JVC floats buoyant speaker for bathtimes

If you can’t bear to be separated from your music while taking a bath, JVC may be able to help you. It’s created a speaker that’s actually designed to float alongside you while you take your daily scrub.

JVC's floating speaker

The XA-AW33-W is marketed as a "healing player", although its medicinal properties aren’t immediately visible. The dome-shaped player measures 8.7 x 12cm, and it has a faint blue light band around its edge that shines on the water’s surface as the unit out your favourite bathtime tunes.

It comes pre-installed with a selection of relaxing tunes. However, its 256MB Flash memory can hold your MP3 and WMA music files too, which can be transferred onto the player via its USB 1.1 port.

A flap on the player’s front lifts up to reveal the controls, and JVC claims the XA-AW33-W can operate in temperature ranges between 0°C and 42°C - if there’s anyone brave enough to try... It’s powered by four dry-cell batteries and also comes with a plastic stand for use, say, in the kitchen or as a bedside mini-stereo.

The player is currently available in Japan for ¥19,800 (£83/€120/$168), but no European release date or price has been announced.

Earlier this month, Register Hardware featured a futuristic-looking MP3 player, dubbed the Juketower, that’s designed to be used while you wash, but which sadly is only splashproof.