New speaker comes with a holographic display

Exciting projects can always be found on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter - in recent weeks, for instance, a portable wind turbine or a physically growing Tamagotchi. Now, Holix has been introduced. Behind this name hides a speaker with a 3D holographic display intended to make music visible - or so the project founders promise.

Specifications, Price & Availability

Built into the device are a 15-watt omnidirectional speaker, an NFC chip for transferring various data, Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless playback, as well as ports for Micro-SD cards or USB sticks. The most important feature, however, is likely the holographic display, which is generated by two rotating LED strips. The hologram is visible even without special 3D glasses, but it does not appear particularly bright in the shown demos during daylight. Additionally, the build quality of the device looks somewhat cheap in the promotional images.

Anyone who is still interested in the device cannot currently purchase it through a traditional online store, but only by backing the Kickstarter campaign. As is usual with crowdfunding, this comes with a certain degree of risk: theoretically, anything is possible, from altered specifications to a complete failure to deliver. As part of the "Super Early Bird" deals, one device costs $79.

Furthermore, the idea is certainly not entirely new: Anyone searching for the keywords "speaker" and "hologram" will quickly come across other devices that share major similarities with the model shown on Kickstarter, not only in terms of functionality but also visually. For example, the "5D Holographic Speaker" is offered on Amazon for a price of around $90 - without any crowdfunding risk. Those who can live with somewhat stripped-down specs (such as a slightly less powerful speaker and a lack of NFC functionality) will find a visually similarly (un)appealing device here.