Philips new audio gear brings back the bright bold colors of the ‘80s

Not even electronics were able to escape the dominant ‘80s aesthetic of garishly bright colors. Both Sony and Philips offered devices wrapped in yellow plastic during that era, but Philips has decided to bring its hardware back as part of a new Moving Sound collection celebrating 100 years of the company making audio gear, as spotted by What Hi-Fi?.

The collection includes two wireless speakers that both feature Bluetooth 5.5 with Auracast support, an IP67 rating so they can survive the occasional short dunking, 24 hours of battery life, neon colored buttons, and multicolored LED lighting. Cassette tape functionality hasn’t been carried forward from Philips’ original ‘80s Moving Sound devices, but both speakers have color LCD screens displaying a stylized animation of spinning cassette reels, and other playback details.

The larger of the two speakers, the €349.99 (around $403) Tube, has 140W of power coming from two 5-inch woofers, two 1.5-inch tweeters, and a pair of passive radiators to further boost bass performance. The smaller €179.99 Roller speaker (around $207) offers less than half the power at 60W coming from two woofers, two tweeters, and two passive radiators, but is also smaller and more portable.

There are also two pairs of wireless headphones included in the Moving Sound collection. The €34.99 (around $40) Ringo Duo are a pair of lightweight on-ear headphones reminiscent of what used to be bundled with portable cassette players. They’ve got a retro bare metal headband but earcups featuring 40mm drivers, Bluetooth or USB-C connectivity, swappable ear cushions, and up to 26 hours of battery life.

For those desiring retro styling with modern convenience, Philips’ €79.99 (around $92) Buds are wireless earbuds featuring six microphones used for both ANC and accurately capturing your voice during a phone call. Battery life is rated at up to 42 hours with ANC turned off when the earbuds are occasionally docked in a chunky charging case featuring an animated display on top.