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Sonos beware? Libratone’s new ZIPP speakers make multiroom audio portable

By Ryan Waniata October 20, 2015

Libratone, maker of some of the funkiest wireless speakers in the galaxy, has entered the multiroom audio game with an upgrade to the company’s ZIPP speaker lineup. Set up for what the company calls “the elastic lifestyle,” the speakers boast both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection, allowing a variety of ways to use them.

Available from: Amazon

Available in two multi-directional tubes of sound — including the 100-watt ZIPP, and the 60-watt ZIPP Mini — the hot new feature riding with the speakers is Libratone’s SoundSpace Link technology.With SoundSpace, users can link up to six different ZIPP speakers together over Wi-Fi to spread the sound throughout the house.

While Libratone’s new SoundSpace feature sounds similar to Sonos speakers, and a host of other multiroom speaker solutions, Libratone’s hook is portability: ZIPP speakers sport rechargeable batteries with up to 10 hours of playtime per charge, allowing you to move them around the house at will — hence the “elastic” aspect of these sonic marvels. Adding in the convenience of Bluetooth, which allows you to take the speaker far beyond the bounds of your Wi-Fi network, makes the ZIPP series one of the most versatile portables on the market.

Additional features for the new ZIPP speakers includes Spotfiy Connect and Apple Music compatibility, a speakerphone, and a touch interface for easy control of the sound directly from the speaker. Adding to the convenience factor, the ZIPP lineup can also store up to five Internet stations, allowing you to dip between them from the speaker itself when your phone is out of reach.

As one might expect, the company has also redesigned the Libratone app from scratch to allow users to fully take the reigns in directing these versatile new speakers, and it’s available for Android and iOS.

The speakers also come with a mesh cover in four colors, including Cloudy Grey, Deep Lagoon, Graphite Grey, and Victory Red — unique covers is kind of Libratone’s thing. You can pick up the regular ZIPP for $300, and the ZIPP Mini for $250 beginning in early November.

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Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…

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