It takes a lot for a Bluetooth speaker to get our attention these days. But even in the seemingly endless sea of wireless speakers that will debut at CES this year, NYNE’s funky new wave-shaped wonder, the Aqua, is destined to turn heads.
Looking more like a pair of futuristic binoculars than a portable speaker, the Aqua’s unique design stands above the usual array of brick-shaped devices that litter the Bluetooth landscape. The speaker is crafted from a tough-as-nails, fully waterproof IPX7-rated shell, allowing it to not only withstand a dip in the pool, but also to float alongside you as you catch some rays, or come along on just about any other adventure you might undertake. In fact, while you won’t want to take the speaker scuba diving, NYNE claims it can be fully submersed in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Apart from its weather proof exterior, the Aqua also packs a respectable feature set, including Bluetooth 4.0, a waterproof onboard mic for speakerphone capability, a 10-hour rechargeable battery, and a 3.5mm Aux input. The speaker is powered with a relatively hefty 10 watt amplifier, and also comes with a four EQ presets on board.
The Aqua will be available in grey or blue colors and will be on shelves sometime early in the second quarter of 2014. The speaker will run around $130, which puts it in a nice spot within the mini-portable speaker marketplace.
The only question left to answer is: How does this little roughneck sound? We’ll find out soon, so stick with us for our CES 2014 coverage of this and many more interesting products at the show.
