If you’re anything like us, you’ve collected somewhere between two and 10 Bluetooth speakers over the last few years.
And yet — exasperatingly — none of them can be used at the same time.
What if there were a device that could change that?
A device like Belle, a new Bluetooth speaker that has two ingenious tricks up its sleeve.
From Podo Labs, the peeps who gave you Jack — a cool little device that brings Bluetooth connectivity to any pair of headphones you own — Belle is a shiny black, kettlebell-like take on the boombox.
It’s a 100W omni-directional speaker, for starters. It features two full-range drivers and dual passive radiators. With the push of a button, it’s also a powerful subwoofer. And it acts as a hub, pairing with up to six other Bluetooth speakers, from (and this is important) any brand.
“There are thousands of Bluetooth speakers out there,” explains Podo Labs CEO Eddie Lee. “But to use, you can only use their speakers. With Belle, you can connect any six speakers together.”
Belle (3 images)
Which means you have volume covered. And you’ll also have bass: No other speaker can go as low as Belle’s 30 Hz (20 is human limit, while a typical high-end Bluetooth reaches just 70 Hz). “It’s fun: You can feel it pound and pulse against you,” says Lee. (We saw a demo: The speaker was actually pulsing.)
Belle works with any streaming service and can be used either plugged in or with batteries. The fiberglass handle makes it easy to tote around — and again, you can easily pair and serve as a hub for whatever speakers other people bring, so it’s an instant party wherever you go.
It’s a Kickstarter — they’ve done three, you can trust ‘em — so you’ll have to wait for next summer’s parties. Through today, Belle is available for $249, a discount of $150 (it’ll go up to $269 tomorrow) … or about a tenth the price of the Devialet Phantom, one of the inspirations for Belle.
A slightly less powerful, non-handle version that pairs with four speakers starts at $199, with a carrying case available for an extra $59.
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