As they say, what’s old is new again. Mid-century modern design and vintage electronics have seen a rebirth in popularity over the last few years. The influence of famous designers like George Nelson of Herman Miller fame can be seen in many trends and products being released now.
Department Chicago has taken note of this trend with the new Modern HiFi Stereo Console. This current-day take on a stereo cabinet blends classic design with modern connectivity. Even better, it’s made by hand in Chicago.
The Modern HiFi Stereo Console has a classic credenza design that is supported by four legs and made from solid wood. There are two speakers, split wide on each end with a record storage compartment in the middle. It’s available in eight different combinations with walnut or maple wood and a variety of speaker finishes.
It measures 48-inches wide and 25-inches tall, so it certainly is not a small piece of furniture. There are 100W class D stereo amplifiers that power six-inch drivers and one-inch titanium tweeters. It uses RCA inputs for connecting a user-supplied turntable or other sources.
A key draw here for many is likely to be the nostalgia of a walnut stereo cabinet blended with Bluetooth connectivity. Now, we should recognize that you could easily find an old system and add a cost-effective Bluetooth adapter to it. That said, there is something to be valued about a company creating a beautiful product here in the United States. It’s not for everyone, but those with an appreciation for this type of thing will love it.
Department Chicago launched its Modern HiFi Stereo Console on Kickstarter a few days back with a goal of $20,000. Currently, a pledge of $1,695 will deliver a unit in September if all goes to plan. In the fall, it is scheduled to retail for $2,495.
In the meantime, you can get into vinyl records by shopping Amazon’s extensive collection of titles. We recommend this Audio-Technica turntable as a solid option for getting started. Pair it with a set of highly-rated Andrew Jones Bookshelf speakers and you’re all set.
More New Toy of the Day:
- Garmin goes classy with its new smartphone-connected vívomove fitness tracker
- Erato’s Apollo 7 is the latest Kickstarter project with a goal of completely wireless earbuds
- SeeNote puts your iPhone notifications and smart home controls on an e-ink display
- Leica’s latest $6,000 digital camera drops the built-in display for a throwback look
- Triby is the first non-Amazon portable Bluetooth speaker with built-in support for Alexa
Source: Kickstarter
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