As curators of global design, A+R presents a collection of gadgets to expand your sonic possibilities and to turn your listening experience “up to 11.” A piece of audio equipment should look as beautiful as the sound it produces.
Consciously Sound | Singgih Kartono’s Magno Micro Wooden Radio MiKRO
Bring back the romanticism of the radio and get lost in the airwaves with the Magno Micro Wooden Radio MiKRO designed by Singgih Kartono. Praised by the International Design Resource Association (IDRA), the design is only half of its appeal. Kartono puts local carpenters in Indonesia to work using indigenous materials. A+R adds that Kartono brings work to “villages with high unemployment and instead of simple (and forgettable) souvenirs, they craft the shell with locally harvested new growth wood. For every tree used in production, a new one is planted.”
Plug and Play | Urbanista’s “Copenhagen” Headphones
March the streets to the beat of your own drum or soundtrack. The Urbanista headphones are constructed from a high-grade solid steel frame and can collapse when not in use. A+R loves that Urbanista is always willing to improve their design adding that the “Danish brand taps a wide swath of influencers to give their two cents on the design and functionality of their product, from deejays to artists to, yes, wrestlers.”
High Fidelity | La Boite Concept+CC LAB’s LD120 Hi-Fi Soundsystem+Laptop Desk
MP3 players and laptops can store an endless digital music catalogue, but why compromise quality and settle for compressed files? Part desk and part DJ mixing table, audiophiles Timothée and Guillaume Cagniard of La Boite Concept and CC LAB in Paris have designed a Laptop Desk with a digital to analogue converter built right in via USB. Transform a small space into a symphony as A+R explains the “signal is fed to discrete amps (2 x 25 watts + 1 x 70 watts), and then to seven speakers developed exclusively for La Boite: two tweeters, two full range, two mid and one woofer. It is designed to be placed against a wall, so the two full-range speakers at the rear of the unit disperse and reflect off the wall, creating a wide stereo image. The entire unit only requires ONE cable to be plugged in, and this is hidden in the leg for neat-freaks!”
Bump up that bass! | Symbol Audio’s Tabletop Hi-Fi Soundsystem
Individually crafted and handmade in the USA Blake Towin and Matt Richmond of Symbol Audio create their Hi-Fi from solid American walnut, oak or a range of lacquer finishes. Each design is as unique as the music you’re playing. Whether you’re rocking it old school with vinyl or want to stream audio, the Hi-Fi is made for the analogue and digital music lovers. A+R breaks down the details for the sound geeks, “This hi-fi boasts a couple of 4-inch full-range drivers with titanium cones, paired with 5.25-inch subwoofer. It’s powered by a 2.1 channel class D amp, capable of pushing 8 watts to the stereo drivers and 15.5 to the sub. And all of it set in a dampened cabinet, ported for optimum sound.”
All images courtesy of A+R
Check out our in-depth Collect feature on husband and wife team Andy Griffith and Rose Apodaca, founders of A+R. Read it here