Awesome Speakers

Perfect8’s 5.1 system will cost a pretty penny, but with equally pretty Super Silent Glass cabinets; you’ll get a 6′ tall tower, two 1000W sealed-box speakers, and two open baffle speakers.

Bowers & Wilkins targets the desktop and laptop crowds with their MM-1 near field monitor speakers; each features two drivers, Nautilus tube-loaded tweeters, and USB/aux line-in.

The hand-lacquered wood cabinet isn’t just for show: Tivoli’s Platinum Series audio system features an acoustically inert housing, two speakers, and a down-firing shielded subwoofer.

Its monolithic stature almost demands you play Also sprach Zarathustra on repeat: the Wall of Sound is a gigantic 225 lb. iPod dock that just happens to also be a 125 watt speaker.

Hot on the heels of the ReNu, Regen’s Reverb is a tall, flat format speaker that makes optimum use with integrated solar panels along its length; it generates sound equal to a 60W speaker.

Due out Spring 2010, the ReNu is an eco-friendly three-fer: the modular solar panel can power a Regen-designed iPod/iPhone dock, a speaker dock, or even an LED desk lamp.

Compatible with Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and DJ Hero, Altec Lansing’s Stage-Gig is ideal for extra on-stage (or on-couch) oomph; the 40W amplified speaker packs a 6.5″ woofer.

Rock while you roll with a Bicycle iPod Speaker: it’ll dock your iPod inside a waterproof case that clamps to your bike frame and is controlled via a handlebar-mounted remote control.

Frontgate’s 42″ tall iPod Tower Speaker towers over puny docks; it features two 1″ tweeters, two 3″ midrange speakers and a 6.5″ subwoofer and is topped with an LCD touch screen.

Bose’s SoundDock 10 is designed to be an uber-iPhone/iPod player, and for $600 it’d better: it features a pair of Bose high/mid Twiddlers, 52″ of waveguide channels and a subwoofer.

Bowers & Wilkins’ Zeppelin Mini is a smaller version of its blimpy big bro with 36 W of power and a pair of 3″ drivers; it also features a direct to digital USB port and rotatable docking arm.

Despite their cost, Rockport’s Aquila Speakers are only middleweights in their lineup; each features triple laminated enclosures, 5″ baffles and a 13″ bass driver. Warning: full-screen.

The boombox gets a new lease on life with these Retro iPod Speakers; good with everything from the Mini to the iPhone 3GS, they’re powered by your iPod and produce stereo sound.

From the same guy who made the Sorapot, Joey Roth’s Ceramic Speakers are made with acoustically dead porcelain and sit on cork and plywood with 4″ drivers and a T-class amp.

Art.Opera’s aluminum monocoque, 4 layers of Ferrari paint and carbon fiber trim sounds like a car; it’s actually an ultra-premium passive four-way speaker system in a pair of 4′ towers.

With a built-in rechargeable battery (good for 8 hours) and Bluetooth, these E-blue Speakers add to the iPhone’s own speakers with a titanium dome driver; they measure 2.5″x2.5″x4.7″.

Designed for up to a 42″ flat panel TV, the AUX Level Speaker is twice the power of their standard Classic model; it’s a mono-block 2.1 amplified stereo system with subwoofer.

We prefer our home theater setups to be more subtle, but we can’t fault Akai’s AISS010 Theatre System for lack of features: it includes an iPod dock, 1080p DVD player and built-in speakers.

Neither a speaker nor a headphone, Adam Miller’s Klang Ultrasonic Transmitter concept avoids disturbing others by precisely aiming low-level ultrasound waves at your ears.

Budget friendly and stylish to boot, Altec Lansing’s low-profile BXR1220 can-shaped speakers feature dual 50mm drivers, built-in controls and are conveniently powered by USB.

While their performance may be suspect with only 10W of power, Kenwood’s Odelic Speakers are lookers with optical glass housings; choose from blue or white LED lighting.

With three LCD monitors, four subwoofers, three tweeters and an 1100W amplifier crammed into a piano, Gardner Post’s Baby Grand Master may be a bastard, but it’s a sexy bastard.

Grace Audio’s Aqua Sounder lets you take your iPod poolside without worrying about getting it wet; a dock streams music to up to 10 floating speakers, with a max range of 150 feet.