SIGNALS

Referring to the sound of the 12-cylinder engines in Ferrari cars, conductor Herbert von Karajan said it was, "a melody that no conductor would ever be able to reproduce." Considering that the maestro was not modest when speaking of his abilities, that is quite a compliment. He was right, of course; some engines, tuned with the right exhaust, yield a glorious sound. With further tuning, apparently they can also yield glorious music.

Alert readers will remember my recent blog post about the Porsche Design soundbar. Since I am a Porsche guy, that item held particular interest for me. But of course, if you are, for example, a BMW guy, then putting a Porsche soundbar in your home would be an affront to your sensibilities, an insult to your manhood, and a crime against humanity.

But I hope all car guys can mutually agree that the automotive-styled audio docking stations from iXOOST are pretty cool. First, please take a moment to savor this tasteful video that plays on the iXOOST home page. Ah.......

Car guys know that Modena, Italy was the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari, is still home of Ferrari (Pagani, De Tomaso, Maserati, and Lamborghini also have ties to the city) and Ferrari even named a car (the 360 Modena) after the city. Thus it makes perfect sense that iXOOST is in Modena where they whip car DNA into audio products. In particular, its iPod/iPhone docking stations (with a Bluetooth option) incorporate the exotic (possibly also erotic?) shapes of F1 car exhausts.

Their bespoke products begin with the hardware you'll find at the loud end of cars like the Williams FW32 and Maserati MC12. Customers can specify how the pipes are turned into players, tweaking materials, colors, and features. For example, in the OTTO configuration shown at the top of the page, you'll find silk-dome tweeters, midranges, subwoofer, and active subwoofer, powered by a 4x25-watt, and 1x270-watt amplifier.

Be warned: much like F1 cars, these iXOOST docks are not cheap. Prices start at around $6,000. Then again, they are handmade in Modena by Italian craftsmen using the finest materials. Most other docking stations, as you know, are made by injection molding machines using recycled 2-liter Mountain Dew bottles. For similar reasons, Ferraris cost more than most other cars. In any case, this all goes to show that ingenuity, craftsmanship, and beauty are alive and well in audio. Vroom!

Many thanks to car guy Mitchell Zarders for calling my attention to iXOOST.