LightSpeaker by Klipsch
Klipsch has developed a device that combines a wireless speaker and LED light and installs into most standard light sockets. Called the LightSpeaker, it uses a base station transmitter to stream music to each unit, up to 50 feet away, using 2.4 GHz wireless technology.
The system with two LightSpeakers, transmitter and remote costs US$599 and is available now. Additional LightSpeakers are available for $249 each.
"It works when you screw it in just like a light bulb into a can light or actually anything with an Edison socket so it will work on table lamps and floor lamps," said Jill Escol with Klipsch.
The company launched and displayed the unit at CES Unveiled, a press event two days before the official show opening.
Each bundle purchased includes two LightSpeakers, a transmitter and a remote and is completely wireless. The unit allows for dual zone audio so for example users can send audio from a laptop to one speaker and audio from an iPod to another. The system is expandable to up to eight LightSpeakers.
According to the company, the LED bulb burns only 10 watts, but produces enough light to replace up to a 65 watt bulb. It is rated for 40,000 hours of use. The speaker on the system can produce a maximum acoustic output of 93 dB and has a frequency response of 90Hz - 20 kHz.
One of the drawbacks of the device is that the speaker only works when the light is on. A company representative said that it’s already working on a solution to allow the speaker to be used without the light turned on, but he wasn’t sure when it would be available.
The company claims that the 2.4 GHz wireless technology won't interfere with most wireless products, but acknowledged that the transmitter did receive interference when an old microwave or Verizon's MiFi was positioned within 35 feet of the LightSpeaker's stand-alone transmitter.
