3 Lust-Worthy Music Players To Amp Up Your Interior

The Phonofone II by Science & Sons.  $600 at Charles & Marie.

My house is slow to adopt gadgets, especially ones that refer to themselves as “systems.”

The extent of our music system is a small, unassuming radio we bought to tide us over while we unpacked our moving boxes.  A year and half later, and that’s still all we have.

We’ve talked circles around the Sonos wireless system, which we’ll probably get.  Eventually.  When we’re retired, toothless and prone to cupping hands behind our overgrown, underperforming ears.

In the meantime, I like to dream about these three music players-cum-art-pieces.

All three are highly designed, impractical in one way or another, and quite out of our budget.

What I love about them, though, is how interesting they are to look at even when completely silent.  They’d do as much for your décor as they would for your Debussy, Dire Straights, and Damien Rice.

The swan-like ceramic Phonofone II, for instance, is an entirely powerless amplifier.  Using only the acoustical advantages of its form – that’s right, no cords, no batteries – it amplifies the sound coming out of your earphones up to 55 decibels, or about the output of a laptop computer.  It won’t shake your floorboards, but it’d do nicely for a bedroom or library.

Linn Sondek LP12, $4,000 and up depending on components

This Scottish baby is the Rolls Royce of record players, if Rolls Royce were all about sleek, minimalist design.  Its patented construction eliminates vibration and acoustic feedback.

Hand carved wood phonographs by Sights & Sounds of Edison, $900 and up.

In Milan, Ohio the Gfell family handcrafts wooden phonograph horns in the tradition of local son, and phonograph inventor, Thomas Edison. A reliable source swears their showroom is worth the trip to Milan, so if you find yourself near Cleveland, seek it out.

Tagged as: linn, phonograph, sights and sounds of edison, sondek lp12