EXISTING DESIGN ANALYSIS
This is the Bowers & Wilkings A7 speaker. It is 22cm x 36cm and houses 1x subwoofer, 2 x Mid Range speakers and 2x nubital tweeters. This speaker costs £699.00 and impliments Apple Aairplay Technology to allow wireless connectivity between a I device and the speaker. The use of Airplay means that the speaker will only work via WIFI with only a Apple product such as the Ipod, Iphone or Ipad, This limits the market as not everyone will own these products. Other devices can be connected to the speaker by either USB or an auxillary port located in the back of the speaker. Other ports that the speaker comes with is a headphone jack, power cable and a ethernet port to allow the speaker to connect to the internet instead of WIFI. The speaker has no buttons to change the voloume or control the playlist as it comes with a small remote control that allows the volume and play/pause buttons to be used by the user.
The speaker is made from high quality materials such as Aluminium and also takes use of a mesh to protect the speaker driver and Plastic is also used. These materials give the product its great look and add to the price of the product while sticking with their design style. As the speaker is small it can be moved easily and transported with ease although it has a weight of 5.7kg. There is a hole in the back of the speaker as this is used by the subwoofer to project air giving off the bass. This is common in all speakers as it is a requirement for the woofer to work.
I like that the speaker has hid the ports at the back of the speaker as they dont ruin the look from the front so i will take not of this when designing a speaker. I also like how simple the design is as it uses two colours and a very simple shape and works effectively.
As the speaker is designed for travel it has a built in protector that covers the front of the speaker protecting the speaker drivers from dust, dirt and possibly water. The speaker is made from lightweight aluminium and plastic as this allows it to be light when carrying it. The design of this is again another simple box shape, this gives enough room for the necessary components and makes it ergonomical to be portable. The covers can be changed to different colours to add a personalised touch to the speaker making the speaker more personal. The speaker has advanced technology inside as it comes with Bose made seakers and a specially designed oval shape subwoofer to get rid of unwanted vibrations and maximise sound output in a large environment. I like the size of this speaker as it is extremely portable while it delivers loud and clear sound. I also like the fact that it comes with a protective case while on the move with the speaker as this shows that it is safe and made for travel. If i was to change something it would be the buttons as i find that they are to big and dont match the rest of the design style.
Bose
Mobile Speaker II
The Bose mobile speaker is a specifically designed speaker that has been made to be portable. The speaker is 14cm x 24cm and has a total weight of 1.4 KG making it extremely light. The size of the speaker makes it perfect for traveling and taking out the home as it is can easily be held. Unlike the A7 this is bluetooth instead of wifi which means the speaker doesnt have to be connected to WIFI to be able to use it makeing it more portable and guarantead a use. The speaker can be used with any bluetooth enabled device and for those that dont have bluetooth it can be connected to a auxillary port on the rear of the speaker. The speaker doesnt have to be connected to power all the time as it has a eight hour battery which can be recharged via the service port on the back. The speaker comes with 6 buttons along the top allowing the volume, power, connectivity to be altered and changed to the users liking. The speaker can be updated to allow the software to run the latest phones and MP3 players.
