Delivering great audio in ultra-thin bodies is one of the main challenges that tablets and smartphones manufacturers are facing, and, although the iPad provides a relatively good sound quality, it is not sufficient when it comes to listening to music or watching a video without using headphones.

ORA is solving this problem beautifully by integrating eight front-facing speakers in a well crafted case that features a thin cover which can be folded into a stand. The cleverly-designed rugged enclosure includes its own battery, so the iPad is not drained when using the additional speakers for up to 10 hours. The brilliant idea about the ORA speaker case is that it does not need a separate power adapter. It charges simultaneously with the iPad using the regular Apple charger.

According to SHIFT and INDUSTRY, the companies behind ORA, the high quality audio system delivers five times the sound volume compared to the iPad’s standard speaker.

Thanks to SHIFT, we were able to get our hands on the ORA prototype before the launch of the Kickstarter campaign that aims at raising $450,000 to aid in manufacturing and engineering costs for an initial production run. The early Kickstarter backers of this project can receive their ORA starting with a $99 pledge, according to the press release. Follow this link to back ORA on Kickstarter.

We were impressed by the powerful sound and the build quality of this compact speaker case when Steven Nersesian, Director of Mechanical Design and Michael Carnes, Director of Audio Development, demoed the device to us. Check the video demos below that show an overview of the design, and the audio properties.


Technical specifications

  • Eight speakers that deliver more than five times the loudness of the iPad
  • Digital Signal Processor
  • 16 Watt peak power
  • Compatible with iPad 2 and iPad 3
  • Integrated rechargeable Li-Ion battery for up to 10 hours of play time
  • Standard iPad 30-pin connector
  • Private listening with 3.5mm headphone jack

Filed in Apple >Audio >Breaking >Tablets. Read more about and .

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