Phonofone II | Tristan Zimmermann | Charles & Marie
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Description
It is the very last piece from this limited edition!
Brace yourself, we've got our most amazing product so far ready for you, but before we get ahead of ourselves here, let us start at the beginning:
In 2006, designer Tristan Zimmermann of science and sons set out to design something groundbreaking, like modesty. But modesty was already invented, so Tristan Zimmermann invented the Phonofone. The Phonophone is even better than modesty because it comes in a box and plays music.
What is the Phonofone you ask? In short, it's like a speaker for your iPod, only it uses no power. Through passive amplification alone, these unique pieces instantly transform any personal music player + earbuds into a sculptural audio console. Without the use of external power or batteries, the Phonofone II inventively exploits the virtues of horn acoustics to boost the audio output of standard earphones to up to 55 decibels. Now let's make this clear, 55 decibels is not going to entertain your party, but it's fine for the office or next to the bed or or for a dinner party. But honestly, if you want to get a great sounding set of speakers that you can crank up and rock out to, get a set of Bose.
Truly an amazing object, the Phonofone is clever piece of applied science, a beautiful icon of nostalgia, and an ironic twist on the insular nature of personal listening devices. It is not intended to be used as home stereo system. The Phonofone II is constructed entirely from ceramic. Not only environmentally low impact, ceramics are inherently rigid and resonant, lending themselves well to this application.
Material: Ceramic
Dimensions: 11" x 9.5" x 20" (28 x 25 x 51 cm)
The fine print on Phonofone:
To fully exploit the amplification potential of your Phonofone the following considerations are strongly urged:
1) MP3 player – The output power of full size Apple brand iPods and iPod minis (HD size non specific) is ideally suited for powering a Phonofone. iPod nanos and shuffles are only recommended if used with an inline headphone amplifier (see point #5). It is also recommended to override your iPod volume restriction settings before hooking it up to a Phonofone.
2) Headphones - Only Apple Brand earbuds (with the adapters provided with your Phonofone) are recommended for this application. Be aware that after prolonged use at loud volumes, the earbuds can start to degrade in audio quality.
3) Types of music – The phonofone is excellent for amplifying Blues, Classical and Folk music, but is less ideal for Electronic music and Rock. This is because the heavy bass associated with both Rock and Techno can result in clipping (buzzing) when played at its loudest volume. If clipping is occurring in a song, it can be overridden by selecting the 'bass reduction' equalizer setting in your iPod or by playing the song at a slightly lower volume.
4) MP3 Quality – Not all music is mastered the same. That is, the baseline volume of each song can differ from each other significantly especially if your music library consist of illegally downloaded material (which we hope it isn't). If you are experiencing a large degree of variation in the listening volume of your MP3s try adjusting the gain (volume) of each file accordingly by using free 3rd party software. We will not assume responsibility for any damages that this software might incur.
5) Headphone Preamplifiers - If you plan on using your Phonofone with an iPod shuffle or nano, or are simply seeking more volume from this device, you can purchase a headphone amplifier. A headphone amplifier is small battery operated device that is placed in-line between your MP3 player and your earbuds. This device will increase the power of the signal to the headphones which will result in a higher volume (and actually makes the Phonofone sound rather loud). Please note that using a preamplifier can significantly limit the life of your earbuds and should be used with discretion. If you hear the earbuds 'crackling' then it's time to turn the volume down.
Care
Shipping & Returns
Germany - free shipping from 59 € order value
If you order our design products by 2 p.m., you will usually receive them within 1-2 working days.
All later orders on working days, which only contain products that can be delivered immediately, will be dispatched on the following working day
Europe - free shipping from 85 € order value
Products that can be delivered immediately will usually be with you within 4-6 working days.
How is my order shipped?
Your order will be shipped via our partners DHL & UPS within Germany and the EU.
How much are the shipping costs?
Within Germany, many orders are shipped free of charge. We charge a flat rate of €5.90 for the shipping of your order within Germany and shipping is free for you from an order value of €59.
Bulky goods shipping costs of €19.95 may apply for individual items that exceed the standard package size. These will be calculated at check-out.
Shipping to most EU countries costs a flat rate of €9.90 and is free of charge for orders over €85. All shipping details
How can I return products?
You can return ordered products up to 30 days after receipt of your order. More information
If you would like to return an item, send us an email to orders@charlesandmarie.com with the order number and information about which products you would like to return. Please pay for the return shipping - this of course does not apply to justified complaints.
A different delivery time is displayed
If a product can only be pre-ordered or is not in stock, it cannot be delivered immediately. In this case, you can find the deviating delivery time on the product page. As soon as we have the product available and dispatched again, you will receive it within the delivery times stated above.
Product compliance & safety
Manufacturer information & person responsible for product safety in the EU:
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