Zimku Review:How Philippe Starck's Parrot can Rock Your World

Zikmu Wireless Hi-Fi Speakers are a Parrot design and as quoted by their designer, the internationally acclaimed innovative Philippe Starck, "We were not aiming to create just another speaker. Our design focused more on making the air vibrate." Did they achieve this ambition?

The short answer is yes, but then most audio systems make air vibrate. So what is it that would make you and I want to own a Zimku Hifi-Speaker. Phillippe Starck answered critics by saying that there is actually a three dimensional feel to the vibration, meaning that the air is palpable, almost humanlike in presence, like a fragrance. That response seems very futuristic so in order to bring the product closer to a potential client’s sound and audio expectations, there needs to be a short background.

Very brief history:

Zimku speakers are the result between the collaboration of the speaker company Parrot with the French designer Phillippe Starck.

How do they work:

Zimku speakers can be connected to the television, to personal computers, Mac’s of course telly to create a home cinema environment as well as the ability to stream songs for iTunes, Spotify and the like. One of the star features of the speaker is its Bluetooth function which can also play audio from any mobile phones with Bluetooth too. This function is achieved through Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) which is a Bluetooth technology that defines how high quality audio (stereo or mono) can be streamed from one device to another over a Bluetooth connection. For instance, music can be streamed from a mobile phone to a wireless headset or car audio or from a laptop/desktop to a wireless headset. In the case of the Parrot device it connects the two speaker columns themselves together. If that’s not enough, the device uses Wi-Fi technology to stream it across a Wi-Fi network. Then what’s the fuss about the curved speakers? Well, apart from its slick, slender and sassy built, the speakers have an exaggeratedly-flat skin that propagate small-scale vibrations across its entire surface to reproduce the medium and treble frequencies, optimally radiating sound from both sides of the speaker. Standing proudly at 75cm tall, they are neither excessively towering nor dwarfish and without personality. Regardless of the size of the room and the position of the columns, the sound will adapt to the acoustics. That is through the Bluetooth function the two columns and detect and communicate with each other.

Profile of Zimku fans:

Apple product enthusiasts will love the Zimku speakers. This is because of the extensive compatibility with the entire range of latest generation Apple players. They were really made for each other. It is an undisputable case for businesses, marketing strategies based on the retailing of ad-ons or cross-sales products of trendsetters and avant-gardists like the Apple® company. This is because they have Apple® Ipod and Iphone docks on top in which Apple gadgets can be slotted in order to play back sound. Therefore the speaker is an attractive buy because it is not only iPod speaker system, the sound system is good for just about any gadget you possess, just as long as it has either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to stream across the room.

Product Features:

• Sleek, wireless hi-fi stereo speakers wіtһ a combined power οf 100 watts RMS
• Supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g connections fοr wireless music streaming frοm уοur computer
• Supports Bluetooth v1.2 аnd v2.1 EDR, A2DP, аnԁ AVRCP profiles fοr wireless music streaming frοm compatible mobile phones
• Includes RF remote control
• 360 degree output of the speakers.
• 100W RMS output, 50Hz-20KHz frequency response, A2DP Bluetooth® and supports Wi-Fi 802.11.

Possible alternatives:

Sony Walkman NWZ-A828, Ibiza Rhapsody, or Samsung YP-P2

Are they worth it?

That question is really for a trend followers and Apple® fans. It has some practical features though like the fact that it doesn’t have any cables apart from the power cords. Therefore they can both serve as sound output systems and a decorative element in the living rooms of many. Plus they come in cool colours like Arctic White", "Pearl Grey" and "Sorbet Lime. The other great feature is their minimalist size as it is not bulky. Finally for those who think it is worth it must be prepared to part with $1500. In conclusion, having all your digital music on an MP3 player is the ultimate convenience. However, if it is connected to a speaker, then one has to make the constant trips to and fro in order to change the playlist. Therefore bluetooth speakers solve this problem aptly by accepting music streamed wirelessly from your A2DP-compatible MP3 player or phone which means one can keep their Bluetooth-enabled device in hand while easily and comfortably navigating through your favourite tunes. It is a truly uber-modern experience having a remote control to your whole music library.