LAS VEGAS -- Can a Bluetooth speaker be bigger on the inside? Massive Audio's TARDIS-shaped speaker will make you wonder.
Massive, which brought a full-size Dalek made of speakers to last year's CES, returned this year with some Doctor Who-themed products that you can actually buy: a pair of portable wireless speakers made to look like the TARDIS and a Dalek.
[seealso slug="doctor-who-season-8-verdict"]
The speakers work just like any other Bluetooth models, although they include a couple of extras. With the accompanying app (Android and iOS), you can network a bunch of them for full surround sound. Each has a microphone and noise-rejection circuitry for phone calls.
On the CES show floor, it was difficult to tell how well they sounded, but they're both relatively light, and the design is excellent: The scale and level of detail is so impressive, they could only have been designed by a fan.
In a nice touch, the Dalek's eye and the TARDIS lamp function as indicator LEDs for Bluetooth pairing and powering on/off. Each one also includes some fun sound effects; the Dalek can shout "Exterminate!" "Obey!" and more, while TARDIS has six show-authentic sounds (including the cloister bell -- often overlooked in TARDIS-themed toys).
The company also designed two pairs of Who-theme headphones. The show iconography is a little subtler on those, which more discerning fans will probably appreciate.
The speakers and headphones will go on sale in the late spring. The TARDIS speaker costs $120, the Dalek speaker is $150. There's a "Dalek Sec" variant (colored black) of the Dalek that's just $120. The headphones sell for $60 wired and $120 wireless.
Massive also upgraded its life-size Dalek with a ton of authentic Doctor Who sounds and the ability to move via remote control. Show-goers were appropriately terrified.
BONUS: Dr. Who in 10 seconds
[nggallery id=20465]