Century’s new TouchAMP went on sale from 4 October.  This little box can boost your iPhone’s music player without cumbersome cables or attachments.  It also doesn’t use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which can be a drag on your device’s battery life.

All you have to do is gently lay the iPhone across the top of the box and let it do the rest while you enjoy a deeper, louder sound.

TouchAMP is said to use a new technology known as “near field audio,” which utilizes a type of radio communication the iPhone can do with other devices.  Because it uses radio waves, it’s far less complex that other wireless connections, which is good news for your battery.

On the other hand, near field communication doesn’t work beyond a few centimeters. So for it to work, you just turn on the iPhone’s music player then (in the words of Ron Popeil) set it and forget it.

It’s unclear if TouchAMP works with other smartphones but its 124x68x40mm size seems catered specifically to the iPhone.  It also comes in iPhone white and iPhone black colors with a variety of colorful sleeves.

They cost 4,980 yen (US$63) each and run on batteries or USB power.  It also has a special “alert mode” that lets it turn on and off if it detects music to save power, which might not be compatible with John Cage’s 4’33”.

The price seems a little high for what it does, but if you’re looking for more bang for your buck you can always try this out.

Source: Century via NariNari (Japanese)

▼ Even though it doesn’t need cables, there is one just in case.

▼ Also, if you’re worried your bass is too heavy, there’s some security bands!