Restoration Hardware Gramophone
When industrial designer Matt Richmond stumbled upon a 1920’s Victrola horn in an antique store near San Francisco he was immediately intrigued. He held his phone up to the opening and began to dream. He created a hardwood base and carved a slot for his phone. A tunnel between the slot and a hole for the horn transmitted the sound and amplified it three to four times. The base sits on four spikes to eliminate vibration.
No volume control. No battery. No plug. Just physics.
From Restoration Hardware: “It’s not overpowering, so it’s great in the background,” Matt says. “And it’s directional – you can point the horn where you want the sound. If you put it in a corner it’ll really fill a room.”
You aren’t going to get a high-fidelity sound from this dock, but rather an acoustic one that harkens back to the sound of gramophones that would make Thomas Edison proud. A blend of vintage and digital technology, it is as beautiful as it is functional.
The Gramophone is available in dry oak and walnut base, for iPhone and iPad with an option for full-size or mini horn. iPhone models are $249 and iPad models are $299.
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