BlueTube Audio Amplifier with built-in Bluetooth

Tech By on Dec 11, 2012

Technology hasn’t made everything better. Breasts? Yes, OK, fine, breasts have gotten better. But audio quality has been going the quick & cheap route since the compressed sound of the MP3 came into fashion. The BlueTube Audio Tube Amplifier ($550) looks to reverse that trend with a finely crafted, hand-built tube amplifier that fills any room with rich sound and classic aesthetics. The 3/4″ thick walnut and cherry enclosures are hand rubbed with linseed oil, then waxed. Yeah, baby. Plus the tubes themselves produce a warm glow that surpasses the glow of even the happiest pregnant woman.

MORE: Home Audio & Speakers, Tech

v-moda VAMP

Tech By on Jul 2, 2012

Sure, go ahead and call yourself an audiophile because you have $300 headphones plugged into your iPhone; no one will believe it. That is, until you score V-MODA’s VAMP ($600), a pint-sized 150mW x 2 amplifier that turns your listening experience into a beautiful thing. VAMP is also powered by a 2200mAh battery, so it functions as a backup power source, nearly doubling the iPhone’s battery life. So even if your friends think an audiophile involves something dirty with little children, at least they’ll be able to recognize the extra juice your phone brings to the table.

MORE: Accessories, Tech