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High quality sound paired with innovative design
Music accompanies our daily life. It transports us to new places, so what could be more natural than us transporting music! New lifestyles, new technologies and new design choices thanks to Timber and Lenny - two speakers co-designed by Habitat and Elipson. In terms of sound, Jean-Yves Le Porcher, creative director at Elipson, is responsible for the sound quality.
A little background...
At Habitat as at Elipson, design is a key element of our all products - our DNA, if you like. Excellent design and technological expertise: beautiful, functional and accessible designs by Habitat and aesthetic perfection combined with technological excellence in terms of sound and sound design by Elipson - it's little wonder these two brands decided to join forces. Thanks to this partnership, they have designed two innovative speakers with a sound quality that will quite simply take your breath away!
Would you say that music is part of our lifestyles now?
Absolutely! There are two ways of looking at things: you could buy yourself a hi-hi for its sound quality which sits in your living room - although there are ways of playing music in every room in your home - or you could opt for a portable, more convenient device. Music has become an essential part of people's daily lives and we have to respond to this. It's also much simpler these days with no need to wait for devices to power up and no need for plugs and sockets. Now we can listen to music wherever and whenever we want. We even have personalised playlists. As is the case for the iPod and especially the iPhone, which can wirelessly connect to the Bluetooth Timber speaker and the Lenny mobile speaker. But the most important thing in my opinion is expert sound quality.
"Elipson and Habitat have a lot in common. Both companies know how to combine beauty and function to create everyday products".
Hervé Giaoui, CEO of Habitat
How did the two brands work together on this project?
We both worked in our own area of expertise, Elipson on the state-of-the-art electro-acoustic aspects and Habitat on the lifestyle design aspects. Although each brand has had a different journey, they both share the same philosophy in terms of positioning. We design and create speakers whose sound quality is appreciated in radio and TV studios as well as in the home. Since we started back in 1951, we have always promoted cutting-edge design. It's the same for Habitat in terms of designing lifestyle products. Both brands understand the reality of daily life with an emphasis on excellence and accessibility. We worked together to create simple, elegant, discreet and high quality objects whose design defines the function.
What key design message would you like to share with regards to the design of these speakers?
The difficulty with sound is that it's intangible. Music is like a fluid and it needs a vehicle to embody it both in terms of content - first rate technology - but also in terms of its container - its envelope. Our aim was not to design an object but to explore sound and respond to new ways of listening to music! The key concepts that drove the design of these speakers were: simplicity, sociability and sharing. Based on these concepts, we designed their shape and chose the materials bearing in mind technical and aesthetic requirements.
How do sound and design ultimately become objects of desire?
Well, to illustrate this, the Timber speaker uses a hexagonal* form, which gives incomparable sound balance. But because it's crafted from wood, the object becomes exceptional and coveted. Paired with brushed aluminium, it is the embodiment of modernity. Its cutting-edge technology is subtly hidden under a 3D fabric covering. The Lenny speaker, whose shape resembles a fencing mask, a stage prompter's box, or indeed a boat's air vent, in turn echoes the legendary Elipson models. Its design and the materials used (injected ABS and steel bases) ensure unprecedented sound quality. Its elegant leather strap responds to its need for portability. That's it really, it's a beautiful meeting of technology and emotion, where aesthetics actually improve sound quality!
* the hexagonal shape reverberates far less than a cube.
PRODUCTS
TIMBER, a hexagon with incomparable sound quality
Timber is a elegant and discreet Bluetooth speaker that is incredibly easy to use. It ractually looks like a log, albeit a very sophisticated one! Its name is inspired by its shape and the fact that it's made from wood. "Timber" is what Canadian lumberjacks shout to warn others that a tree is about to fall!
Characteristics: Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP) • 2 speakers 7.5 cm, 2 x 15 W • 3.5 mm auxiliary mini-jack • USB docking station (up to1A for iPad) • Genuine walnut veneer, 3D fabric • Dimensions: W430 x H170 x D200 mm • Weight: 3.2 kg
Available in Habitat stores and Elipson retailers.
Price including tax: €199
LENNY, your very own sing-along buddy
Lenny is a mobile speaker designed to accompany you wherever you go - inside or out - thanks to its elegant leather strap and 8-hour battery life.
Characteristics: Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP)• 2 speakers, 5 cm, 2 x 10 W Max • Passive speaker,10 cm • Splash resistant • 6 to 8-hour battery life • Dimensions: W165 x H368 x D170 mm • Weight: 2 kg
Available in Habitat stores and Elipson retailers.
Price including tax: €299