"they fully charge in just 5 minutes and last between 4 to 8 hours per charge. Read more: http://theawesomer.com/blueshift-speakers-2014-lineup/295641/#ixzz3oNyr0NA7 Follow us: @technabob on Twitter | technabob on Facebook"

"When you factor charging versus playback, Hydrogen might be the best deal in portable audio."

"the Hydrogen speaker will be able to charge in just 5 minutes and will last for 4 hours"

Blueshift speakers charge in five minutes.

Simple, beautiful devices - built to last in Portland, Oregon.

Today, we’re launching Hydrogen, our brand-new Bluetooth speaker. It charges fully in 5 minutes – so it’s always ready to go, wherever you go. It looks and sounds awesome. And because it’s powered by supercapacitors, it can be recharged up to a half million times without wearing out.

We’ve also redesigned our original Helium speakers. We’re really excited that now, we’re able to pair two speakers via Bluetooth - you can have beautiful stereo sound at home, and a killer portable system everywhere else. We also responded to customer feedback and added a volume control, while still simplifying the control layout. Our products are built around simplicity. They’re designed to just work, every time, for decades.

Open hardware. Built to last in Portland, Ore. Available for pre-order now at Crowd Supply.

Introducing Hydrogen

Product Specifications

Charges in 5 minutes

Can play more than 4 hours at 80% volume

3” full-range driver

Ported bamboo cabinet, made in Oregon

Class-D amplifier

Rated lifetime: 500,000 charges

Includes Bluetooth A2DP and 1/8” wired inputs, 1/8” cable, wall charger

9” x 8” x 4”, 4lbs

About Supercapacitors

Batteries store energy chemically.

Supercapacitors store energy physically, in an electric field.

This allows supercapacitors to be charged very quickly, and to be extremely durable - the ones we use are rated for 500,000 recharges.

They remain much more expensive and much bulkier than batteries, but are improving rapidly.

Blueshift design philosophy

Blueshift products are built to last a really, really long time.

Every component, including the supercapacitor bank, can be replaced or upgraded easily. And because all of our products are open hardware, the resources to keep your speaker working are available to the public. All of the files that go into our electronics design are online now, to use in improving our products or inventing your own.

We designed our products so we can build them in small batches. There are no plastic parts, so there is no tooling to build - all of our custom parts are made here in Oregon. The electronics are assembled in the USA. And final assembly happens in our shop in Portland.

We’re really excited about the technology in our products, but we know that ultimately, what matters is the experience. Supercapacitors are just a tool - they let us build devices that work the way we want them to work.

New Products

Hydrogen ($300-$330)

Our new, super-portable Bluetooth speaker. If you’re looking for a speaker to take with you literally everywhere, Hydrogen is the way to go. It charges fully in 5 minutes, and sounds great. Connects to your smartphone or any other Bluetooth-compatible device. The Hydrogen will retail for $400.

Specifications:

Charges in 5 minutes

Can play more than 4 hours at 80% volume

3” full-range driver

Ported bamboo cabinet, made in Oregon

Class-D amplifier

Rated lifetime: 500,000 charges

Includes Bluetooth A2DP and 1/8” wired inputs, 1/8” cable, wall charger

9” x 8” x 4”, 4lbs

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Iron Subwoofer (no longer available)

Iron is our brand new subwoofer. Adds sub-100Hz bass to any of our systems while you’re at home. Compatible with Hydrogen, Helium, and Wireless Pair speakers. Must be paired with your Helium, Hydrogen or Argon speaker at our factory for Bluetooth operation. The Iron Subwoofer will retail for $500.

Specifications:

8” driver

Ported bamboo cabinet, made in Oregon

50W Class-D amplifier

Configurable as down-firing or front-firing

Includes Bluetooth and 1/8” wired inputs, 1/8” cable, wall charger

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Preamp (no longer available)

Our new preamp allows you to use a guitar or turntable as an input for any Helium or Hydrogen speaker. Adjustable gain for use with most electric guitars and most MM cartridges. The Preamp will retail for $240.

Specifications:

Bamboo enclosure, made in Oregon

1/4” and phono inputs

1/8” wired output

Includes wall adapter, 1/8” cable

Wireless Stereo Pair: Helium Mono + Home Speaker ($780)

Our brand-new Wireless Stereo Pair is the modular sound system we’ve been dreaming about since we first started building speakers. The system includes one Helium Mono speaker and one paired home speaker. When they’re in range, the two pair automatically over Bluetooth, routing one channel to each speaker. Separately, they’re both fully functional mono speakers (each plays mixed-down mono, not just half of the song). It’s the best of both worlds – beautiful stereo sound at home, beautiful mono sound on the road. The Wireless Stereo Pair will retail for $1,000.

Specifications:

Helium Mono

Charges in 5 minutes

Can play more than 6 hours at 80% volume

Rated lifetime: 500,000 charges

Home speaker: stays plugged in

Both speakers:

4” full-range drivers

Class-D amplifiers

Ported bamboo cabinet, made in Oregon

Include Bluetooth A2DP and 1/8” wired inputs, 1/8” cables, wall chargers

Each 12” x 9” x 5”, 6.5lbs

Helium Mono ($440)

The Helium Mono is the perfect hi-fi speaker for your living room, your porch, and your next camping trip. Killer sound built on a Fostex FE126En 4” full-range driver – loud enough for a small dance party, clear enough for careful listening. Connects to your smartphone or any other Bluetooth-compatible device. The Helium Mono will retail for $550.

Specifications:

Charges in 5 minutes

Can play more than 6 hours at 80% volume

4” full-range driver

Ported bamboo cabinet, made in Oregon

Class-D amplifier

Rated lifetime: 500,000 charges

Includes Bluetooth A2DP and 1/8” wired inputs, 1/8” cable, wall charger

12” x 9” x 5”, 6.5lbs

Helium Stereo ($550)

The Helium Stereo is a hi-fi boombox from the future. It sounds great, it faithfully reproduces your music in stereo, and it gets super loud. If you’re looking for a speaker for backyard parties, marathon glamping expeditions, and picking out new details in your favorite recordings, the Helium Stereo is what you want. Matched Fostex FE126En 4” full-range drivers. Connects to your smartphone or any other Bluetooth-compatible device. The Helium Stereo will retail for $700.

Specifications:

Charges in 5 minutes

Can play more than 7 hours at 80% volume

4” full-range driver

Ported bamboo cabinet, made in Oregon

2 x Class-D amplifiers

Rated lifetime: 500,000 charges

Includes Bluetooth A2DP and 1/8” wired inputs, 1/8” cable, wall charger

18” x 11” x 6”, 11lbs

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The Blueshift Family ($1,580)

The Blueshift Family Pack includes the Wireless Pair, a Hydrogen, the Iron Subwoofer, and a preamp. This combo pack will retail for $2,140.

Argon ($3,500)

Limited edition of 5 systems

Argon takes the technology from our Helium and Hydrogen speakers to its logical limit.

Using audiophile-grade Lowther DX55 drivers, we will build a numbered, limited edition of 5 wireless stereo systems. Each speaker is capable of fully wireless operation, and can play for more than 8 hours on a 5 minute charge. Use them separately in mono or as a stereo pair.

Specifications:

Charges in 5 minutes

Can play more than 8 hours at 80% volume

Lowther DX55 5” full-range drivers

Custom leather handles

Ported bamboo cabinets, made in Oregon

2 x Class-D amplifier

Rated lifetime: 500,000 charges

Includes Bluetooth A2DP and 1/8” wired inputs, 1/8” cables, wall chargers

About Blueshift

Blueshift builds simple, durable consumer electronics in Portland, Oregon.

Sam Beck is Blueshift’s founder. He majored in visual art at Columbia University, with a concentration in mathematics. In 2010, he built a speaker for his bicycle that was powered by a dynamo hub. It used capacitors for backup power, so the speaker wouldn’t cut out at stoplights. The speaker played for a long time. Blueshift evolved from that idea.