This retro-looking speaker has Google Assistant built in
Como Audio appeared two years ago and immediately began building out a line of retro-looking speakers with modern tech inside them. They included screens, Bluetooth, and even streaming services like Spotify. But they haven't included any smart assistants — at least until now.
On Kickstarter, Como is starting a campaign for a speaker called the SpeakEasy, which retains the company's old-fashioned designs but adds in the Google Assistant. Like other Como speakers, it's covered in either wood veneer or a glossy finish and includes a number of aluminum control dials. It has a three-quarter-inch tweeter, a 3-inch woofer, and a rear port to allow sound to reverberate out and increase the bass.
In a neat touch, the SpeakEasy is also designed to switch between being a stationary and portable speaker. The battery will be optional, but it's nice that it's a built-in feature rather than a hacked add-on.
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The speaker will sell for $349 when the campaign is over; it's available now to backers for $200 to $250 and is supposed to start shipping to backers in November. Como has completed a number of Kickstarters and continues to sell those products through its website, so there's a good chance this campaign will pan out. But of course, the caution with Kickstarters always applies, since it's not a guaranteed purchase.
In addition to the SpeakEasy, Como is also announcing its first turntable, the Como Audio Turntable. The big hook here is that it'll have Bluetooth built in, so you can stream playback to connected speakers. Como isn't the first company to hit on this idea, but it still isn't particularly common. And while that mixture of analog and digital may seem strange, it'd be helpful if you're trying to play music across multiple rooms, since you could still play to nearby wired speakers, too.
The turntable won't be available until sometime this fall, and pricing information hasn't been announced. The turntable will be belt driven, and naturally, it'll have a wood veneer.
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