Soundesk is the lovechild of an Amazon Echo and a sleek designer table

Now and again, gadgets merge in a manner you’re not quite expecting. Behold: Soundesk ($399). Not actually a desk, it’s in fact a coffee table that has a bunch of speakers built into it. Presumably, speakertable dot com was taken. Anyway, the result is like a conical aluminium-clad Amazon Echo as reimagined by Jony Ive armed with a CNC machine, topped with a circle of tempered glass. According to its creators, the device pumps out 360-degree 80W audio from five built-in speakers, and ramps up the low-end by way of Dual Pressure Air Compression (DPAC) super bass tech. Grab two and you can go full stereo. And as an added advantage over much of the competition, you can plonk your coffee cup down on one, without the risk of spillage destroying your speaker and ruining the weekend’s Phil Collinsathon.

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.