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Voice-controlled Aivia smart speaker rocks a built-in subwoofer

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The Aivia smart speaker can be voice-controlled, features a touchscreen display panel, can wirelessly charge devices placed up top and has a B&O-designed subwoofer to the rear
The Aivia smart speaker can be voice-controlled, features a touchscreen display panel, can wirelessly charge devices placed up top and has a B&O-designed subwoofer to the rear
The Aivia smart speaker will run the latest version of Android at the time of distribution
The Aivia smart speaker's 8-inch HD touch panel which is tilted back for ease of use, and is used to access Android apps (such as YouTube, Netflix and Spotify)
The angled housing of the Aivia smart speaker has been designed for flush placement against a wall, while also allowing for a protruding power cable, though it also has a built-in battery for entertainment on the go
The upper surface of the Aivia smart speaker's housing can wirelessly charge any compatible device placed upon it
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Canadian startup SproutBox Design says its Aivia speaker has similar smarts to Google's Home speaker and Amazon's Echo, but with improved sonic output. Like those devices, it can be controlled by voice, but it also has a tablet-like touchscreen, a video camera to the front, a wireless device charging surface up top and a 15-watt subwoofer out back.

The Aivia speaker has been 2 years in the making and was first shown at CES back in January. Now it's been launched on Kickstarter to fund production. The angular, scratch-resistant housing has been designed so that the back of the unit can be placed flush against a wall while still allowing for power cables to protrude from the rear. But it also has an integrated 10,000 mAh battery for 5 hours of cable-free continuous playback per charge.

There's an 8-inch HD touch panel which is tilted back for ease of use, and is used to access Android apps (such as YouTube, Netflix and Spotify). SproutBox Design says that the most up to date version of Android available at distribution time will run the show. Users can also issue voice commands to Google Assistant.

The Aivia smart speaker will run the latest version of Android at the time of distribution

The 9 x 6 x 5 in (23 x 15 x 13 cm), 2 lb (0.9 kg) entertainment hub features large full range speakers left and right and a subwoofer out back, which adds up to 10 watts each for the side drivers and 15 W for the bass thumper. All speakers were designed and tuned by Bang & Olufsen engineers, for the promise of top notch audio and booming bass when needed.

Users can stream digital content to the Aivia speaker over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, though it also has 32 GB of built-in storage for when out of range of the home router or a paired smartphone. Cabled connectivity comes in the shape of an aux input and two USB ports. Finally, the upper surface can wirelessly charge any compatible device placed upon it and there's an 8 MP camera facing front for video chats.

The Aivia speaker is expected to retail for US$399, but pledges over on Kickstarter start at CAD312 (about US$250). Backers will have a while to wait if everything goes to plan though, as shipping is not expected to start until July 2019. The pitch video below has more information.

Sources: SproutBox Design, Kickstarter

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1 comment
ljaques
Yeah, "You can almost hear that bass pumping" LOL. From a, what, FOUR inch speaker? This is a joke that anyone who owns a stereo will grok. Let's compare them to my Bose 501s, eh? (giggle) For those of you happy with monaural wifi-type speakers, feel free to overpay for either Bose or Aivia. Way, way, way overpay. (You know that touchscreen and the computer the OS is based around cost way more than the speakers, right?) While my hearing holds out, I'm sticking with stereo and surround sound, thanks. While there is a place in the world for mono, it is definitely a teensy niche.