Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2010

This column doesn’t normally stray into the realm of high-end products—we tried once, but the guy on the door told us not to come back until we’d had a proper haircut. Still, we’ll make an exception for these wireless speakers from prolific French product designer Philippe Starck, which make the Bose Wave look like a freebie clock-radio in comparison. Designed to radiate sound 360 degrees, the Zikmu comes with a dock for iPhones or iPods, and can also stream music from PCs. Sure, a couple of hundred thousand yen is a lot to drop on Darth Vader’s hi-fi, but if you plan on spending a lot of time at home during the coming year (or three), it might be a worthwhile investment.

Zikmu Parrot, ¥189,000. Available at Bals Tokyo Ginza, Bals Tokyo Roppongi, The Conran Shop and other select retailers. www.parrot.com/parrotbystarck