There will soon be a mind-blowing way to enjoy the iPad. And it doesnt require going out of your way its nothing like enjoying the iPad while skydiving or swimming with dolphins at SeaWorld Dolphin Cove. This one is a natural extension. You only have to slide your iPad into a case, open up the case, and boom! What you get is a home theater system.
The object in question is an ingenious iPad accessory called Amp by OIO. Amp is like a heavy-duty case for the iPad that also converts it into a full-blown home theater system. It is precision-built to fit perfectly the iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Air and iPad Air 2. It was one of the hottest products at CES 2017.
The Portable Home Theater
Open up Amp and what you get is an elegant stand that holds the iPad in the middle like a home theater screen and stereo speakers on both sides. While it makes your iPad as big as a laptop, it is a small inconvenience for the huge advantage and cool factor of having a home theater system on the go.
An iPad equipped with Amp is an Amped-up iPad thats guaranteed to be a conversation piece everywhere you go. Put on a movie or any video clip and real home theater experience can be enjoyed by more than one person.
Real Home Theater Experience
This is because Amp is not just any Bluetooth speakers, it is a pair of electrostatic speakers designed to deliver the stereo imaging and soundstage of a hi-fi system. Stereo imaging is the ability of two front speakers to deliver spatial musical details with depth and width as if theyre coming from a single point source, while soundstage is the precise placement of voices, musical instruments and sound effects in the sound field.
In addition, built-in DSPs for the multiple audio codecs allow Amp to simulate various sound enhancements and surround sound settings for a truly satisfying home theater experience.
Specifications and Fun Facts
The speakers are two electrostatic panels made of resin-impregnated carbon fiber in honeycomb construction protected by sturdy and durable aluminum frames. The built-in stereo amplifiers power the two ultra-low profile electromagnetic exciters, each located behind a speaker panel, which in turn generate sound out of the speaker panels.
So the sound quality is awesome, but can the speakers play loud enough? OIO, the company known for designing acoustic systems for Samsung and LG Electronics, rated Amp to play up to 96 dBa or A-weighted decibels. How loud is 96 decibels? For your reference, 96 decibels is louder than a jackhammer 50 feet away or an approaching subway train from 200 feet. Thats pretty loud. It woke up the neighbours at my King West condo…
Amp is based on Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 technology with assisted auto-connect at 10 seconds or less. It is equipped with a 2000mAh Lithium ion rechargeable battery lasting up to seven hours between charges. Despite all its features and solid construction, Amp weighs in at just 1 pound 10 ounces, which means with an iPad Air installed it is still lighter than a MacBook Pro.
After making quite a splash at its CES debut, Amp by OIO will be available commercially soon.