Libratone jumps into multi-room audio with its latest speakers
Libratone isn't content with churning out more cloth-covered wireless speakers -- it wants to muscle in on Sonos' home turf. The upscale gear maker has launched both an updated Zipp speaker and a smaller Zipp Mini (shown above) that include multi-room audio. You can link as many as six of the zipper-clad speakers over WiFi, much like some of their peers. The key, as you might have guessed, is that everything is portable. If you're jonesing to move your entire setup to a new room, you can do it without feeling like you're moving house.
The two also share 360-degree sound, Bluetooth 4.1 support, a new touch interface and between 8 to 10 hours of battery life. The decision really comes down to both the power you need, the size you like and how much you're willing to pay. The relatively tiny Zipp Mini delivers 60W of sound for $250/£179, while springing for the $300/£219 Zipp gets you 100W in a larger body. Are you going to ditch an existing whole-home system for Libratone's latest hardware? Probably not, especially if you only need two units (devices like the UE Boom 2 already pair together) to fill your abode with music. Even so, this could make a lot of sense if you've ever wished for multi-room listening that could follow you around.
