Paul Cocksedge created the small portable device to give old and unused speakers a new lease of life.

The Vamp connects to the back of any speaker via a two-way jack or red and black speaker wires, and can stream music from bluetooth devices within a ten metre range.

Shaped like a cube with a corner sliced off, it can be attached anywhere on the speaker using a foam pad or a magnet that pairs with one inside.

The battery inside the device that powers the speaker can be kept on constant charge while hooked up using a USB port or power adapter and has a rechargeable life of over ten hours when not plugged in.

The Vamp is available in a choice of red, white or black for £35 through the Kickstarter campaign, which runs until the 28 April.

Cocksedge suspended a mysterious neon phone number above a London street for our Seven Designers for Seven Dials installations, and contributed a lamp made from heat-shrunk polystyrene cups to the Stepney Green Design Collection we curated.

Photography is by Mark Cocksedge.

Paul Cocksedge sent us the following information:

Paul Cocksedge launches The Vamp on Kickstarter

Thanks to modern technology, we’re now able to carry our entire music libraries in a range of portable devices, from laptops to mobiles and tablets. For sheer sound quality, however, the devices have not matched the superior audio quality of the conventional speaker. And portable Bluetooth speakers, which give consumers the freedom to link devices wirelessly and play music at any location, are expensive. Now, however, an established British designer, already renowned in international design circles for his innovation and creativity, has come up with a way to bring life back to the millions of speakers which still exist in our homes.

London-based designer Paul Cocksedge has created The Vamp which will launch on Kickstarter, a crowd-funding platform for creative projects. The Vamp is a gadget which allows traditional hi fi speakers to communicate with today's world of portable digital devices, allowing them to be used in the house, the garden or the park – in fact, anywhere. Old speakers can now be transformed into a portable Bluetooth speaker –for as little as £35. New technology can quickly make our gadgets and appliances obsolete, The Vamp makes a real contribution to allowing us to retain the craftsmanship and quality of well-made speakers and use them to embrace the newest wireless technology.

The Vamp is a cute cube shaped object with an inner magnet that allows it to stick to the side of the speaker. The internal battery can power any size speaker and means all the wires and clutter we are used to seeing are gone. It can receive sound via Bluetooth from any Bluetooth device within 10m.

Paul Cocksedge says: “For me, reusing perfectly good technology makes sense. Hearing the rich sound coming out of these older speakers in a new way is a delight. They are a part of our music history.”

For updates on the project, follow @PaulCocksedgeSt and #VampYourAmp on Twitter.

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Paul Cocksedge appeared first on Dezeen.

Congratulations to the winner! Agnes Gidenstam from Sweden won a pair of Nocs speakers.

Nocs integrated the speakers with AirPlay technology that allows users to stream music from a Mac, PC, iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad without the use of cables.

AirPlay is able to stream to multiple sets of speakers so music can be played in each room that contains a pair of NS2 Air Monitors.

With Kevlar-reinforced woofers and silk dome tweeters, the speakers are coated in rubber for durability and come in red, orange, yellow, grey, black or white. Competition entrants can chose their preferred colour.

This competition is now closed.

The winner will be selected at random and notified by email. Winners’ names will be published in a future edition of our Dezeen Mail newsletter and at the top of this page. Dezeen competitions are international and entries are accepted from readers in any country.

See all our stories about speaker design »

Here is some additional information from Nocs:

Nocs’ new NS2 Air Monitors are a set of Active speakers boasting AirPlay technology, allowing you to stream music wirelessly from your Mac, PC, iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. Tap into the NS2’s powerful sound and turn your device into the ultimate music experience!

Sound characteristics

Finally – speakers that sound as good as they look. Fire up the NS2 and let their powerful, precise output turn your smart device/cpu into a musical juggernaut. The NS2’s deep, accurate bass, accompanied by well-balanced mids and crystal-clear highs, creates a rich, natural sound that will liven up any room in your home.

Materials and design

Designed in Stockholm, where mastery of contemporary minimalism is the norm, the NS2 look great wherever you put them. Each component, from the hand-crafted/rubber-coated cabinets to the Kevlar-reinforced woofers and silk dome tweeters, has been carefully designed to offer an exceptional blend of sound and durability.

Airplay

The NS2 is fully integrated with AirPlay wireless technology, meaning you can wirelessly stream music throughout your entire house. Enjoy your complete music library -- every song, every playlist -- in any room, at any time!

If the NS2 had a motto, it would be “hear everywhere at once.” For instance, say you have one set of speakers in your bedroom, another in your office, and a third in your living room. With the NS2, you can turn your lair into a formidable “house of sound” by streaming your music to multiple rooms simultaneously, thus guaranteeing that you’ll never miss a beat no matter where in the house you are. Just choose “Multiple Speakers” from the AirPlay menu in iTunes – then sit back and prepare to be have your house (and your world) rocked.

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Air Monitors to be won appeared first on Dezeen.

Called Iconico, the speaker for French brand Lexon can be switched off simply by turning it face down. "It's a playful, intuitive and simple object to listen to your music everywhere in high sound quality," says Serrano.

Iconico is made of ABS plastic and comes in dark grey and white. It's intended for use with mobile phones and connects via a 3.5 millimetre stereo audio cable.

Maison&Objet takes place in Paris from 18 to 22 January.

Other speakers we've featured include one that straps over your sneakers and another with a fabric control panel. See all our stories about speaker design »

You might also like to check out Dezeen Music Project, our showcase for tracks by young and upcoming musicians and record labels.

Other designs by Héctor Serrano include hand puppet tattoos and paper animal faces for balloons, plus glass jars with cork lids launched last year. See all our stories about design by Héctor Serrano »

Lexon is a design brand based in France and China. Other Lexon products on Dezeen include a range of calculators, clocks, torches and radios made of corn starch, and a set of stackable, colour-coded stationary. The Take Time watch by Mathieu Lehanneur, which is available at Dezeen Watch Store, is also produced by Lexon.

Here are the specs for the speaker:

Power output: 1.5W
Speaker: 2W+ base
Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz
SNR: 65dB
Distortion: <1%
Cell: lithium cell 400mAh
Typical runtime : 4 hours at medium volume
Charging voltage: USB 5V
Charging time: 2 hours
Connecting cable: 3.5MM stereo audio cable
Dimensions: Φ71X55MM

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for Lexon appeared first on Dezeen.

The battery-powered Sneaker Speaker is held in place with either one or two straps, which can be moved into different positions around the wearer's ankle.

The speaker can be paired with other electronic devices such as mobile phones and iPads using bluetooth, but it also comes with an AC input so that it can be connected using a stereo jack when not being worn.

Sneaker Speaker is the first product from the recently launched studio, which is headed up by concept designer Ray Kingston.

"These futuristic alternative urban devices increase your ghetto vibe, by wearing them onto your shoes," said Kingston. "[They are] a must-have for urban artists and everyone else who believes in the inspirational power of music."

Other audio devices we've featured include a tactile speaker with a fabric control panel and the new Big Jambox designed by Yves Behar for Jawbone.

See more stories about speakers »

Here's a project description from Ray Kingston Inc:

Sneaker Speaker – by Ray Kingston Inc.

The Sneaker Speaker is the first creation within a new trend in which various forms of street-art are combined, both visually as well as musically. This fashionable and unique design speaker is originally developed for providing inspiration during creative processes. Never before were we able to bring our favourite music with us in such a way, that it reflects our identity whilst sharing it with others.

Ray Kingston Inc. is a small New York based design studio, that concentrates on the interplay between fashion (accessories), urban art and music. Our objective is to always keep searching for products that enable its users to show themselves to the world.

Ray Kingston is the founder of the eponymous company, in which he’s also active as concept designer. After spending fourteen years as product designer at Sony's, he recently decided to start his own enterprise. This enabled him to create what he’d been dreaming of for a long time. With his first project he wants to return to his urban roots. Ever since he has been focusing on meeting the needs of everyone who aims to use street-art as a way of expressing emotions, experiences and life struggles.

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Ray Kingston Inc. appeared first on Dezeen.

"[When] we look at design it's not only the external facade of the product, but also the internals and software, and how basically users interact with the product," says Antabi.

San Francisco start-up company Jawbone first launched the Jambox in 2010, which became the top selling wireless speaker in the USA and UK, so they launched the Big Jambox as a larger but still portable version.

It streams audio from smart devices wirelessly via bluetooth and is portable enough to be carried in one hand.

Designer Yves Behar has been working with Jawbone for almost ten years as their chief creative officer and is involved in all design decisions for products, including the Big Jambox.

A continuous, perforated stainless-steel sheet wraps around the front, top and back of the speaker, which Antabi describes as "a manufacturing feat".

Yves Behar and Jawbone collaborated with Dezeen to create an installation of over 1600 Jambox speakers that played original tracks submitted by Dezeen readers in Milan 2011 - find out more about the project here. Read more in our previous stories about the Jambox here and the Big Jambox here.

See all our stories about speakers »
See all our stories about Jawbone »
See all our stories about Yves Behar »

The post "We take a very holistic approach to design"
- Bandar Antabi of Jawbone appeared first on Dezeen.