Libratone Zipp Wi-Fi Speakers Combine Quality and Design

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Your wireless speakers may have great sound quality, but do they also have cutting edge design? The Libratone Zipp is a Wi-Fi speaker that doesn't just sound great, it's also won the CES Design Award for two consecutive years. We got a chance to play with this fun and colorful speaker at this year's Pepcom.

Rather than operating over Bluetooth frequencies, the Libratone Zipp is a Wi-Fi speaker, allowing seamless integration with Airplay on any Apple device. A representative was able to instantly connect to the Zipp through the native Music app on his iPhone by clicking the Airplay button.

There is also an optional iOS app that greatly increases this speaker's abilities, allowing custom settings for different types of music as well as the speaker's spacial location, which optimizes playback whether on the floor, shelf or counter top.Using the app, we were able to tell the Libratone Zipp that it was resting on a table around 4 feet off the ground, which caused some very subtle audio changes. There is also an app for Android, but this speaker's seamless Airplay integration really enhances usability.

The Libratone Zipp's design is really what makes this device stand out in a crowd. There are three wool color sleeves included with the $449 version, allowing easy customization with a quick zip of the zipper. Colors are bright and playful, including Pineapple Yellow, Passion Pink and Icy Blue. There are a total of 8 different colored sleeves, available for $49.95 each through Libratone's online store.