World’s first levitating Bluetooth speaker projects sound from a 360-degree surface area

The Bluetooth speaker market has grown immensely saturated over the last few years, making it difficult for brands to distinguish their products on the basis of sound quality, battery life, and connectivity alone. Om Audio is upping the ante by throwing magnetic levitation into the mix. Their latest speaker, the Om/One, floats above its base, creating the appearance of a miniature Death Star.

But this levitation isn’t merely a cheap parlor trick to impress your wife; Om Audio claims the process enhances the device’s audio projection, by creating an unobstructed 360-degree surface area. Naturally, Om/One is constructed in the shape of an orb, measuring 3.6 inches (9.1) in diameter. The exterior is made of a brushed metal and is dotted with several speaker grills. Beneath these grills lurk 3-watt speakers that use less power than most Bluetooth speakers. As a result, the lithium battery lasts roughly 15 hours between charges when the speaker is used at 70% volume – not too shabby.

As with all competent Wi-Fi speakers, Om/One can syncs with smartphones, tablets, computers, or wherever you store your music so long as there’s Bluetooth 4.0 compatibility. It features a 75 mm audio driver along with a built-in microphone for use in a conference room or group chat. The Orb portion of the device can be removed from the magnetic base, which measures 6.3 in (16 cm) in diameter, and carried separately. Om Audio suggests that pairing two orb speakers together will provide the truest experience possible, although each individual unit garners “world class true stereo sound.”

The act of levitation itself is no David Blane wire-trick. It’s accomplished using the magnetic suspension created by when two neo magnetics are placed within the base and at the bottom of the orb. Positioning the magnets so that the similar sided axes are facing each other causes the magnets two repel, and thereby, levitate the speaker-orb 1.2 inches (3 cm) above the base.

Currently, the Om/One speaker set can only be procured from Om Audio’s website; the product is undergoing a crowdfunding campaign and has not been publically retailed. Fortunately, supporters may purchase a unit for the early adopter price of $179, $20 less expensive than the final retail price. At the time of preview, the Om/One has amassed $336,088 or 336% of its initial campaign goal.
 
Source Om Audio