Aerix can’t hide its hungry eyes

Why so frowny?

Relax. Not everything is angry at you. The Aerix Duet is just trying to do a sultry take-me-home look, most memorably employed by Kim Wilde in the ’80s. Why is it trying so hard? Because it’s a wireless speaker, in the age of many wireless speakers. A little smile and a wave isn’t going to get it off the shelf.

There’s something of the cubic Ninja Turtle in the design, if you squint a bit.

Again, Aerix will take that. Which also explains the ‘pair’: it’s one speaker, split into two cubes that are irremovably fused on to an aluminium base. One cube – let’s call it Fighty Righty – contains the electronic gubbinry, and the first of two upward firing speakers. Underneath the second of the two speakers, in the cube we’re calling Swift Left To The Heart, is a downwards firing 5.25in subwoofer. Because precise stereo imaging is dead to millennials, the Duet’s room-filling 360-degree audio is created by such architectural tomfoolery as a ‘conical base’ and ‘circular horn diffusers’.

Your mum’s a circular horn diffuser. Talk more about the gubbinry.

Aerix is Taiwanese but, sensibly enough, went to France for the Duet’s design. For the electronics, it continued its international journey, ending up at the weathered, sturdy doors of America’s DTS. There’s a DTS Play-Fi module inside that, via the Play-Fi smartphone app, gives you access to Spotify, Deezer and Tidal. There’s also straight-up Bluetooth AptX, a straight-talking FM radio and – bless – you can slot a CD right into Righty’s straight-faced maw.

Well, maybe it was the Kim Wilde reference, but I’m rather taken with this thing.

Best take a pugil to your proudest porcine penny repository, then, for the Aerix Duet is a grand £1499. Knowing that, the narrow-eyed look becomes less sultry, more “Look away Titch, you can’t have this.” But Aerix has promised more models to follow – perhaps a more affordable ‘Solo’ to go with the Duet?

Buy the Aerix Duet here

About

Fraser used to wear a Psion Series 3 palmtop in a shoulder holster. Perhaps he still does.Either way, his lifelong mission - including fourteen years for Stuff - has been to see whether the consumer electronics industry can ever replicate that kind of cyborgian joy.So far: nope. Despite a plan to combine a action camera and Olympus Eye-Trek goggles to become Man Who Sees The Vision Of A Man Three Inches Taller Than Himself.He also likes mountain bikes, motorbikes, cars, helicopters. Still thinks virtual surround is witchcraft. Dislikes jetskis, despite never having been on one.