother, the sounds of the chairs remind us of the way we were. Let’s relax in the noisy urban on the chair.

The high-tech mirror is composed of several built-in equipments, including a radio, a clock, a barometer, and a loudspeaker. What you would like most may be the easy way to control all the tools simply through the touch screen on the mirror surface.

Natural sound is perfect than any artificial one, but most of us can not get it at home. This bamboo speaker might be a desirable solution. It can cultivate the bamboo on the top of the speaker and so the sound will be richer as the bamboo grows taller.

Although listening music is not what you want, this will be a good decoration of your house.

Designer: Jocko Chan
Via YankoDesign

The shelf speaker we mentioned in daily life is a speaker which could directly fit for your shelf, but this shelf speaker we are introducing is a speaker in the shape of a shelf. What’s more, it can play music in an interactive manner which allows you to gain more happiness from it.

Video demonstration after the break

Designer: NoDesign

Similar to Sony Rolly, this speaker from Segatoys can also dance with the beats.

Video after the jump

Price: $65

Buy it here

In the era of digital music, CD player seems not as popular as it was. But, a stylish CD player will still attract our attention. The panel of the player won’t show any control button until it is powered on. And there will be an beautiful aura in the position of the CD after the CD is inserted.

Moreover, thanks to the technology of smart material Feonic, the square CD will also transforms the entire wall into a real speaker.

[source]

In Middle Ages, cone shaped clarion is the most common sound amplifier. Although it is not in use any longer, designer can still give us some surprise by combining them with modern elements.

This speaker featuring a transparent top is a perfect one. You like it?

Designer: Paul Scarfe

You think it is a pair of iPod earbuds? You’re wrong! It is just in the shape of earbud. However, it functions as speakers shaped in huge earbuds.

[source]

You might take you iPod anywhere, however, what about the iPod box? This weird thing could transform your iPod box into a speaker. Just cover it on the top of the iPod box and plug the two end in the iPod and the speaker separately. You don’t even need any AC power.

Price: $40

Buy it here

This pair of speakers is only 1 inch thin. They radiate sound from their front and rear surfaces, in which way to make a perfect living experience.

One pair of this kind of speaker will cost $8,000

Product Page

Unlike other insect-shaped gadget, this speaker does not have bright color. But it is still an attractive design.

Price: $14

Buy it here

This eyeball-shaped speaker could light up and flash to the music beat.

Product Page

Shaped like a sailing boat, this speaker is pretty eye-attractive. It offers 2.1 sound via its 7.5w sails stereo speakers with a 15 watt woofer mounted in the boat’s base.

Product Page

This idea from Yamaha is very good for cyber-meeting. The rotating arms with microphone arrays could capture perfect audio source. It just weights 537 g which is very portable. You could just plug it into the USB port, meeting is OK.

The device will be available in early December 2007 for about $546.

This gadget from Audi looks like a cellphone with touch screen. However, its function is much more beyond dialing. With its built-in Wi-Fi and 3G chip, you could remote control all the function of your audi car such as air controller and audio system. Plus, you could also know the position of your car via GPS. It could also make you enjoy music and movie anywhere.

[source]

This is a cute design which will take music with you and your friends.

With the help of planet ball, this omni-directional speaker could averagely reflects the sound to any direction. Therefore, all the body in the room gonna have the same music enjoyment.

Product Page

This gadget from Jabra looks like a ordinary headphone, but you could use it as a speaker.

This gigantic speaker must be a good device for music. However, it’s price is not beautiful. $ 19,916 for one speaker? OMG!!!

Product Page

Panasonic launched a new technology named Nano Bass Exciter, which could make small speakers create rich low-frequency sounds. It uses porous carbon inside the speaker cnclosure to create an acoustic environment and while receiving bass note, the air gushes out of the speaker forcing a sudden decrease in the cabinet. This process could produce high-quality sound.
With this technology, your cellphone might be a HI-FI in the future.

[source]

Hang a wireless iPod speaker on your bike, you can take music with you anywhere. In order to control it comfortable, the wireless controller is based on the handlebar. Plus, this speaker is iH85B speaker is waterproof and resistant, so, don’t worry about the condition you gonna go.

Price: $ 99.99

Buy it here

Hanged like a shoulder bag, what is it used for?

This is bass speaker for you portable digital player. Hanging this, you can go anywhere you like with your music.

[source]

Shaped like a bowl, this speaker could generate water ripples by the influence of sound waves. Additionally, lit up with spacey blue glow, it just like a magic speaker.

Designed by Eric Zhang, a designer from Hangzhou, China, this concept was the third prize winner at the Chinese design competition held by speaker manufactuer 3Nod.

[source]

A transparent column with blue light? What is it used for?

Yeah, many people got it. It’s a speaker from Sony designed by a Italian. The base of the speakers is set in Lombardy marble and the transparent pole emits sound throughout an area in the same way a pebble creates ripples in water.

It’s pretty cool!!

Product Page

Do you know which is the biggest TV in the world? It’s built for the Japan Racing Association (JRA) by Mitsubishi Electric measuring 37 feet x 218 feet, which is about 4 stories high! Don’t believe? Watch the video!

[source]