HTC’s bonkers Gramohorn II: big stereo sound from your HTC One, no battery required
Victorian tech gets a 21st century update with these passive speakers for the HTC One
You have to hand it to HTC. The company doesn’t shy away from creating bizarre and idiosyncratic products – and the Gramohorn II is a perfect example.
Me so horny
A stereo speaker that works with the HTC One, the Gramohorn II doesn’t require any external power or battery: like a Victorian era gramophone, the amplification comes only from the horn-shaped design, which channels and beefs up the audio from the One’s BoomSound speakers.
We can’t comment on the sound quality (yet) because we haven’t heard it for ourselves, but it certainly looks the part: bonkers but beautiful. The design is the work of Justin Wolter who, as part of HTC’s Here’s To Creativity campaign, brought it from inception to production in under six weeks.
Getting the horn
The speaker is 3D printed to order in a plaster-based composite material which can be spray-painted any colour, and is available from the Gramohorn site for £1,000. Alternatively, there are a number of limited edition stainless steel versions, yours for a cool £5,000 a pop.
The Gramohorn is the first Here’s To Creativity product, but HTC says more are on the way. The campaign is designed to showcase young UK designers by tasking them with enhancing the smartphone experience through innovative accessories. We’ll be keeping our eyes open for more in the near future.