The Mission Aero wireless speaker cares not where you sit

What? I came all this way for a Bluetooth speaker?
Bravo! That’s the wireless speaker ennui that we’ve been drumming into you; the ubiquity antipathy generator. But override it, for this delicious block of British designed boombox is not only too good to be sampled by cynical shell-likes, but also represents a pervasive concept in high-tech home audio.

Ooh, a concept. What is it?
Surround sound.

Uh, are you having a breakdown?
No, really. For £500, for that is what this Mission Aero costs, you could buy a decent amp and stereo speaker set-up, but that would be conventional hi-fi and as such it would have a ‘sweet spot’ for listening. In front of the speakers, almost certainly, but the angle of the speakers and their proximity to walls or furniture would all have an impact on how much you enjoyed them.

Not so for this, then?
Not so, quite so. The Aero is designed to fill a room with balanced sound, regardless of whether you place it high or low, atop table or shelf. It has six drivers, each driven by its own digital amp and a downward-firing 120mm bass thumper. Its fidelity is ensured (and its cost largely justified) by its solid construction. It weighs a steady 7kg – the same as 40 Terry’s Chocolate Oranges – and is made of cool, strokable curved aluminium.

Enough talking. What are we listening to?
Whatever we like, my dear. AirPlay and Apt-X Bluetooth are on-board, and it’ll act as a DLNA streamer too. The Aero will play from and charge whatever you plug into its rear-mounted USB port and while you’re there you might want to consider its optical digital connection, from which it’ll accept up to 24-bit/192kHz high-res audio. There’s a natty remote control, too, which you’ll be able to fondle if you make your way down to Selfridges – the London retailer currently has exclusive dibs.

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.