Kohler has brought a whole new meaning to “streaming audio.â€
The company, which makes bathroom fixtures, has introduced a shower head with a built-in wireless speaker system called the Moxie.
Although it might seem simple to put a speaker in a shower head, there were a number of design challenges. The speaker displaces a lot of spray nozzles, and Kohler had to maintain a 2.5-gallon-a-minute water flow through a normal-size shower head. It accomplished the task by carefully sizing and re-aiming nozzles to provide a good dousing.
Kohler also had to ensure that the small speaker and amplifier could e removed for charging. It used a strong magnet to mount the cone-shaped module so it can be plucked easily from the shower head.
The shower head itself, which lists for $200, is plastic with a silicone face to make it easier to remove calcium deposits. The mounting hardware is chromed brass. The company says to expect up to seven hours of play time, but you will want to turn the speaker off when it is not in use. There is a surface mounted button for that purpose.
In a test, the shower head provided a strong, steady stream, and the sound quality was good for such a tiny speaker in a poor acoustical environment. Those hard tile surfaces create an echo, which improves the sound of your singing in the shower but degrades the music.
