Slovenian Company Crowdfunds Wooden Smartphone Amplifier

It's no secret that, for all their processing power and technological wizardry, smartphones kind of suck when it comes to native amplification. Sure, with a good pair of headphones or speakers, you can definitely make your device sing at volumes its built-ins only dream about, but users aren't always going to have a power outlet handy or want to limit the output through a set of earbuds.

That's where Slovenian company Tok Tok and their freshly crowdfunded new product Trobla — a wooden amplifier designed for use with smart devices — come in, having developed a powerless, tech-less, all-natural alternative for people looking to get that little bit extra out of their pocket computers.

The Trobla amp, which is available in both oak and walnut finishes, was fully funded within days of its posting on 7 April, now sitting at more than two times as much money as needed to get the project off the ground, with 397 backers raising $28,958 — or $18,958 in excess of its original goal of $10,000 — between the campaign's commencement and the time of writing, with an astonishing 24 days still to go on donations.

"In this day of e-waste and fast consumption, smartphones are a common reality, and while the thought of ridding ourselves completely of all hard-to-recycle gadgets is not realistic, the way in which we use these products is," the Trobla's creators wrote on the amplifier's Kickstarter page.

"We use our smartphones to play music, yet we find it frustrating that their tiny speakers are not strong enough to set any sort of atmosphere. We like to work with wood, so we set ourselves the challenge of creating an amplifier that doesn't require a single electronic component.

"We have developed a product whose function lies in its simplicity and sustainability. With no complex technology involved, all emphasis is centered on quality sound. And you don't need an app for that."

Trobla's page is decorated with pictures of the handsome little helper in action, and explains that it draws its name from the Slovenian word for "horn", because Tok Tok wants "to orchestrate the best sound a horn can produce".

"The secret lies in getting it to come out as smooth as possible from your smartphone through the amp," Tok Tok wrote. "We used a cone to keep tones sharp and created a special chamber to enhance the stereophony and low frequencies."

Take a look at the video and pictures below to find out more about the Trobla powerless smartphone amp.

Trobla will be compatible with all iPhone models; Samsung Galaxy Alpha, S6 and S6 Edge; Nexus 5; Sony Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 Compact and Xperia M2 Aqua; and Cyanogen OnePlus One phones. The amp is estimated to be delivered to its backers this June.

Wider release details are not yet available, so if this strikes your fancy, you might want to consider swinging a few bucks towards the cause to ensure you're in line when it drops later this year.