Open-ear earbuds have had a genuine moment over the past year, and it’s easy to understand why. About half of all earbud users have moved toward them, drawn by ambient awareness, ear health, and the comfort of not having anything plugged into their ear canals. The category has grown quickly, and the question now is which designs actually get it right.

The Skullcandy Push 540 Open enters that picture with a clear sense of what’s been bothering people. Thick earhooks that compete with glasses, neckbands that catch on hair and collars, and touch controls that trigger every time headwear grazes the sensor aren’t fringe complaints; they’re consistent ones. Skullcandy took that feedback and built the 540 Open around fixing each of them.

Designer: Skullcandy

Anyone who has worn open-ear hooks alongside glasses or a hat knows the small but mounting annoyance of too much hardware competing behind the ear. Skullcandy trimmed the earhook thickness based on direct user feedback, and the result is a fit that holds without adding friction to whatever you’re already wearing. It’s the kind of detail you only notice once you stop thinking about it.

The neckband gets the same thoughtful treatment. Unlike rigid or snapping designs found on competing options, Skullcandy’s version drapes naturally, so it won’t fight longer hair or push against a jacket collar. When you pull it off mid-run and don’t have the case on you, the magnetic closure lets it wrap cleanly around your wrist or neck without turning into a tangled nuisance.

Think about what it’s actually like to be deep into a trail run, layered up in a gaiter and hat, headphones that have stayed put the whole time, traffic audible from a distance. That’s the version of open-ear audio the 540 Open is built for. The over-ear hanger keeps things locked in, and the open design keeps the world around you audible.

Battery life is where the 540 Open puts some distance between itself and the competition. At 10 hours per earbud with 32 more in the case, it totals 42 hours, compared to six per earbud for both the Shokz Open Fit Air and JBL Soundgear Sense. The IP44 rating and a 10-minute rapid charge round it out for full days outdoors.

For anyone who trains with a hat on, the ability to disable the touch sensors entirely is a quietly significant option. Most open-ear earbuds don’t offer it. Audio comes from 12mm dynamic drivers, and Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint pairing means two devices can stay connected at once, so moving between a phone and a laptop mid-workout doesn’t require any extra steps.

At $99.99, it’s $20 less than the Shokz Open Fit Air and $60 less than the JBL Soundgear Sense. What’s more interesting than the price gap is that it doesn’t get there by skimping. Better battery life, a flexible neckband that cooperates with real-world dressing, and comfort details from user feedback aren’t the kind of things that make headlines, but they’re what make the difference on a long day outdoors.

The post These $100 Open-Ear Earbuds Won’t Fight Your Glasses, Hair, or Hat first appeared on Yanko Design.

Minimalism in product design has gotten boring. We’re swimming in smooth white rectangles, touch controls that offer zero feedback, and devices designed to vanish. Apple spent two decades training the industry to sand away every visible seam, and now we live in a world where a Bluetooth speaker looks like a cylinder because a cylinder offends nobody. Bang & Olufsen understood early that audio equipment could occupy space like sculpture, could earn its place in a room through presence instead of absence. Teenage Engineering proved that mechanical honesty and playful geometry could coexist with premium materials. Both approaches work because they have a point of view.

TRETTITRE’s TTT series combines those instincts into something harder to categorize. The TTT-LP3 wireless vinyl player uses CNC-machined aluminum for the main frame and features a diffused lighting panel that spreads light evenly across the surface when music plays. The TTT-DP3 Bluetooth CD player takes inspiration from a UFO-like form with a transparent magnetic cover that rotates open to reveal the spinning disc. The TTT-CP3 cassette player uses a metal housing with sharp geometric lines and mechanical transport keys that deliver clear physical response. All three mount on the TTT-W magnetic modular wall rack, turning physical media playback into a visible, functional part of interior design.

Designers: Noah – Founder & Designer, Trettitre

Click Here to Buy Now: $229 $449 ($220 off). Hurry, only 55/99 left! Raised over $654,000.

TTT-LP3: A Vinyl Player That Doubles as Ambient Light

The back of the LP3 includes a hidden mounting structure that allows it to hang directly on a wall. You can mount it vertically so the record becomes part of the visual display, or go for the classic horizontal layout. When you want to move it, you lift the silicone leather handle at the top and take it down. The player detaches easily and gives you the freedom to listen wherever you choose. Traditional turntables usually stay exactly where you put them, limiting your options for when and where you listen. The LP3 works a little differently because of the battery and the wall mount’s wireless charging system, which keeps it powered without a visible cable.

Behind the LP3 sits a diffused lighting panel that spreads light evenly across the surface of the unit. When it’s on, the entire body of the player glows softly, designed to feel closer to ambient lighting than decorative lighting. You can change the lighting effects with the touch of a button. When a record spins, the moving shadows create a quiet visual effect. You can also leave the player mounted on the wall as a soft light source even when no music is playing. That ambient quality pushes the LP3 from well-designed product into something more considered: a slow, breathing light fixture that happens to play records.

The LP3 uses a self-balancing tonearm system that automatically sets the correct pressure when the player powers on. You place the record on the platter and lower the needle, and the system handles the rest. Many turntables require careful calibration before they can be used properly, with tonearm balance, tracking pressure, and counterweight adjustment all part of the process. For experienced collectors that process can be enjoyable, but for beginners it often feels complicated. The LP3 removes that barrier entirely while preserving the tactile experience people enjoy. The player supports both 33 RPM and 45 RPM records, and includes a manual control dial that allows small adjustments to playback speed (roughly ±0.5%), useful for older records that may not spin perfectly at their original speed anymore.

Wireless audio is handled through Qualcomm Bluetooth v5.3 with SBC, aptX, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive, which allows higher-quality and lower-latency wireless audio than basic Bluetooth streaming. For wired setups, the player also includes a 3.5mm audio output. The built-in battery provides up to 6 hours of vinyl playback or up to 3 hours when used purely as an ambient light source. Full specs: dimensions 342×233×87mm, weight 1430g, Audio-Technica AT3600L moving magnet stereo cartridge, CNC-machined aluminum frame with silicone leather carrying strap. The LP3 arrives in June 2026 for Early Bird backers, May 2026 for Fast Delivery backers.

TTT-DP3: Giving the Compact Disc Its Aura Back

The DP3 keeps the reliability of CDs but gives the player a different visual presence. The design takes inspiration from a UFO-like form with a transparent magnetic cover. When the cover rotates open, the disc is partially visible as it spins, turning something simple into a small visual moment. A CD player shaped like a flying saucer with a rotating transparent lid is an audacious idea, and it works because it doesn’t try to evoke nostalgia. It reframes a CD player as a mechanical object of curiosity, something you watch as much as use.

The control buttons include raised tactile dots combined with a gold-embossed finish, making it easy to identify the buttons by touch alone. You can pause or skip tracks without needing to look down at the player. A small OLED display on the player shows track numbers, playback status, and battery level. The interface is intentionally simple so the information you need is visible immediately. A built-in battery allows the DP3 to run for several hours on its own, so you can move it from room to room, bring it to a small gathering, or take it while traveling. Full specs: Ø170×27mm, 324g, supports CD-DA and HDCD formats, Bluetooth 5.4, SNR >70dB, THD <3%, ABS+PC+Metal construction. The DP3 ships in May 2026.

TTT-CP3: Cassette Hardware for Modern Audio Setups

The CP3 keeps the tactile mechanical elements people associate with tapes while updating the electronics inside. The player uses a metal housing with sharp geometric lines that give it a distinctly industrial appearance. Instead of trying to imitate retro plastic designs, the CP3 leans into a more modern interpretation of cassette hardware. The playback controls use independent mechanical keys similar to piano keys. Each press has a clear physical response. Play, rewind, and stop feel deliberate instead of soft or mushy.

Inside the CP3 sits a Bluetooth module that allows cassette audio to stream wirelessly to speakers or headphones. The player decodes analog audio signals with high precision, helping reduce background noise and preserve more detail from the original recording. The result still sounds like cassette tape, but with greater clarity. Full specs: 122×120×32mm, 360g, supports Type I-IV cassette cartridges, Bluetooth 5.4, SNR ≥55dB, THD <3.5%, Metal+PC+ABS construction. The CP3 ships in May 2026.

When Storage Becomes Part of the Spectacle

The TTT-W Magnetic Modular Wall Rack uses an all-metal geometric structure that allows multiple TTT players to be arranged into a clean wall display while keeping them organized and ready to use. The rack integrates magnetic alignment and wireless charging for the vinyl player, so the LP3 can stay powered without visible cables while being part of the room’s design. Two configurations are available: a T-shaped rack (263×196×27mm, 300g) and a magnetic modular wall rack (612×302×27mm, 775g, combined style T+3). Both support wireless charging at 5-10W and use USB-C 5V 2A input.

The Supporting Cast, from Sculptural Speakers to Planar IEMs

TRETTITRE offers a range of add-ons designed to complement the TTT system. The TreSound1 Speaker arrives in concrete and wooden editions, delivering 2×30W + 1×60W output power with a 1″ tweeter, 2.75″ mid-range, and 5.25″ subwoofer for 30Hz-25KHz frequency response. The conical speaker features 360° surround sound, Bluetooth 5.2 with Qualcomm aptX HD, and a sculptural form that occupies space like a piece of furniture. The TreSound Mini is a portable Bluetooth speaker with a 5200mAh battery, 30W RMS output, and 360° surround sound. The TTT-E3 in-ear headphones use a 13mm planar magnetic driver with a 4-strand silver-copper hybrid conductor, available in 3.5mm and 4.4mm configurations. An aluminum alloy side table (300×300×750mm, 1.75kg, max load 50kg) rounds out the ecosystem.

What It Costs to Build the Setup, and When It Ships

The TTT-LP3 wireless vinyl player is available at $229 for Early Bird backers (June 2026 delivery), down from a planned $449 MSRP. The TTT-DP3 Bluetooth CD player is priced at $79 standalone ($179 MSRP), while the TTT-CP3 cassette player is also $79 standalone ($199 MSRP). If you’re a bonafide audiophile, a $399 bundle gets you all three devices. Optional add-ons include the TreSound Mini Bluetooth Speaker at $169 ($299 MSRP), TreSound1 Wooden Edition at $449 ($659 MSRP), TreSound1 Concrete Edition at $499 ($799 MSRP), TTT-E3 planar IEMs at $139 ($239 MSRP), and the TTT Side Table at $89 ($199 MSRP). The campaign runs through April 9, 2026, with worldwide delivery beginning May 15, 2026.

Click Here to Buy Now: $229 $449 ($220 off). Hurry, only 55/99 left! Raised over $654,000.

The post MUJI-Meets-Cyberpunk Vinyl Record Player Glows Like an Ambient Light and Charges Wirelessly first appeared on Yanko Design.

Most concept designs exist to generate buzz, collect awards, and then quietly disappear. The BeoLens Horizon, a projector concept imagined by French industrial designer Baptiste Baumeister, feels different. It feels like a glimpse into a future that Bang & Olufsen should absolutely be building right now.

If you’re not familiar with B&O, the short version is this: the Danish audio brand has been setting the benchmark for luxury consumer electronics since 1925. Their products don’t just sound good; they’re designed to be desired as objects. The BeoSound Shape, the BeoVision Harmony, the Beosound Theatre, all of them treat your living room like a gallery wall. Baumeister clearly understands that DNA, and with BeoLens Horizon, he runs with it in a direction that feels genuinely exciting.

Designer: Baptiste Baumeister

The design comes in two distinct configurations. The first is a horizontal, low-profile unit that sits flat on a surface like a refined soundbar crossed with a Scandinavian jewelry box. The second is a taller, cylindrical form that reads more like a speaker column or a sculptural object you’d place on the floor. Both share the same material vocabulary: light ash wood, brushed gold-toned aluminum, and tightly woven acoustic fabric in warm grey. It’s the kind of material combination that makes you think of an architect’s weekend house rather than a tech showroom.

The horizontal unit is particularly interesting because of how it conceals the projector itself. A wooden slat panel sits on top, almost like a miniature version of those slatted screens you see in high-end Japanese interiors, and the lens assembly slides out from beneath it. The 4K projection capability is written right into the design, quietly labeled without fanfare. There are no aggressive vents, no branding that screams for attention, no black plastic anywhere. It’s restrained in a way that feels almost provocative in a market where most projectors try hard to look “cinematic” and end up looking aggressive instead.

The controls are worth noting too. Rather than a touchscreen or a button cluster, Baumeister places minimal icon-etched controls directly into the wood panel. A Bluetooth symbol, a pair of directional arrows, a power circle. They’re barely visible until you know to look for them, which feels very much in keeping with how B&O has always approached interaction design, treating it as something that should feel intuitive and slightly magical rather than mechanical.

Looking at the exploded view of the horizontal model, you can see just how much thought went into the layering of components. The speaker array sits sandwiched between the wood base and the metal-framed top, with the projector mechanism occupying the central cavity. It’s genuinely elegant engineering, even if this is still a concept. Baumeister also developed a series of small-scale physical prototypes exploring the form from different angles, which you can see in a lineup of matte black study models. That process matters. It tells you this isn’t just a pretty render; it’s a design that was worked through with real hands.

Here’s my honest opinion: the TV industry has been coasting on size for years. Bigger screens, thinner bezels, more pixels. But the BeoLens Horizon asks a more interesting question. What if the device itself was worth looking at even when it was off? What if the experience of owning the hardware was part of the experience of using it? These aren’t new ideas in the B&O world, but a projector built around this philosophy feels like a genuinely fresh proposition, especially as ultra-short-throw technology continues to improve.

Baumeister is a young designer out of Strate, a design school in Lyon, and BeoLens Horizon joins a portfolio that already shows a real feel for the intersection of material craft and technology. Whether Bang & Olufsen ever picks this up or not, the concept makes a compelling case that the future of home cinema doesn’t have to look like a gadget. It can look like something you actually want to live with.

The post The Projector Concept That’s Almost Too Beautiful to Use first appeared on Yanko Design.

Most speaker designs ask a pretty simple question: how do we make this thing louder and smaller? Merge asks a completely different one. How do we make music something you can actually take apart?

Created by a five-person design team, Junchuan Shi, Junhao Lv, Xiangzhao Meng, Ping He, and Genghao Ma, from a cross-institutional collaboration across Sichuan Vocational and Technical College, CityU Macau, TUT, and QZUIE, Merge is a conceptual speaker system that just picked up a 2025 European Product Design Award in the Consumer Electronics category. It’s the kind of student concept that makes you wonder why no major brand has thought of it first.

Designers: Junchuan Shi, Junhao Lv, Xiangzhao Meng, Ping He, Genghao Ma

The central idea is deceptively clever. Merge physically separates music into its component layers: the accompaniment on one module, the vocals on another, and the full combined sound handled by the complete assembly. You choose what you hear depending on how the pieces are arranged. Pull the vocal module away, and you’ve got an instant karaoke track. Keep just the vocal module, and you hear a singer stripped back from all the production. Snap everything together and you get the whole song. It sounds gimmicky when you describe it that way, but it really isn’t. It’s an intuitive way to interact with music that streaming apps, for all their data and algorithms, still haven’t cracked with the same sense of physical satisfaction.

The three modules connect via electromagnetic induction, which also handles charging between units. That detail matters more than it sounds. It means the product doesn’t rely on fiddly clips or pins; the connection is seamless and the experience stays clean. When you hold all three pieces assembled, they sit together like a solid little object. When you pull them apart, you’re not wrestling with latches. You’re just… separating music.

Visually, the design is confident without being loud. The modules are geometric and compact: a rectangular flat piece, a squared speaker body, and a triangular wedge that caps the top when assembled. The whole thing sits in your palm like a premium toy, which is very much the point. The team describes the tactile experience of rearranging the modules as analogous to playing with building blocks, and that framing is spot on. Listening becomes a physical act rather than a passive one. You’re not adjusting a slider on an app; you’re literally picking up a piece of the song and putting it somewhere else.

The color language is considered too. The renders show options in slate blue, orange-coral, silver metallic, and white-grey, each colorway with its own character but all sharing the same graphic vocabulary: pixel waveform icons and quiet typography showing floating lyrics directly on the module surface. It reads like something between a well-designed toy and a serious piece of consumer electronics, which is an interesting space for a speaker to occupy.

I’ll be upfront: Merge is still a concept. It won in the EPDA’s conceptual category, and it hasn’t crossed into production territory yet. That’s a long road, and the audio technology behind splitting tracks in real time at the hardware level would require serious engineering. The images are renders and physical prototypes, not retail-ready products. But the best conceptual design has always worked like that. It shows an industry where something should go, even when the technology and the business case haven’t fully caught up yet.

What makes Merge genuinely compelling is that it treats the listener as someone with curiosity rather than just convenience-seeking habits. The assumption baked into most audio product design is that people want everything done for them, simplified, smoothed over. Merge assumes the opposite: that people might actually enjoy engaging with the layers of a song, touching them, moving them around. Given how obsessed the current cultural moment is with stems, remixes, and stripped-back sessions, that assumption feels exactly right.

Whether it ever becomes a product you can buy, Merge is already doing the thing good design is supposed to do. It makes you look at something ordinary and ask why it was never done this way before.

The post When Your Speaker Is Also a Puzzle, Music Hits Different first appeared on Yanko Design.

Philips is going all in with the retro vibe of 80s, because why not? The era was signified by bold colors and freedom of expression that somehow got lost in the craving for clean designs. The Dutch multinational wants to bring back that classic feel with its Moving Sound line-up that’ll have you drooling over. That pure magnetism of the retro-futuristic design sense, paired with the bright hues, is enough to get the party started.

The new range is a modern reinterpretation of the 1980’s Philips Moving Sound design, and on the inside, there is technology of modern times. This audio accessory lineup is headed by two portable Bluetooth speakers, a pair of headphones, and cheeky earbuds that are hard to resist. All of them come in attractive color combinations for a nostalgic feel. Most importantly, sustainability is at the core of the range, featuring replaceable batteries, extensive use of RCS-certified plastics, and FSC-certified plastic-free packaging.

Designer: Philips

The Tube (MS80) and The Roller (MS60) Speaker

Philips has brought two portable Bluetooth speakers to the fore, which overshadow any other option on the market for their bold retro feel. The €349.99 (approximately $402) Tube (MS80) speaker is a boxy option with the bright yellow hue contrasted well with the matte black and the LED lighting around the speaker ring. It is not all looks as the IP67 rated speaker produces 140W of thumping sound via the two five-inch woofers, two tweeters, and a dual passive radiator setup. The Tube (MS80) retains the nostalgia with a color display showing the looping cassette animation. The speaker has a 24-hour battery life, which will obviously depend on the volume levels at which it is played. Modern connectivity options like Bluetooth 5.5, Auracast, and USB make this a true audio lover’s accessory.

On the other hand, The Roller (MS60), priced at €179.99 (approximately $208), is similar to the Tube (MS80) with a smaller footprint and more contoured look. The stereo layout comprises woofers, tweeters and passive radiators, and for low-end addicts, the bass can be tuned up using the Bass+ feature. The IP67 speaker generates 60W sound and comes with the same modern connectivity options as the big brother. Since it generates less wattage, it is also rated at 24-hour battery life. You can also utilize the speaker as a battery bank for power-hungry gadgets.

The Buds (MS3) Earbuds

These are one of my favorites in the lineup for their cheesy appeal. The IP54-rated Buds (MS3) wireless earbuds come with a round case that has a touchscreen display on top to show the current playing track and an option to toggle the next or previous tracks. The hues on this are purely magical with the yellow, teal and neon pink splattered in perfect proportions. The buds boast six microphones in total for hybrid ANC, and come with Spatial Audio, multipoint connectivity, Swift Pair support, and Auracast. The promised battery life of 42 hours with ANC off is quite impressive, and a 10-minute quick charge lasts for two hours. For €79.99 (approximately $92) The Buds (MS3) are an absolute steal.

Ringo Duo (MS1) Headphones

Philips was not going to miss out on the retro feel of on-ear headphones for this line-up. They have the telltale nostalgic look and feel, reminding me of the Back to the Future flick. They are lightweight and will take you back to the golden era if you pair them with music from the 80s. Audio quality from these is impressive courtesy of the 40mm drivers, and the promised 26 hours battery life should last you a couple of days of pure music bliss. You can connect them via Bluetooth or a wired connection, making them well-suited for daily driving. You won’t get anything better than the Ringo Duo (MS1) headphones priced at €34.99 (approximately $40).

The post Philips Moving Sound line-up impresses with retro chunky form and peppy colors first appeared on Yanko Design.

In most cases, wearable technology still announces itself as technology. Plastic shells, visible sensors, and utilitarian forms often make devices feel separate from the way people dress or present themselves. The AI Smart Gemstone Earpiece takes a different path. Instead of asking users to accommodate technology, it integrates technology into the language of personal adornment. Designed specifically with female users in mind, the earpiece approaches wireless audio as something that can live comfortably within fashion, jewelry, and everyday styling.

At first glance, the device does not read as a pair of earbuds at all. It looks remarkably similar to earrings. The form, scale, and surface detailing borrow directly from fine jewelry traditions rather than consumer electronics. Each earpiece is constructed from a copper acoustic chamber plated with eighteen karat white gold and inlaid with rare celestial gemstones, including meteorite fragments, tiger’s eye, opal, zircon, and obsidian. These materials introduce depth, color, and subtle light reflections that shift as the wearer moves. The result is a small object that sits on the ear like an accessory rather than a gadget.

Designer: Of Hunger

This shift in visual language matters. For many users, particularly women, accessories are an intentional part of how an outfit comes together. Traditional earbuds often interrupt that balance. They can feel out of place with formal clothing, evening wear, or carefully styled looks. The gemstone earpiece approaches the problem from the opposite direction. Instead of trying to hide technology, it celebrates it through jewelry craftsmanship. The gemstones and polished metal surfaces allow the device to complement clothing choices, hairstyles, and other jewelry pieces. Worn on the ear, it reads as something chosen for style as much as for function.

The experience begins even before the earbuds are worn. The charging case is designed to resemble a jewelry box rather than an electronics case. Opening it feels less like accessing a gadget and more like opening a pair of earrings. The earbuds rest neatly inside the case, echoing the presentation of high jewelry. This small gesture transforms a technical action such as charging into a familiar ritual. It reinforces the idea that the device belongs in the same category as personal accessories, objects that people care for and keep close.

Behind this jewelry-like presence lies a sophisticated technological system. The device operates on Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound architecture and uses thirteen millimeter dual magnet dynamic drivers paired with a HiFi grade composite diaphragm. This combination produces clear, balanced audio with a sense of spatial depth. The system also uses Open Wearable Stereo technology and air conduction sound transmission, allowing users to remain aware of their surroundings while listening. A three-dimensional sound field tuned by a professional acoustic laboratory with more than twenty-five years of experience ensures that the listening experience feels expansive and natural.

Interaction with the device remains simple and discreet. A touch-sensitive back panel on each earbud allows users to control playback or activate artificial intelligence features. The earbuds connect instantly through Bluetooth five point three when removed from the charging case. A spring-loaded mechanical structure allows the device to be worn with a single smooth motion, balancing comfort with stability. Each earbud weighs between twelve and fifteen grams, making it light enough for extended wear.

Artificial intelligence is deeply embedded in the experience. The system integrates ChatGPT and DeepSeek as its neural core, enabling functions that go far beyond music. Through the companion application, users can access real-time translation, intelligent conversation assistance, and meeting transcription. The application also allows users to customize acoustic equalization and connect to larger AI computing systems that power these features.

Battery performance supports everyday use without demanding constant attention. The earbuds offer approximately six to eight hours of listening time, while the charging case extends the total usage to around twenty hours. A ten-minute quick charge provides about one hour of playback, making the device practical for fast-paced daily routines.

The product itself emerged through a foresight-driven design process that explored how women might interact with wearable technology in an increasingly AI-supported world. The development team combined expertise in materials science, industrial design, acoustic engineering, and artificial intelligence. Several technical challenges had to be solved along the way, including integrating precious metals and gemstones with miniature electronics, creating an ergonomic wearing structure, and embedding acoustic modules alongside AI chips within a compact form.

Seen through a design lens, the AI Smart Gemstone Earpiece represents a subtle but meaningful shift in wearable technology. It treats personal devices not simply as tools but as objects that participate in how people dress, move, and present themselves. In doing so, it blurs the boundary between jewelry and electronics, suggesting a future where technology becomes something we wear with the same care and intention as the rest of our style.

The post AI Earbuds Designed Like Fine Jewelry, Not Consumer Electronics first appeared on Yanko Design.

IKEA’s GREJSIMOJS collection started with a dog-shaped lamp that dims when you hold its head for bedtime, turning a light switch into something closer to petting a sleepy puppy. The limited collection is more than just about cute animals, but also about playful behavior baked into everyday objects. That same thinking now shows up in a tiny Bluetooth speaker shaped like a mouse, with four stubby legs and a braided tail that doubles as a carry loop.

The GREJSIMOJS portable Bluetooth speaker is a small, mouse-shaped character IKEA calls a “cute little music friend” for playful people of all ages. It is meant to follow kids from room to room, turning background sound into something they can carry and interact with, while still being a straightforward wireless speaker for parents who just want podcasts in the kitchen or bedtime audiobooks without fumbling with phone speakers.

Designer: Marta Krupińska (IKEA)

Picture a child drawing at a desk, the purple mouse sitting nearby quietly playing an audiobook or favorite songs. Pairing is as simple as connecting a phone over Bluetooth, and the sound is tuned for everyday listening rather than shaking walls. The built-in volume limit protects sensitive ears, so kids can turn it up without parents needing to hover over the controls constantly or worry about hearing damage.

The braided tail makes it easy for small hands to grab and move the speaker from bedroom to living room. Charging happens over USB-C, though the cable and adapter are sold separately, and IKEA says adults should handle that part. The speaker cannot play while charging, which creates a split that lets kids control what they listen to while adults manage batteries and power.

The multi-speaker mode lets the mouse pair with other IKEA Bluetooth speakers supporting the same feature. That means the same music can play from multiple spots, turning a hallway and playroom into one sound zone without complicated app setups. It is an easy way to make dance parties or tidy-up time feel coordinated, even if the tech behind it stays invisible to everyone involved.

The collection’s goal is to inspire play and togetherness across the home, and the mouse fits that mission well. IKEA notes that £1 from every GREJSIMOJS product sold during a set period goes to the Baby Bank Alliance, adding a layer of purposeful giving. More than just decor, the speaker is a small facilitator for shared stories, music, and movement in family spaces without needing complicated setup rituals.

The GREJSIMOJS mouse speaker, like the dog lamp, treats technology as something that should feel approachable and a bit silly rather than cold. Rather than competing with serious audio gear, it is trying to make rooms feel more alive without asking kids to sit still or parents to manage another app. In homes where screens already demand enough attention, a small purple mouse that quietly pipes in sound might be exactly the kind of tech everyone can agree on.

The post IKEA Just Made a Mouse-Shaped Speaker That Kids Can Actually Carry first appeared on Yanko Design.

Gaming headsets tend to lean bass-heavy and closed-back, with flashy branding and mics that sound good enough for Discord but not much else. Planar-magnetic hi-fi headphones sound incredible but usually lack microphones and look out of place next to RGB keyboards. Players who care about both soundstage and winning often juggle two pairs or compromise, because the two worlds rarely meet in one product without awkward concessions.

That is where ROG Kithara comes in. It is ROG’s first open-back planar-magnetic gaming headset, developed with HIFIMAN. The collaboration brings 100mm planar drivers into a headset that still has a proper boom mic, in-line controls, and all the plugs you need for PCs, consoles, DACs, and laptops. It treats games like they deserve hi-fi instead of just tolerating them as background noise.

Designer: ROG (ASUS)

The planar drivers deliver an 8Hz to 55kHz frequency response with very low distortion, which translates into deep, controlled bass and crisp treble without smearing. The open-back design creates a wider, more natural soundstage, so footsteps, reloads, and distant movement sit in believable positions instead of clustering in your head. It helps both immersion and tactical awareness without needing surround processing that usually just muddies everything.

Playing a competitive shooter, you can distinguish a teammate reloading behind you from an enemy stepping on metal two floors up. The fast transient response keeps those cues sharp, and the open-back architecture stops explosions from masking subtle sounds entirely. You react faster because you are not guessing where anything came from. You are actually hearing it placed in space the way the sound designer intended it.

The on-cable MEMS boom microphone covers the full 20Hz to 20kHz range with a high signal-to-noise ratio, so your voice sounds more natural than typical narrow-band gaming mics. Separate signal paths for audio and mic on the dual 3.5mm cable keep game sound from bleeding into chat, which your squad will quietly appreciate even if they never ask what headset you switched to or notice until the crosstalk disappears.

The balanced cable with swappable 4.4mm, 3.5mm, and 6.3mm plugs lets you move from a desktop DAC to a laptop or console without changing headsets. The included USB-C to dual 3.5mm adapter covers modern laptops and handhelds. With 16-ohm impedance, Kithara is easy to drive without a rack of gear just to get it loud enough for late-night sessions.

Of course, the metal frame, eight-level headband adjustment, and two sets of ear pads, leatherette with mesh for focused sound and velour for a softer feel, mean you can tune comfort and tonality. The open-back design leaks sound and is best in quiet rooms, but for players who want one headset that handles ranked matches, long story games, and critical music listening, Kithara feels like a rare crossover that actually respects both sides.

The post ROG Just Built the Gaming Headset Audiophiles Always Wanted first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sometimes the best tech isn’t the loudest. It’s the one that makes you pause and actually look at it before you press play. That’s what designers Yong Cao and Jianfeng Lv have managed to pull off with the Tresound Mini, a desktop Bluetooth speaker that refuses to be just another black box on your desk.

At first glance, this compact speaker looks like it wandered in from a modern art gallery. Its cone-shaped design is clean, almost architectural, with a minimalist aesthetic that feels intentional without being precious about it. The form isn’t just for show, either. TRETTITRE, the emerging HiFi brand behind the speaker, describes itself as bridging traditional audio quality with something more forward-thinking, and you can see that philosophy at work here.

Designers: Yong Cao and Jianfeng Lv

The Tresound Mini recently won the Golden A’ Design Award in the Audio and Sound Equipment Design category, which is one of those achievements that signals serious design cred. But awards aside, what makes this speaker interesting is how it thinks about the desktop experience differently. Instead of trying to dominate your workspace with aggressive angles or flashy lights, it takes a more refined approach. The design integrates seamlessly into your environment, whether that’s a home office setup, a creative studio, or just a corner of your apartment where you actually get things done.

Art Director Yong Cao and Designer Jianfeng Lv, both from China, approached this project with a focus on what they call the “deep integration of brand design and product design”. That sounds like design speak, but what it really means is that every element serves a purpose. The cone shape isn’t arbitrary. It contributes to the audio performance while also giving the speaker a distinctive profile that stands out without screaming for attention. It’s the kind of design that works equally well in a carefully curated Instagram photo or just sitting there doing its job.

Let’s talk about the packaging, because this is where things get genuinely clever. Instead of going with the typical cardboard box and foam inserts, the Tresound Mini comes with a carrying bag that’s wet-pressed from bamboo fiber pulp. This isn’t just packaging in the traditional sense. It’s designed to double as a carrying case, making the speaker genuinely portable. The bamboo fiber approach is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective, reducing packaging waste while providing actual protection for the product. It’s the kind of thoughtful detail that shows someone was actually thinking about the full lifecycle of the product, not just the unboxing moment.

The portability factor is key here. Desktop speakers traditionally live in one spot, tethered to your workspace. But the Tresound Mini was designed with the understanding that people move around now. You might want it on your desk in the morning, out on a balcony in the afternoon, or in your kitchen while you’re cooking dinner. The compact size and that bamboo fiber carrying bag make that kind of flexibility possible.

TRETTITRE positions itself as catering to “the new generation of HiFi enthusiasts”, which is a smart read of where audio culture is heading. There’s a growing audience that cares about sound quality but doesn’t want to sacrifice design or deal with the bulk and complexity of traditional HiFi setups. They want something that sounds good, looks intentional, and fits into spaces that might not have room for a full speaker system. The Tresound Mini seems built specifically for that demographic.

What’s interesting about this design is how it challenges the assumption that good audio equipment needs to look technical or industrial. There’s no display screen, no visible screws, no aggressive branding. Just a clean geometric form that happens to deliver quality sound. It’s the audio equivalent of those minimal tech accessories that proved you don’t need to sacrifice aesthetics for function.

The success of the Tresound Mini might signal a broader shift in how we think about desktop audio. As more people work from home or create hybrid living and working spaces, there’s an appetite for products that perform well without dominating the visual landscape. We want our tech to be good at what it does, but we also want it to feel like it belongs in our actual lives, not in a showroom.

Yong Cao and Jianfeng Lv have created something that manages to be both functional and thoughtful. The Tresound Mini proves that when you approach product design with real consideration for how people actually use things, you can create something that transcends its basic function and becomes worth talking about.

The post When Your Speaker Is Also a Statement: The Tresound Mini first appeared on Yanko Design.

Faire du bruit avec du code, c'est un peu le graal pour tout dev qui aime la musique. On connaît tous les gros trucs en C++ ou les frameworks spécialisés, mais voir débarquer un synthé complet codé en Go, c'est toujours une petite surprise qui se déguste sans modération.

Son nom : Footywhoops .

C'est un couteau suisse sonore que vous pilotez directement depuis votre terminal et qui permet de générer des séquences de batterie, des lignes de basse (un mode "Acid Bass" bien gras avec sub-oscillateur et enveloppes ADSR est de la partie), des arpèges et des mélodies. Le tout peut être calé sur différentes gammes musicales (majeure, mineure, dorienne, blues, etc.) pour éviter de finir avec une cacophonie insupportable. On est un peu dans l'esprit du live coding musical comme ce que propose Strudel ou Dittytoy , mais version ligne de commande.

brew install portaudio

sudo apt-get install portaudio19-dev

git clone https://github.com/system32-ai/footywhoops
cd footywhoops
go build

./footywhoops -mode synth

./footywhoops -mode fx -dist 0.8 -reverb 0.5

For audiophiles, nothing gets beyond their love for music and the audio gear they own. The exploration for the best headphone, IEM, or DAC never ends, given there is so much to discover and the different permutations of combining the gear for blissful audio output. This has consequently led to several brands trying to cater to this serious hobby while staying on a budget.

Fiio, as a Chi-Fi brand, has ensured that audiophiles don’t always have to invest in steeply priced gear to get the preferred sound without breaking the budget. The DM15 R2R Portable CD Player by the Chinese brand already demonstrated how serious they are about spreading the love for music in all forms and shapes. Now they’ve revealed the Snowsky Disc digital audio player, which is the perfect amalgam of modern audio technology and the unrelenting charm of the CD player.

Designer: Fiio

The compact DAP is designed with the needs of modern audiophiles in mind, who prioritize audio quality, intuitive operation, and a love for physical music libraries. Versatility is the key here as the audio player is compatible with all the devices you throw at it, and supports a wide array of file types. Connect it to your valued in-ear monitors or pair it with sensitive headphones; Snowsky Disc can handle it all without much fuss. The player is built on a dual DAC architecture that promises balanced, clean, and detailed audio, no matter what file type you are playing it through. This enhances the overall musical tonality for a more engaging listening experience.

The CD player-inspired design of this DAP is something anyone would appreciate. There’s a circular touch screen on the front to toggle all the on-screen controls. The inclusion of lyrics playback and album artwork adds to the engagement with your music listening sessions. The audio gadget can also be controlled via the compatible smartphone app for convenience. Along with support for 2TB memory expansion to carry your high-resolution music files, the player also supports audio streaming via apps. It has built-in Wi-Fi support for AirPlay streaming and installing firmware updates on the fly.

For wired connectivity, the player has a USB-C port, a 3.5mm single-ended jack, and a 4.4mm balanced output. The player can even be connected to external DACs, hi-fi systems, amplifiers, and other audio gear via the SPDIF output. If you want to enjoy music wirelessly, the LDAC high-res codec can be connected to supported headphones, IEMs, and earbuds. Snowsky Disc boasts 12 hours of playback, which is enough to get you through a day of work or travel. Priced at $80, the digital audio player will be available to buy in January.

The post Fiio Snowsky Disc is a compact audio player tailored for modern listeners first appeared on Yanko Design.

Vous avez des AirPods Pro que vous avez payés 300 balles et quand vous les branchez sur votre téléphone Android ou votre PC Linux, la moitié des fonctionnalités disparaissent. C'est pas parce que le matériel ne peut pas les faire mais juste parce qu'Apple a décidé que vous n'aviez pas le droit de les utiliser si vous n'êtes pas dans leur écosystème. Snif !

Et là, LibrePods débarque et règle ce problème. Ils s'agit d'un projet open source qui déverrouille toutes les fonctionnalités exclusives des AirPods sur les appareils non-Apple, et c'est compatible avec les AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 (sauf le monitoring cardiaque), les AirPods 4, et même les AirPods Max en mode complet. Les autres modèles AirPods ont également un support basique (batterie et détection d'oreilles).

Mais alors qu'est-ce que vous récupérez avec LibrePods ?

Hé bien tout ce qu'Apple vous a vendu mais que vous ne pouviez pas utiliser ailleurs que sous iOS. Par exemple, le contrôle du bruit actif et la transparence adaptative, la détection d'oreille qui met en pause quand vous retirez un écouteur, les gestes de la tête pour répondre aux appels, le statut de batterie précis, les paramètres d'aide auditive complets, la connexion à deux appareils simultanés, et la reconnaissance de conversation qui baisse automatiquement le volume.

La dernière version (v0.2.0-alpha) a ajouté pas mal de trucs sympas comme la possibilité de voir la batterie de vos AirPods même quand ils ne sont pas connectés à votre téléphone, la connexion automatique quand vous recevez un appel ou lancez de la musique, et la personnalisation complète du mode transparence (amplification, balance, tonalité, réduction du bruit ambiant).

Techniquement, LibrePods fonctionne en utilisant un hook sur le Bluetooth Device Identification. Ce DID Bluetooth, c'est ce qui permet aux appareils de s'identifier entre eux et Apple utilise ce système pour vérifier si l'appareil connecté est un produit Apple. Si oui, les fonctionnalités se débloquent, si non, elles restent cachées. LibrePods se fait donc passer pour un appareil Apple à ce niveau, du coup, les AirPods croient qu'ils sont connectés à un iPhone ou un Mac. Et là, hop, tout se débloque ! Chouette non ?

Et c'est pas un hack compliqué... Ça consiste juste à enlever un filtre logiciel qu'Apple a mis volontairement pour vous forcer à rester dans leur écosystème.

LibrePods fonctionne sur Android et Linux. Notez que pour Android, vous devez avoir un appareil rooté avec Xposed installé à cause d'un bug dans la stack Bluetooth d'Android. Par contre, bonne nouvelle si vous êtes sur un OnePlus ou un Oppo avec ColorOS ou OxygenOS 16, vous pouvez utiliser l'app sans root pour les fonctions de base comme l'ANC, la reconnaissance de conversation et la détection d'oreilles !

Sur Linux, une nouvelle version est en développement actif et promet d'apporter encore plus de fonctionnalités mais en attendant, l'ancienne version permet déjà de contrôler les modes de bruit, les paramètres d'aide auditive, et d'autres fonctions.

D'autres applis existent pour gérer les AirPods sur Android comme CAPod, AirPodsDesktop, MagicPods, EarX mais elles ne proposent pas grand chose par rapport à LibrePods.

C'est vrai que l'Union Européenne force les fabricants à déverrouiller le firmware de certains appareils pour permettre la réparation et l'interopérabilité sauf que les écouteurs Bluetooth ne sont pas couverts par ces lois, ce qui fait qu'Apple peut continuer à brider des fonctionnalités matérielles avec du logiciel sans aucun problème légal.

LibrePods prouve donc qu'on n'a pas besoin d'attendre des lois. Faut juste des hackers qui en ont marre de se faire entuber et un peu de code !

Voilà, si vous avez des AirPods et que vous utilisez Android ou Linux, franchement, allez voir. Y'a tout sur le repo GitHub : le code source, les instructions d'installation, la doc technique...etc

Merci à Kiyoshi pour l'info !

Most hi-fi speakers still look like anonymous black rectangles, even when they sound great. A few brands treat speakers as furniture or sculpture, but often at the expense of engineering. Braque by Nocs tries to sit in the middle, a pair of cubes that are as considered visually as they are technically, treating stereo as both sound and composition rather than one serving the other as an afterthought.

Nocs calls Braque “two cubes, one sculptural stereo system,” and each speaker is a stacked pair, a CNC-machined plywood enclosure on top of a 25 kg solid-steel base. Built in numbered editions, assembled in Estonia with the steel cube handcrafted in Sweden, and tuned back at Nocs Lab, Braque signals that this is not a mass-market soundbar or a safe play for casual listeners who just want something wireless.

Designer: Nocs Design

The upper cube is rigid plywood finished in deep matte-black oil, chosen for tonal warmth and acoustic integrity, and the lower cube is a hand-welded, brushed steel block that anchors the system physically and visually. Sorbothane isolation pads sit between them, decoupling the enclosure from the base so the driver can move without shaking the furniture or smearing the soundstage. Together, the two volumes form a study in symmetry, a minimal yet expressive composition.

The acoustic core is an 8-inch Celestion FTX0820 coaxial driver with a 1-inch compression tweeter at its center, powered by dual Hypex FA122 modules delivering 125 W per side with integrated DSP. The coaxial layout gives a point-source image, and the active 2-way design lets Nocs control crossover and EQ precisely, resulting in a 42 Hz–20 kHz response that is tuned rather than guessed at from a passive circuit.

Nocs describes their studio-sound approach as tuning like sculpture, not adding but uncovering, working with artists and engineers to balance emotion, texture, and detail. The dual-cube design is part of that, lifting the driver to ear height when seated and using mass and isolation to keep the presentation clean and stable at real-world volumes. The idea is that a speaker should reveal music rather than shape it into a brand’s house curve.

Braque offers both analog and digital inputs, RCA and XLR for analog, plus S/PDIF, AES/EBU, and coaxial for digital, and it is meant to connect directly to turntables with a phono stage, streamers, or studio interfaces. There is no built-in streaming or app layer, which feels intentional; you bring your own source and let the speakers handle amplification and conversion from there without trying to be a whole ecosystem.

Braque behaves in a living room or studio as two strict cubes that read like small pieces of Cubist architecture until you press play. For people who want their speakers to be part of the composition of a space, not just equipment pushed into corners, the combination of Celestion drivers, Hypex power, and that heavy steel base makes Braque feel like a very deliberate answer to how a stereo should look and sound in 2025, where form and performance finally coexist without one apologizing for the other.

The post Nocs Braque Stacks Two Cubes into a 25kg Sculptural Stereo System first appeared on Yanko Design.

Streaming services turned album covers into tiny squares you scroll past on your way to something else. Phones made music convenient, but also turned it into background noise competing with notifications, emails, and every app demanding attention at once. You used to hold a record sleeve and feel like you owned something specific. Now your entire library is just files in a folder somewhere, and nothing about that experience feels remotely special or worth paying attention to.

Sleevenote is musician Tom Vek’s attempt to give digital albums their own object again. It’s a square music player with a 4-inch screen that matches the shape of album artwork, designed to show covers, back sleeves, and booklet pages without any other interface getting in the way. The device only plays music you actually buy and download from places like Bandcamp, deliberately skipping Spotify and Apple Music to keep ownership separate from the endless scroll.

Designers: Tom Vek, Chris Hipgrave (Sleevenote)

The hardware is a black square that’s mostly screen from the front, with a thick body and rounded edges that make it feel more like a handheld picture frame than a phone. Physical playback buttons sit along one side so you can skip tracks without touching the screen. When you hold it, the weight and thickness are noticeable. This isn’t trying to slip into a pocket; it’s trying to sit on your desk or rest in your hand like a miniature album sleeve.

The screen shows high-resolution artwork, back covers, lyrics, and credits supplied through the Sleevenote platform. You swipe through booklet pages while listening, and the interface stays out of the way so the album art fills the entire square without overlays or buttons. The whole point is that the device becomes the album cover while music plays, which works better in practice than it sounds on paper when you describe it.

Sleevenote won’t let you stream anything. It encourages you to “audition” music on your phone and only put albums you truly love on the player, treating it more like a curated shelf than a jukebox with everything. This sounds good in theory, but means carrying a second device that can’t do anything except play the files you’ve already bought, which feels like a lot of friction for album art, no matter how nice the screen looks.

Sleevenote works as a small act of resistance against music as disposable content. For people who miss having a physical relationship with albums, a square player that only does one thing might feel like a shrine worth keeping. Whether that’s worth the price for a device with a screen barely bigger than your phone is a different question, but the idea that digital music deserves its own object makes more sense than cramming everything into the same distracted rectangle.

The post This Square Player Refuses to Stream Music, and That’s the Point first appeared on Yanko Design.

L’histoire du jour est signée Luke M, un hacker qui a découvert comment rooter une caméra avec… du son !

L’appareil en question est une caméra chinoise de la marque Yi qui utilise une fonctionnalité appelée “Sonic Pairing” pour faciliter la configuration WiFi. Comme ça, au lieu de galérer à taper votre mot de passe WiFi sur une interface minuscule avec vos gros doigts boudinés, vous jouez simplement un petit son depuis votre téléphone et c’est ce son qui contient votre clé WiFi encodés en modulation de fréquence. La caméra écoute, décode, et se connecte.

Magique, non ?

Sauf que cette fonctionnalité marquée en “beta” dans l’app Yi IoT contient deux bugs magnifiques : une stack overflow local et un global overflow. En gros, en fabriquant un fichier audio malveillant avec les bons patterns, Luke a pu injecter du code arbitraire dans la caméra, ce qui lui permet d’obtenir un shell root qui se lance via la commande telnetd avec les identifiants par défaut. Tout ça, sans accès physique… juste la lecture d’un wav ou d’un MP3.

Pour arriver à ses fins, Luke a utilisé Frida , un framework de hooking que j’adore, capable d’intercepter les fonctions natives de l’app. Cela lui a permis de remplacer les données légitimes attendues par l’app par son propre payload.

Le premier bug (stack overflow) n’étant pas suffisant seul, Luke a dû utiliser un autre bug ( un out-of-bounds read via DOOM ) pour leaker un pointeur et contourner l’ ASLR . Mais le second bug (global overflow) est bien plus intéressant puisqu’il lui permet directement de faire une injection de commande via system() lors du pairing, sans avoir besoin d’autre chose.

Voici la waveform utilisée par le second exploit

Et comme la chaîne que vous pouvez envoyer via le son peut faire jusqu’à 128 bytes c’est largement suffisant pour un telnetd ou n’importe quelle commande shell. Notez que pour que l’exploit marche, le bind_key doit commencer par ‘CN’, ce qui force un path exploitable et, en bonus fait causer la caméra en chinois ^^.

Après faut savoir que ce hack amusant ne fonctionne que si la caméra n’est pas encore connectée au cloud. Donc c’est pas très utile pour attaquer des caméras déjà déployées mais ça illustre bien le problème de tout cet IoT pas cher avec des tas de features “pratiques” comme ce “Sonic Pairing” qui finissent par être catastrophique dans la pratique.

Voilà… si vous voulez les détails techniques complets avec les waveforms et le code d’exploit, foncez lire ça sur Paged Out! #7 .

NODE Audio, based in Cambridge, UK, has introduced a striking new range that challenges the conventional idea of what a loudspeaker can be. The NODE ATOM series is not just about delivering exceptional sound; it’s about bringing sculptural beauty into the heart of the living space. Designed in collaboration with Studio17 Design, these loudspeakers are carefully crafted as objects of desire and performance.

The ATOM range debuts with two models: the ATOM 525 standmount, which comes with its own custom stand, and the larger ATOM 650 floorstander. Both models are built upon NODE’s patented Helical Transmission Line (HTL) technology. HTL is a unique internal architecture that directs the woofer’s energy through a central chamber and a precisely shaped helical path. This innovation enables these relatively compact speakers to deliver rich, extended bass that feels full and controlled, defying expectations set by their size.

Designer Name: Node Audio Research, Studio17 Design

What makes the ATOM series stand out is the introduction of MonoCell damping. This new lattice structure is created using advanced additive manufacturing, replacing traditional fibrous damping materials. MonoCell isn’t just for sound; it also serves as structural bracing, forming a monocoque shell of impressive strength. With this approach, the cabinet itself becomes almost resonance-free, allowing the music to emerge with remarkable clarity and purity.

The tactile experience is enhanced by the custom textile wrap that covers each loudspeaker. This is no ordinary fabric. Instead, it’s a multi-layered composition of felt, foam, and woven material that not only feels unique to the touch but also serves to control vibrations. The result is a speaker that looks and feels as refined as the sound it produces.

NODE ATOM speakers are visually distinctive. Their flowing, sculpted forms are free from sharp corners or flat surfaces, making them feel as much a piece of contemporary art as a piece of audio equipment. Each cabinet features structural elements machined from solid billet aluminum, then hand-polished to a flawless finish. The attention to detail is evident in every aspect, from the shimmering surfaces to the seamless curves.

NODE Audio’s vision for the ATOM series is clear: to create a loudspeaker that is as emotionally compelling as it is technically advanced. Designed and made in the UK, the ATOM range will be available in January 2026, offered in a curated selection of finishes to complement any modern interior. Unveiled at the UK HiFi Show Live at Ascot, the ATOM series received strong praise from both the public and industry experts, signaling a new era where loudspeakers can be both functional and beautiful.

The post NODE ATOM loudspeakers blend art and audio for the modern home first appeared on Yanko Design.

The hunt for perfect sound has pushed audio lovers way beyond basic functionality into something that feels more like sonic art. Modern turntable design isn’t just about spinning vinyl anymore – it’s embracing wild new technologies and materials that completely change how we experience music. We’re talking optical systems that don’t even touch your records and transparent builds that kill vibration before it starts.

Today’s listening experiences need gear that respects both the hands-on ritual of analog playback and the crisp precision of digital formats. These five incredible turntables show exactly how smart design can make music more engaging, whether you’re spinning classic vinyl or giving CDs the analog treatment they deserve. Each one takes a totally different approach to killer sound, mixing jaw-dropping looks with the kind of technical chops that make serious audiophiles weak at the knees.

1. Vivia CD Turntable

The Vivia CD Turntable does something really cool – it makes playing CDs feel like the analog ritual vinyl lovers can’t get enough of. That tone arm actually figures out how long your CD is and travels from the outside edge to the center while your album plays, just like a real record player would. The volume knob feels incredible in your hands, giving you those smooth adjustments that make you want to keep tweaking. Every single control on this thing connects you physically to your music.

You can grab that tone arm and move it around to jump between tracks, just like positioning a needle on vinyl. Those Track Selector buttons work like DJ controls, letting you skip tracks while the arm moves to exactly the right spot on your CD. It’s this attention to the visual show that makes the Vivia special. This thing actually makes CD listening feel like an event instead of just hitting play on a boring digital player.

What we like

• Revolutionary approach brings analog ritual to digital CD playback.
• Tactile controls create a genuine connection between you and your music.

What we dislike

• Only works with CDs, so vinyl collectors are out of luck.
• The complex tone arm system might need more maintenance than simple CD players.

2. Miniot Wheel 3

The Miniot Wheel 3 flips everything you know about turntables literally on its side with vertical orientation and mind-blowing optical tech that reads your grooves with light instead of magnets. Your records look like they’re floating in space against that polished aluminum front, and when colored vinyl catches the light, it’s absolutely mesmerizing. These Dutch engineers basically turned record playing into a light show that transforms your whole listening space. The optical system doesn’t even touch your vinyl, which means your records could last forever.

What’s hiding under that gorgeous exterior is technology that might just change vinyl playback forever. The optical reader picks up every tiny groove variation with crazy precision, turning those microscopic bumps into pure audio without any of the mechanical headaches normal turntables give you. No tracking force to worry about, no anti-skating adjustments, no stylus wearing out on your favorite albums. The Wheel 3 is basically a glimpse into the future of vinyl, where amazing sound meets incredible visual drama.

What we like

• Optical technology means your records never wear out from stylus contact.
• Vertical design creates an absolutely stunning visual centerpiece for any room.

What we dislike

• Brand new optical tech hasn’t proven itself over years of heavy use yet.
• Vertical setup makes handling records and accessing your collection trickier.

3. RA84

Stu Cole’s RA84 takes Ron Arad’s legendary concrete stereo and gives it an eco-friendly makeover using recycled plastic that looks incredibly convincing as stone. The design keeps all that brutal, industrial vibe Arad was famous for, but cleans up the execution with smoother surfaces and those perfectly placed chipped corners that show off the material’s texture. You can get it in concrete grey or this sophisticated black that looks like expensive terrazzo. The built-in speakers mean you get a complete system that actually does something good for the planet.

That hefty construction isn’t just for show – it kills vibration, which is exactly what you want for clean vinyl playback. The recycled plastic performs surprisingly well acoustically, giving you results that rival traditional concrete or stone builds. Cole’s take on the classic design creates furniture that people will want to talk about, and it just happens to play records beautifully. This proves you can be environmentally responsible without giving up luxury or performance.

What we like

• Recycled materials make this an environmentally responsible choice without sacrificing quality.
• Integrated speakers give you everything you need in one space-saving package.

What we dislike

• Seriously heavy build limits where you can actually put this thing.
• The industrial look won’t work in every home’s aesthetic.

4. AT-LPA2

The AT-LPA2 shows off Audio-Technica’s engineering chops through that incredible 30mm transparent acrylic build that works as hard as it looks good. That thick acrylic platter pairs perfectly with the body material to create this floating effect while damping vibrations better than most traditional materials. Watching this thing work is like seeing the mechanical poetry of vinyl playback in crystal clear detail. The clean, minimal look fits right into modern spaces while delivering the kind of technical performance that makes serious listeners happy.

This isn’t just about looking cool, though – the AT-LPA2 sounds incredible thanks to careful material choices and engineering refinements. That acrylic density cuts unwanted resonance and keeps everything clear across the whole frequency range, while the see-through construction doesn’t dominate your room visually. Audio-Technica’s 60 years of experience show in every decision they made, creating a turntable that honors analog tradition while looking completely contemporary. The production improvements over their anniversary limited edition mean this thing will work reliably for years.

What we like

• Transparent acrylic construction delivers excellent vibration control with stunning looks.
• Minimalist design disappears visually while taking up the same functional space.

What we dislike

• Clear materials show every speck of dust and every fingerprint.
• Premium acrylic construction pushes the price higher than standard materials would.

5. McIntosh MTI100 Sun Records Limited Edition

The McIntosh MTI100 Sun Records Limited Edition pays tribute to the Memphis label that gave us Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash by putting authentic Sun Records branding right on the glass plinth and felt mat. This collaboration between McIntosh’s legendary engineering and Sun Records’ incredible musical history creates something that celebrates American music culture. The all-in-one design packs a turntable, preamp, and amplifier together with Bluetooth and auxiliary inputs, so you just need to add speakers for a complete high-end system. The custom branding turns a premium turntable into a piece of music history.

McIntosh’s famous build quality and that warm, musical sound signature really shine through the MTI100’s impressive feature lineup. The integrated approach means you don’t have to stress about matching components, while that premium glass plinth keeps everything stable and vibration-free for maximum detail from your vinyl. The Sun Records partnership adds serious cultural weight to the technical excellence, creating audio gear that honors both engineering achievement and musical legacy. This limited edition sits right at the sweet spot where audiophile performance meets cultural celebration.

What we like

• All-in-one design eliminates the headache of matching separate preamp and amplifier components.
• Sun Records collaboration adds serious collector value and cultural significance.

What we dislike

• You’ll still need to buy speakers separately to complete your system.
• Limited edition status might make future service and support harder to find.

The Sound of Superior Listening

These five exceptional turntables show how modern audio design breaks down the old walls between digital and analog, function and art, sustainability and luxury. Each approach brings something unique to discerning listeners, whether you want the hands-on CD experience of the Vivia, the cutting-edge tech of the Miniot Wheel 3, the environmental consciousness of the RA84, the elegant simplicity of the AT-LPA2, or the cultural heritage of the McIntosh Sun Records edition.

Superior listening isn’t just about technical specs – it’s about that emotional connection between you, your gear, and your music. These turntables succeed because they make that connection stronger through thoughtful design, innovative engineering, and genuine respect for the listening ritual that transforms music from background noise into something truly meaningful.

The post Top 5 Turntables For Superior Listening Experience: Audiophile’s Guide For September 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Whenever the hybrid element is highlighted in a gadget, it piques my interest. More so when it is an audio accessory, such as headphones or earphones. I fancied the Streamline hybrid earphones concept from earlier this year for the ingenious method of having wired and wireless earphones in one. Yet another concept design sparks my interest in audio gear, especially headphones and earbuds.

The O-Scene Ear concept is a pair of wireless headphones that can be used as wireless earbuds depending on the requirement and mood. This is a best-case scenario for music lovers who want to have both headphones and earbuds handy, whether they are traveling, at the workplace, or working on their home workstation. This hybrid design has many advantages, including adaptability to varied scenarios like sports regimes, daily commute to work, or simply entertainment at home. More than anything else, these hybrid headphones look way cooler than your regular pair of cans.

Designer: Inspire Curve

The concept has been thought of very mindfully with focus on functional features, storage design, and seamless switching between the two modes. The storage case of the headphones is designed in a way that it can be integrated into the behind-the-ear form. When noticed closely, the section that comes around the ear is made out of a bendable hose material that ensures a comfortable wearing experience for people with any ear shape or size. What excites me the most is the earbuds mode, in which the charging case transforms into a carrying case for the cans. This happens as the magnetic tips at the ear end, which are the loop hose of the charging case, fold back magnetically. Each of the charging cases magnetically attaches to the other to turn into a small hanging bag for ultra portability and to show off your style.

Although these over-the-ear headphones are not your typical headphones with a headband connecting the two individual cans, they adopt a modern evolutionary design that eliminates the need for the headband. They typically are behind-the-ear headphones with a larger driver unit that sits flush on the ear when in headphone mode. The inside of the charging case has auxiliary speakers and noise-filtering cotton, which help enrich the sound layering and boost the stereoscopic range of the pair. This results in immersive audio, which e-sports gamers and music lovers will appreciate. The cotton also doubles as a passive noise isolator to block out distracting external noises.

When you want to have the least intrusive form of earbuds, simply take them out of the main housing and you are ready to go. The designer hasn’t made it clear if the earbuds have ANC capabilities or not, but I presume that would be the feature they won’t want to miss out on. Sound quality in the earbuds mode is also not detailed in one, still, I think it will be on par with the headphones. Yet again, this concept has left me stumbling over the same question: why aren’t audio gear makers thinking on the same lines?

The post Stylish over-ear headphones that turn into true wireless earbuds with quick transition first appeared on Yanko Design.

Wireless earbuds reached a ceiling two years ago. Every major brand promises the same three things: decent sound, acceptable battery life, and noise cancellation that works sometimes. The result feels like choosing between different flavors of mediocre, where each model excels at one thing while failing at everything else.

Designer: Apple

Many years of testing dozens of wireless earbuds reveals the same pattern every time. Premium models cost $300+ but still can’t handle phone calls in windy conditions. Budget options sound terrible during workouts. Mid-range choices offer compromise everywhere without excellence anywhere.

After experiencing the AirPods Pro 3 this week, those industry limitations feel like ancient history. The difference becomes apparent the moment you slide them into your ears and feel that perfect seal lock into place. This isn’t another incremental upgrade promising slightly better battery life or marginally improved sound. These breakthrough capabilities work together seamlessly to redefine what wireless audio can accomplish in your daily life.

The Fit Changes Everything

Putting on the AirPods Pro 3 feels different from any previous generation. The internal architecture was completely re-engineered while the external geometry of the ear tip was aligned to the center of the body for increased stability. The pre-installed ear tips fit perfectly right out of the box, creating that satisfying acoustic seal without any pressure points. Having five different tip sizes available, including a new XXS size, means virtually everyone can find their ideal fit.

This improved design delivers the most secure and best-fitting AirPods ever, utilizing over 10,000 ear scans with more than 100,000 hours of user research and an unparalleled dataset of more than 300 million points. The IP57 sweat and water resistance marks the first time any AirPods model offers this level of protection, built to handle tough workouts and unpredictable weather.

Audio That Delivers on Over-Ear Promises

The new multiport acoustic architecture precisely controls the airflow that carries sound into the ear, helping deliver an exceptional spatial listening experience. With next-generation Adaptive EQ, this architecture transforms the bass response, widens the soundstage so you hear every instrument, and brings vivid vocal clarity to higher frequencies across music, shows, and calls.

Active noise cancellation delivers a massive leap forward, delivering up to 2x more effectiveness than AirPods Pro 2, with 4x more noise removed compared to the original AirPods Pro. Apple demonstrated this across multiple challenging environments during the demo: the constant drone of airplane cabins, the clatter and conversation of busy restaurants, and the persistent hum of office HVAC systems.

Across every environment during the controlled demos, the AirPods Pro 3 eliminated distracting background noise while preserving every nuance of your music, movies, and calls. The restaurant demo proved particularly impressive – cutting through the complex mix of conversation, kitchen noise, and background music that typically makes wireless earbuds struggle. The result is the world’s best ANC of any in-ear wireless headphones, made possible with ultra-low noise microphones and advanced computational audio combined with new foam-infused ear tips for greater passive noise isolation.

A more personalized Transparency mode means your own voice and the people speaking to you sounds more natural than ever, helping you stay connected to your surroundings without missing a beat. While listening to music with ANC enabled, AirPods Pro 3 now provide up to eight hours of music playback – a 33 percent increase over the previous generation.

Live Translation That Actually Works

Live Translation enables in-person communication across select languages and is available in beta. This transformational, hands-free capability is powered by computational audio and Apple Intelligence to help people easily connect whether they’re traveling to a new place, collaborating at work or school, or simply catching up with the people who matter most.

The system works through three key components, as demonstrated during Apple’s presentation. First, the AirPods microphones capture speech from both conversation participants. Second, computational models on your iPhone process the audio and generate translations using on-device Apple Intelligence. Third, the translated audio plays directly in your ears while simultaneously lowering the volume of the original speaker, creating space for you to process and think about what you’re hearing.

Unlike many translation devices that get confused when multiple people speak simultaneously, the AirPods Pro 3 handle complex audio environments with remarkable precision. The advanced microphone array and computational audio processing can isolate individual voices even in group conversations, ensuring accurate translations without the frustrating errors that plague other devices.

The deliberate pacing is intelligent. The system includes natural pauses that give your brain time to absorb the translated information before continuing. During the demo, these thoughtful breaks became essential for processing complex conversations rather than getting overwhelmed by a constant stream of translated audio.

When both people have AirPods with Live Translation enabled, the experience becomes seamless. Each person hears the other’s words translated into their preferred language, with the original speech automatically dimmed in the background. For conversations where only one person has the capability, your iPhone transforms into a horizontal display, showing live transcription of your words in the other person’s language.

The on-device processing means everything works without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity once the language models are downloaded to your iPhone.

For international travelers, the AirPods Pro 3 become your essential translation partners that hear what you hear. Having traveled extensively to Japan and China where English isn’t widely spoken, this feature is a genuine game-changer for navigating foreign countries. The AirPods don’t just translate conversations – they should theoretically work for train announcements, airport boarding calls, and street-level interactions that make international travel challenging.

Think of it this way: your AirPods Pro 3 are constantly listening to your environment, ready to translate whatever audio reaches your ears. Whether it’s a subway announcement in Tokyo, a restaurant server explaining the menu in Shanghai, or directional help from locals, your translation partners are always active and processing the world around you.

Live Translation launches with support for English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, with the crucial additions of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) arriving before year-end – perfectly timed for travelers heading to Asia.

Heart Rate Sensing That Means Business

AirPods Pro 3 introduce Apple’s smallest ever heart rate sensor – a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow. Combined with sensor fusion from the AirPods Pro accelerometers, gyroscope, GPS, and a new on-device AI model on iPhone, users can start up to 50 different workout types, track their heart rate and calories burned, close their Move ring, and earn awards in the Fitness app.

With just AirPods Pro 3 and iPhone, you’ll also have access to Workout Buddy, a fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence that incorporates your workout data and fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during your session. For added motivation, Apple Fitness+ users with AirPods Pro 3 can now view real-time performance metrics directly onscreen, such as heart rate, calories burned, progress on their Move ring, and the Burn Bar.

AirPods Pro 3 also increase battery life in Transparency mode by 67 percent over the previous generation with up to 10 hours with a single charge.

Hearing Assistance That Actually Matters

Beyond fitness tracking, the AirPods Pro 3 is a breakthrough for anyone with mild hearing loss. The automatic conversation boost feature dynamically elevates voices while reducing background noise, making conversations clearer and more intelligible in challenging acoustic environments.

Having mild hearing loss myself, this feature addresses one of the most frustrating daily experiences: trying to follow conversations in restaurants, offices, or crowded spaces where background noise overwhelms speech. The AirPods Pro 3 act as sophisticated hearing aids, amplifying the specific frequencies needed for speech clarity while suppressing distracting environmental sounds.

The 10-hour battery life in Transparency mode with hearing aid features enabled means all-day support without worrying about power. More importantly, both your own voice and others speaking to you sound more natural than ever, eliminating the artificial or echo-like quality that can make traditional hearing aids feel intrusive.

The Verdict After Initial Testing

After extensive testing with everything from $2,000 custom-fitted Breggz earbuds to premium over-ear headphones like the AirPods Max I reviewed for Yanko Design, the AirPods Pro 3 delivers something genuinely surprising. While the Breggz offered exceptional three-dimensional spatial audio and perfect custom molding, they came with significant downsides: unreliable touch controls during workouts, unknown long-term support from a new brand, and connectivity uncertainties that made them impractical for daily use despite their audio excellence.

The AirPods Pro 3 eliminates these compromises entirely. The audio quality matches what you’d expect from earbuds costing eight times more, while the integrated health tracking eliminates the need for separate fitness devices.

Most impressively, every feature enhancthe others rather than creating feature bloat. The perfect fit enables accurate heart rate sensing. The translation capability works seamlessly because of the superior microphone array. The extended battery life supports all-day hearing aid functionality.

For anyone still using previous-generation wireless earbuds, the upgrade path is clear. The combination of perfect fit, exceptional audio, hands-free translation, and precise health monitoring creates possibilities that extend far beyond traditional earbuds into genuine life enhancement territory.”

The post AirPods Pro 3 Hands-On: The Ultimate Everyday Wearable That Redefines Personal Technology first appeared on Yanko Design.