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Parrot's Zikmu Solo speaker goes Duo, two make a pair over WiFi
It was only last October when we took a close look at Parrot's new Zikmu Solo (as well as chatting up CEO Henri Seydoux, pictured above), so we were a bit surprised when the company made an announcement for the same Bluetooth speaker at CES. You see, while the original Starck-designed Zikmu was sold in a pair, the slightly smaller Zikmu Solo -- powered by a 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor no less -- was designed with small rooms in mind and is therefore sold singly. However, at some point this year, Parrot will offer a "Duo" option that lets you hook up two Zikmu Solos over WiFi to form a 2 x 100W RMS stereo system, which is conveniently twice as powerful as the Zikmu. Obviously nothing has changed in terms of audio input methods and sources for the high-end Zikmu Solo: iPhone, iPod, PC, Mac, WiFi, Bluetooth mobile phone, Ethernet and more. So, how about a discount when we buy two then, Parrot? $999 times two is quite a lot (insert wink here). Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
The Engadget Interview: Parrot CEO Henri Seydoux
This man sure knows how to entertain photogs, but he's much more than just a charming French poser. Meet Henri Seydoux, the founder, chairman and CEO of today's multi-talented Parrot. While promoting the recently launched Zikmu Solo wireless speaker in Hong Kong, Seydoux sat down with us to share the amusing story behind himself and his company. Check out the video after the break to hear how Seydoux's encounter with Roland Moreno, the inventor of the smart card, made him drop journalism in favor of software engineering, as well as his detailed explanation on why many Bluetooth audio products suck, and how Bluetooth will continue to rule the world "like Beyoncé." Enjoy!
Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999
Parrot has taken some time trotting out the Zikmu Solo speaker since we first saw it at CES, but those enamored with very vertical audio can rest easy now that the unit has a North American release schedule. Both Canada and the US can buy the Philippe Starck-crafted speaker in November, when it will cost $999 for Americans in its black and white guises (sorry, no red for now). While that's a lot to pay for a 100W speaker, Parrot is counting on the unique acoustic design, a conventional iOS dock and a mix of Bluetooth, NFC and WiFi to tempt people away from the land of horizontal sound. It's undoubtedly one of the easiest ways to make a speaker dock the focus of a room -- and that's part of the point, isn't it?
