Really retro iPhone dock is all acoustic (photos)

ReAcoustic's iPhone and iPad docks rely on nothing but a wooden base and antique gramophone amplification horns, trumpet bells, and the like to pump up the sound.

Edward Moyer

Jan. 26, 2012 10:59 a.m. PT

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Ryan Boase/ReAcoustic

ReAcoustic double dock

Ryan Boase's ReAcoustic iPhone and iPad docks consist of a base of reclaimed wood and a salvaged antique amplification horn of some kind--from a gramophone, a trumpet, or perhaps even a trombone. Oh, and a long tunnel-like hole that runs from the smart-gadget's speaker to the base of the horn. That's it. It's an all-acoustic way to crank up tunes or other sound from the iDevice of choice.

With this particular double-dock, both an iPad and an iPhone can keep the gramophone horn company.

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Ryan Boase/ReAcoustic

ReAcoustic gooseneck

A "gooseneck" that originally supported a gramophone horn makes a striking sculptural statement. You can see a similarly shaped gooseneck--with horn--later in this gallery.

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Ryan Boase/ReAcoustic

ReAcoustic trumpet

This dock features the distinctive brassy bell of a trumpet. The docks are made to order, and the wooden bases can be custom-stained in various ways.

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Ryan Boase/ReAcoustic

ReAcoustic gramophone

Pair this with a porcelain Nipper, listening to his master's voice, and you're all set.

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Ryan Boase/ReAcoustic

ReAcoustic antique branding

A vintage graphic on the inside of one of the gramophone horns. Looks like this one was made in Oakland, Calif., way back in the day.

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Ryan Boase/ReAcoustic

Victorian flair (and flare)

Here you can see the "gooseneck" supporting the horn. It's the same sort of gooseneck featured in a piece shown earlier in this slideshow.

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Ryan Boase/ReAcoustic

Simple solution

A tunnel-like hole runs from the iDevice's speaker to the base of the horn. You can see that hole here. You can also see the handmade quality of the wooden base. The somewhat rough-hewn look of the actual dock may make sense with the aged gramophone horns and brass instruments used. As ReAcoustic's Boase says, "The dents and scrapes add to the charm and character of [a horn], as you can tell it's lived a full life."