There’s a whole lotta product goin’ on at the Consumer Electronics Show. (Actually, that’s the whole point of the event.) With so much to ponder, it takes something special to cut through all the clutter of device debuts and other knickknacks screaming for attention. And friends, this is one stopped me in my tracks.
What is it about this full-on bag of sound that has me so entranced? I’m not sure I know. Maybe it’s because I’m Korean, and it looks like one of those radio bags often featured in vintage episodes of M*A*S*H. (Nah, that’s sooo not it. Plus, I’m not usually a big fan of paramilitary stuff anyway.) It must be the gigantic, enormous sound that the Roots Rock speakerbag produces. And the fact that you can sling it over your shoulder like a gym bag or even pocketbook is just… wow. Nice going, House of Marley. It’s both practical and way cool.
In case you’re wondering, the brand hails from the famous Marley pedigree of reggae “mon” Bob Marley himself. (Bob’s son, Rohan, was apparently showing this off at CES.) This audio tote is designed to stow the iPhone/iPod inside, to dock and charge it while sending your audio out the 4-inch speakers, complete with 1-inch tweeters and 36 watts of sound.
Okay, that’s what has me at hello — this is sort of like a refresh of that long ago portable, shoulder-born music player known as the boombox, but without making the user look like a doofus. And I’m just a sucker for anything even vaguely retro. (Old stuff is so fresh.)
The Roots Rock Soundbag runs on batteries, or you can use the AC adaptor. It also has a 3.5 mm cable and Aux-in jack, to pipe in music from any MP3 player or other source. The tech is reported to be long-lasting, while the bag itself is interchangeable, so if army green’s not your thing, you can choose another color. No release date is known yet, but the price is: $249.99. Ouch. Yeah, this one’s clearly only for people who take their portable audio seriously enough to possibly spend more on it than the gadget that powers it. But at least it goes to a good cause — it’s rather beast that the House of Marley is dedicated to the environment and charitable works, so consider it a guilt-free luxury.
For more on House of Marley, hit them up online, or click here to go to the Roots Rock page. (To pre-order one, hit this link.)
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