Bose unveils build-it-yourself speakers for kids, with shiny lights inside

By Kris Wouk June 28, 2016

BOSEbuild Speaker Cube — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Bose is known for a lot of things, from its original home audio systems to the Bluetooth speakers and top-tier noise cancelling headphones. One thing the company hasn’t exactly been known for, however, is kid-friendly products — but that may be about to change.

On Tuesday, Bose announced its new BOSEbuild line of speakers, aimed at kids age 8 and up with the goal of getting them interested in science and engineering. This may seem a strange move for Bose, but the company says this is simply carrying on in the spirit of its founder, Dr. Amar G. Bose.

“Dr. Bose was fascinated with electric trains when he was very young,” Bose president and CEO Bob Maresca said in a statement. “He learned how they worked by taking them apart and putting them back together, and he had that same insatiable curiosity throughout his entire life. That spirit is still at the heart of Bose. And it’s a great example of what we’d like BOSEbuild to offer – fun and relatable ways for kids to make something they really want and can use for years to come, while learning about the incredible science and technology behind it.”

The first product in the new BOSEbuild line is the Speaker Cube, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Made of transparent materials and featuring glowing blue lights so kids can see inside, the speaker features Bluetooth connectivity, allowing kids to stream songs from phones or tablets once they’ve finished their build. While older kids might try their hand at building the speaker on their own, a companion app is also available, offering step-by-step instructions.

The BOSEbuild Speaker Cube is available now for $150, but you’ll want to make sure you have an iOS device on hand in order to use the companion app — Android devices aren’t supported, at least for the time being. For more information, see the new BOSEbuild website.

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Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

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