The Fireside Audiobox is a Bluetooth-enabled audio player with flames that respond to its owner’s music. The wireless device is a Kickstarter project that could be funded if it gets at least $35,000 by Friday, August 26.
So far, the blazing music player has 138 backers, $34,271 pledged, and four days to go.
Tyrone Hazen, the man with the idea, has a degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and founded Grey Street Design in 2013. His company’s goal is to provide a unique collection of handmade home statement pieces, and the Fireside Audiobox is the first.
The Fireside Audiobox is more than a simple music player
Designed in Bend, Oregon, the Fireside Audiobox features Ruben’s tube display across the top which shows acoustic standing waves. Invented by German physicist Heinrich Rubens in 1905, the antique physics apparatus graphically demonstrates the relationship between sound waves and sound pressure.
The Fireside Audiobox was conceived to be more than a simple music player. According to the creator, when owners connect their songs via Bluetooth, the device transforms into a functional piece of art, a design showpiece, and a guaranteed conversation starter.
Hazen says the idea for the Fireside Audiobox was born in 2013 while he was working in a maker-space in San Diego. There, he embarked on a project inspired by physics and pyrotechnics interests. After three years of refining the design, functionality, and user experience, the Fireside Audiobox arrived on Kickstarter.
Specs, design, and features
The self-contained audio system syncs the fire to the music, and the flames react to the beat. The portable device features a sustainable bamboo and industrial-grade aluminum body.
The lightweight audio system stands 19.5 inches tall, 14 inches wide and 4.5 inches thick. It has built-in Bluetooth technology that allows users to pair the Fireside Audiobox with any Bluetooth-enabled device (like a smartphone or an iPod).
The music player, which comes with a power adapter, is fuelled by a lithium polymer battery that provides more than 8 hours of constant music on a single charge. The 16.4 oz propane tube typically lasts about 8 hours depending on pressure, environmental variables and the intensity of the music.
Release date and price
Manufacturing will begin as soon as this Kickstarter campaign ends. Customers should get the device in April 2017. They will get the Fireside Audiobox audio player base, the glass shield, a power charger for the internal battery along with the instructions.
The propane canister can’t ship via mail, but they buy one at a local hardware or camping store. It costs $3 to $4, so it’s very cheap.
Depending on the money they pledge to the project, Kickstarter supporters will receive different rewards. For $1 they’ll get heartfelt thanks but for at least $25, a Zippo lighter with the Fireside Audiobox logo will repay their investment.
For an extra $25, clients can have parts of the Fireside upgraded to black or gunmetal gray. Finally, the early backers can apply for a $50 discount while the rest will get it for $399 (bamboo base comes in natural or dark stain).
For extra $65, the company lets the client choose a logo, and the designers will imprint it on the Speaker Cutout.
Source: CNET