With an aesthetic that melds Japanese and French aesthetics together, the iFi Aurora is a hi-fi speaker that literally looks like it’s levitating off the surface of the table or mantelpiece it’s kept on. The audio unit is clad in a casing made of bamboo, with slatted strips around its periphery, adding contrast while also creating what one would perceive to be the grill for the speaker’s 8 drivers. The speaker is lifted using a pyramid-shaped aluminum frame that helps demarcate Aurora’s control unit and display on the front, as well as its series of input and output ports at the back. The speaker’s semi-vintage look comes with reason. It opts for analog signal processing over digital, delivering a sound that’s grand, lossless, and well balanced. Its in-built PureEmotion amplifying technology delivers room-filling, rich audio that engages you with music in its purest, hi-definition format. The speaker comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth 5.0, but even has more than its fair share of wired cable inputs, ranging from optical and coaxial to USB and even Ethernet. There’s a 3.5mm input too, allowing you to connect your music player or smart-speaker to it, as well as SD card slot, future-proofing you for the years to come so you’re not dependent on security patches and software updates down the line. Just connect your audio device in a format of your choosing, hit play on Aurora’s remote control, and sit back and listen to rich, creamy, unaltered music. Designer: Julien Haziza for