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This article was taken from the December 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Welcome to Wired's roundup of the hottest products for the coming year -- from hi-tech toys to thousand-year stopwatches.
Here, Wired takes you through a selection of speakers, instruments and docks
Analogue advantage
Samsung DA-E750 (above)
Instead of digital capacitors, Samsung has used analogue valves to amplify the sound from your portable device. The glowing glass tubes make an attractive feature on this premium dock, and the addition of a micro USB port (for Samsung devices) alongside the iPod dock is a nice touch. £600
Electro and classic
Yamaha SVC210 "Silent" in operation, this electric cello has no need for an acoustic chamber, hence its skeletal form which, including batteries, weighs a mere 3.9 kilos. It uses digital-signal processing to electronically output a convincingly rich sound, and there are three virtual environments to choose from -- "large hall", "medium hall" and "room" -- none of which require any external processing. Headphone outputs and auxiliary inputs mean you can also play along to music. £2,629
iPhone DJ dock
Philips FWP3200D
With docks for two iPhones, this sound system is a party in a box. It blasts out 300W of audio and is fully compatible with the Algoriddim iDJing app. It also features built-in disco lights to dazzle your audience with a light-show timed to your tunes. There's also a mic line-in for shout-outs. A £200 add-on speaker set provides a further 240W of neighbour-alienating volume. £299
Smaller, louder synthesiser
MicroKorg XL+
Korg's microKORG is the world's best-selling synth. And to mark its tenth birthday, the XL is getting an update. The XL+ takes the existing 16-band vocoder and mic, 128-sound bank with Multi Modelling Technology and 17 KAOSS-derived effects - plus cool limited-edition black/red colouring and an updated sound library.
The natural-touch mini-keyboard is a pleasure to play music with. £431
Airplay speaker
Libratone Zipp
These Airplay wireless speakers work without the need for a router. New "PlayDirect" technology means that you can continue to pair a device with the Zipp, even when you're out of range of your router and network - the system still works via Wi-Fi, but functions as its own hotspot. "FullRoom" drivers deliver a satisfying sound from a 26cm x 12cm unit, and a rechargeable battery makes it portable.
From £330
Experimental music laboratory
Teenage Engineering Oplab
The musical equivalent of a Raspberry Pi, the Oplab is centred around a "musical experimentation board", featuring MIDI and USB inputs and outputs. With options to connect to just about anything you can think of - from synths to iPads to old bits of electronics - the idea is to run some parts as slaves or controllers, and some as recording drives. The kit also comes with "Flip", "Tap" and "Poke" triggers, and a canteen-style tray to keep it all organised.
€400
Whale music
Whaletone
This striking electronic grand piano is shaped like the curve of a whale's flipper, and its innards are modelled on a Roland stage piano, with a 500W four-channel amplifier that runs to Bowers &
Wilkins speakers. Bespoke made-to-order options include two-tone and internal colours, a laser-etched note stand and extra internal electronics (such as an inbuilt CD player).
From €75,000
whaletone.com
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
