Urbanears, the Swedish audio company best known for their headphones, are jumping into the home audio market with a pair of connected speakers. Stammen — the smaller of the two speakers — and Baggen — the big boy — are the first two speakers in the lineup, and Urbanears has packed the them both with quite a few features that should make multi-room listening a breeze.
First, you’ll probably notice that the entire interface on both speakers consists of two knobs on the top of the speaker. This is to allow the greatest simplicity possible. One knob controls play/pause with a press, and your seven presets with a twist. The second knob switches from solo to multi-room with a press and volume with a twist. Speaker integration is set via an app, where different playlists can be sent to each room/speaker, or all can be combined to keep the party consistent across multiple areas.
Your presets can include Spotify Connect, Airplay, Chromecast audio, Bluetooth, AUX cord, etc. The speakers will update themselves to keep their features fresh and up to date. Both speakers will be available starting on March 30th, with MSRP as follows:
RETAIL PRICE STAMMEN
- US: $350 USD
- EU: €350
- SE: kr3500
- UK: £300
RETAIL PRICE BAGGEN
- US: 450 USD
- EU: €450
- SE: kr4500
- UK: £400
You can check out the Urbanears announcement video below, and you can read more about Stammen and Baggen in the full press release just after the video.
What do you think about Urbanears’ new line of connected speakers? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
FULL PRESS RELEASE
Urbanears enters Wi-Fi speaker market with new line of Connected Speakers
Urbanears enters the sound space of our living rooms for the very first time with a new line of connected speakers set to bring unheard of ease and connectivity to the multi-room listening experience.
Today, Urbanears releases a new line of Connected Speakers engineered to bring boundless connectivity and powerful sound to the multi-room listening experience. With humanized interfaces that allow for maximum ease of use, and seamless integration with everyday listening. First out in the Urbanears Wi-Fi speaker lineup are models Stammen and Baggen.
BOUNDLESS CONNECTIVITY AND MULTI ROOM PLAY
Packed with advanced Wi-Fi technology, Urbanears Connected Speakers give users the freedom to play their favorite music from a variety of sources. Users can stream from Spotify Connect, Airplay or Chromecast built-in; connect via Bluetooth, or use the classic aux cord hookup. Speaker software stays up to date with the latest features and connection possibilities via over-the-air updates.
Two or more Connected Speakers can be combined to form a multi room system, giving users the opportunity to create a sound experience customized to their unique space. A different mood can be set to each room, or the speakers can be grouped together for synchronized listening.
SIMPLE, PUSH-TO-PLAY KNOBS WITH SEVEN CUSTOMIZABLE PRESETS
There are no digital displays or cryptic messages to be found on the Connected Speaker interface. Day-to-day play is managed using the two knobs located on its top panel. A single push switches Pause to Play, or Solo to Multi Mode. A twist adjusts volume, or select one of seven presets which users customize with their favorite Spotify playlists or Internet Radio stations. Such tactile operations bring back the charm and simplicity of walking up to the household radio and twisting the dial.
“Urbanears is all about bringing people closer to technology,” says Oscar Axhede, co-founder and creative director at Urbanears. “We wanted to create a listening experience that would bring the best of sound and connectivity into people’s homes, without the hassle of trying to figure out how to make the technology work.” First time setup is simple too, with help from the Urbanears Connected app which takes users through a step-by-step flow and optional tutorial. The app can also be used to manage stuff behind the scenes— like presets, speaker groupings, and equalizer settings.
POWERFUL, ADAPTABLE SOUND
Each speaker is wrapped in acoustically transparent fabric, and equipped to introduce powerful, well-balanced soundscapes to listeners’ favorite space. Playing everything from high resolution digital audio to the rich analog sounds of a vinyl player. Baggen is suited for larger spaces like larger living rooms, patios, and open-floor-plan homes. While Stammen easily fills small to mid-sized spaces like living rooms, bedrooms, and studio apartments. Using the in-app equalizer, users can fine-tune the treble and bass balance to complement different types of music and find their listening sweet-spot. Urbanears Connected Speakers are available from March 30 through selected retailers worldwide, and online at urbanears.com
COLORS
Connected Speakers currently come in six color variations, including Dirty Pink, Vinyl Black, Plant Green, Concrete Grey, Goldfish Orange and Indigo Blue.
