As much as they might want to, parents can’t keep their children at home all the time. Eventually, they grow up and start experiencing the world as adults — a state in which they’re likely to forget their ‘rents words of wisdom. That’s what the Sound Advice Project is allegedly for, to transform your mom reminding you not to take drugs or pick up some milk into a plastic bracelet. But like our friends at Gizmodo, we say that tangible sound waves make a nice anniversary gift. If you said, “Let’s do that freaky thing you like,” is anyone going to stop you? No. But on second thought, since this is a project from parents to their kids, the FBI might.

via Gizmodo

When an aeronoautical engineer puts his mind to work on a speaker system, the finished product is no less than an audiophile’s wet dream. Danish designer Paul Schenkel, through his Davone project, brings us floor speakers that produce sound so refined it takes a master’s degree in acoustics to understand the ear pleasure you’re experiencing. While the RITHM speakers were the talk of CES 2009 for their performance, that’s not the only punch they pack. RITHMs appear outlandish and futuristic–yet warm–in their wooden exterior. This isn’t just a sound system, it’s architecture.

Throughout our childhood countless cassette decks and stereo components came and went from our lives. We imagine the majority of them, now somewhat useless, are piled up in some heap at the local landfill. However, since catching a glimpse of Moses Nornberg’s “Soundboard” installation in the latest issue of ReadyMade, we’ve begun to hold out hope that our trusty tape players and transmitters have found a better home. Nornberg’s super stereophonic masterpiece features 180 nearly ancient stereo’s from the 1950’s to the 1970’s piled high in arresting fashion, proving that while old technologies may fade, art always finds a way to rescue that which is obsolete. “Soundboard” isn’t the only sonic wonder that Nornberg has created. The St. Louis-based artist’s creation is part of a larger collection of works entitled “The Audiophile Series” consisting of extra large, over-the top sound systems comprised of everything from turntables to trucks.

Via Unplggd

If you’re a fool for your audio gear, you probably feel entangled in wires. That jungle of insulated black and gray is slowly being diminished by wireless options for any sound system. Parrot wireless speakers utilizes WiFi and Bluetooth technology, allowing you to set up your Philippe Starck-designed speakers anywhere in the room and stay in control of the music from your computer, iPod, or any Bluetooth enabled source.

iSkin Brazil: Read JS Review | Buy It ($8)
Instead of choosing from the same old selection of iPhone cases, check out these mini pieces of artwork. Chances are it’ll be the most international thing in that stocking.

Coosh Headphones: Read JS Review | Buy It ($20)
These will be good for anyone who’s still rocking the headphones that came with their MP3 player. Best of both worlds: Ear-cup sound quality, ear-bug comfort.

Victoria EVO: Read JS Review | Buy It (Around $5400)
These speakers are hand-crafted, don’t require a sub, and (most importantly) pack killer sound quality. Just the way they look will make any audiophile faint upon unwrapping.

Samsung YP-P2JCB P2 8 GB Touchscreen Bluetooth Portable Media Player: Buy It ($180)
I’m sure you know someone like me who refuses to use an iPod. Whether it’s for technical reasons or just plain wanting to be different, Samsung MP3 gear is the best alternative out there, and this new one lacks nothing.

KRK RP5 G2 Monitors: Buy It ($150)
After extensive research and testing I bought a pair of the previous model of these monitors. They are the best piece of music gear I have ever owned. Then these new and improved ones came out. If your gift recipient works with sound, these are sure to please. (Note: These are the smallest of several sizes in this series)

Rane Serato Scratch Live: Buy It ($570)
I’m a vinyl loving DJ and I still lug my crates around. I’m waiting for someone to gift me this and change my life. Get it for someone who still uses records, even if they say they would never abandon their collection.

Korg Mini Kaoss Pad: Buy It ($150)
The price is just right on this fun little effects box for anyone who screws around with sound, whether they are serious or just want to record a trippy voicemail greeting.

Everyone needs a good set of headphones. While Apple may talk up the standard iPod headphones, don’t believe them — they’re crap. If you live in any kind of urban area, you know how loud you have to turn up your iPod just to hear the song. Doing that for a couple years and we are talking hearing loss. I noticed this myself. Then the nice people at Atomic Floyd came along and released the AirJax headphones. I’ve used a few high-end head phones for the sake of avoiding hearing loss, noise canceling, etc. It was an improvement. But on the first listen with the Atomic Floyd I understood why they come with a £120 price tag. The AirJax headphones are made from special temperature treated AcousticSteel and Titanium2. Without going into the molecular structure of the headphones, let me just say they sound good. Damn good. Easily the best headphones I’ve ever used. One thing though: I use an iPhone and these are headphones only, i.e. no built in mic or play/pause button. I admit I do miss these features for my iPhone, but my ears feel so much better listening to music at half volume or less walking down the street. The Atomic AirJax headphones drop a full set of headphones in the U.K. in early December, just in time for Christmas. Check out their website for full sound specs and some nice beeps and bops.

Say your co-workers or significant others are a bit exhausted hearing you talk about moral hangups and problems. They'd like you to pontificate … well … anywhere else. They can thank Bay Area documentarian Chip Rees for putting your quandaries to use with The Dilemmas Project, an audio collection covering the problems people face in everyday life. It’s easy to upload your stories and generate a dialogue about the issues you're concerned about. The collection is starting as an audio platform, but could move to illustrated, written, and, of course, apparel form. Witness The Way We Live, the company behind the project, has the philosophy that we become better people by listening to one another. Electronic Arts, Ray Ban, and other companies have taken the filmmakers up on their invitation to listen to people's predicaments — a great example of multimedia storytelling as a compelling model for bringing consumers to the table.

Normally when we crank up our stereo to eleven, it’s our precious glass windows and not our eardrums that we worry about shattering. However, since we took a gander at the Victoria EVO, the new flagship clear-glass loudspeaker from Waterfall Audio, we’ve began to rethink our stance on the durability of glass and our of eardrums when it comes to withstanding blasts of anthemic rock ‘n’ roll. Named for Victoria Falls in Africa, one of the eight natural wonders of the world, these eye catching 40″x 10″ towers of cascading sound are individually hand crafted and designed with sophisticated glass-cutting machinery, that when coupled with Waterfall’s exclusive glass-fabrication technique turn these sonic skyscrapers into nearly invisible towers of audible power. However, these speakers don’t get by on just looks alone, the Victoria EVO can perfectly reproduce the entire frequency range without the assistance of a subwoofer. So if you’re in the market for a speaker that’s looks as dynamic as it sounds…look no further, though if you look past it it’s probably because it blends in so well with everything else.

Graffiti artists are not exactly popular in the context of the civilized society– many view them as cost creators rather than benefit providers. In recent years, however, many have gained recognition as both talented artists and astute strategists of information dissemination. Felix Beck went a step further, and transformed the graffiti medium from visual into audio with his Soundbombs project. Soundbombs are not exactly technologically advanced (you could probably find all the parts at RadioShack), but the message is the power behind Soundbombs. With a pre-recorded message working in concert with the unit’s motion sensor, Soundbombs make it possible to tag locations ‘in an acoustic form.’ Felix Beck’s goal: to draw attention to street art by using audio — rather than visual — means. According to Felix: ‘Sound jars people into awareness of their surroundings.’ You can apply (that’s right, apply) for a Soundbomb here.
Via Wired

My gut tells me these Panasonic Retro Piano Painted Headphones don’t sound nearly as good as they look (okay, we’re snobs)– they’re no Grado RS1’s (they cost about $600 less), but they sure do look nice, so we think they’d do just fine with our iPod nano. Large and comfy looking with a leather style headband and over the ear design– great colourway options, looks like an excellent gift for you or your loved one at only $60 from AudioCubes. Via Uncrate

When it comes to music, most of us now deal solely with digital-only formats: mp3, mp4, wav, acc, and the like (CD’s are even becoming obsolete), but the people at Experimental Jetset do not want all of the old music formats to be forever-forgotton. That’s why they formed the Lost Formats Preservation Society in the year 2000. The Society currently houses 64 formats– mini disc, cassette tape, 4 track, SyJet, VecTrex, Travan, and the list goes on. I have to admit, I had never heard of 90% of these formats; that’s probably why it was so fun for me peruse the list. Which music format will bring the list up to 65? I am interested in your (our readers’) ideas.

Via thetripwire

A gorgeous (and affordable) looking computer speaker setup called Sonicum from none other than the quickly-becoming-my-favorite Russian design group Art Lebdev. Sleek, slick, black and easy on the eyes, sticker price of $125– slated for release in in April of ‘07.

The Cable Yo Yo made it into my all time must have–to make your life easier tech equipment list– almost instantly. The latest piece from BlueLounge design in Pasadena California, the Yo Yo Pop, isn’t far behind. It’s funny how we carry around our futuristic teeny-tiny iPod nano’s but still have to deal with knotted cable wires from our headphones. This doesn’t solve it entirely, but it sure does make it easier. The Yo Yo Pop sticks to the back of any iPod (or phone) with a suction cup and turns into a belt clip or clip to hold your earphone cables. It also has 10 different interchangeable stickers to customize with–a little bit cheesy but a fun idea for simple customization.

I’ve had my eye on Odeo for a while–slowly watching as they make power moves in the online audio market. If you’re unfamiliar, check them out! A few of their newest features are quite remarkable. You can call a dedicated Odeo phone number and leave a voicemail message which is instantly converted to MP3 and saved on the web. You can also syndicate this to a list of subscribers so they receive them almost instantly. Imagine using this to audio-cast from a concert, a meeting, or even just walking down the street with something you wanted to tell your friends. Another fascinating feature is “Send an Odeo”, an easy way to send audio messages to people over the web in seconds. Mark my word, these guys are changing the landscape of audio content on the internet for good.

The Macally mTUNE (available in late November/Early December) allows you to turn your iPod nano into a cordless MP3 Headset. It’s a great idea, but with headphones to me it all comes down to how do they sound, and how comfortable are they? At 49.95 MSRP I’m skeptical of the sound quality, but the idea is very nice. I’m picky with my headphones, could someone do a Bose Quiet Comfort 2 version?

Via Product Dose