I found a new object of desire that I would probably never use once I bought it. It is This OB-4 “Magic Radio” from Teenage Engineering, a design group that creates technology with a playful but premium approach. Not only does this wireless speaker look great, it also has a handful of really interesting features, the most interesting of which is that you can rewind up to two hours at any time with a rotary knob.
The truth is, I would rarely need the rewind feature, which is mostly useful for recording a podcast you missed or for those of us who still listen to FM radio every now and then, come back to the DJ the Hear names say an artist or a piece. You can also slow it down, and presumably scratch it a little, by turning the little circle, though it’s probably more fun in theory than in practice.
But if it looks this good, who cares? The design reminds me a lot of the 3-speaker boombox from TDK, which I reviewed back in 2011 but developed further. The mechanical knobs and buttons look fabulous and I have no doubt about it, turning with wonderful tactility. I love a good volume control and this one looks like a winner.
With two larger speakers and two smaller types of tweeters, you should be able to produce fairly solid sound. Frequency response drops to 54 Hz so you won’t get the lowest bass notes possible, but with drivers this size they couldn’t move enough air to play a role. More importantly, it takes 8 hours at maximum volume or 30-50 hours at normal volume.
The built-in little computer and drive have some interesting modes: an adjustable metronome, a 30-channel mantra repeater, and a drone generator that stretches and distorts sections of radio stations. The last one sounds pretty cool.
The antenna for FM reception is built into the handle and can be folded down as a stand if you don’t mind your music penetrating the floor or table.
At $ 599, it’s not exactly an impulse buy. There’s a cherry red version for $ 50 more and a leather case for $ 400 in case you want to add even more eye-catching consumption. I have a feeling we will see these in the background of influencer videos (or sets).
If you’d like to pick up your own, you can try crouching on the site to be able to pre-order. However, it may be better to buy a ticket to New York, London, or Stockholm, where the OB-4 will be on shelves in a handful of designer stores. It will be delivered in November.
