As is the case with things like road bikes and film cameras, there are now tons of old high-end speakers that are still in great condition, but that go unused simply because they aren't modern. The SoundUp device addresses that problem, by converting vintage speakers to Bluetooth.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, SoundUp is made by Danish company LastObject. The idea is that the gadget will allow buyers to utilize premium-quality classic wooden-bodied passive speakers – which can be picked up for just a few bucks second-hand – as opposed to cheaply made plastic modern speakers that come with built-in Bluetooth.
Contained within the device's cuboid body is a Class-D 100W amplifier, a 108-Wh lithium battery, and a Bluetooth 5.1 module that wirelessly communicates with the user's smartphone music library.
The gizmo itself physically connects to a third-party classic speaker via an included speaker cable that clips into two spring terminals on the back of the SoundUp, and on the back of the speaker. That cable provides both the audio signal and the electricity, so no wall outlet is required.
SoundUp technically delivers up to 100 watts of peak power, although LastObject states that it's likely closer to 50 to 90 watts under real-world usage. It should be safe for most 3- to 8-ohm vintage hi-fi or bookshelf passive speakers. One charge of the battery ought to be good for 40 hours of runtime at mid-volume, or seven hours at full volume.
If a single SoundUp is plugged into one speaker, it will play back in mono. If two of the devices are plugged into two separate speakers, however, they will automatically pair with one another and play back through both speakers in stereo.
Assuming everything goes according to plan, a pledge of €135 (about US$158) will get you one SoundUp, while €229 ($269) will get you two. Those figures are 21% and 33% off the planned retail prices, respectively.
Source: Kickstarter
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