Thodio A-Box Converts 1950s Ammoboxes Into Expensive iPod Boomboxes

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Even military geeks use iPods too.  After all, how else are they supposed to listen to battle hymns and soundtracks from their favorite war movies?  Now, they can have an MP3 speaker to match that fascination with war memorabilia in the form of the Thodio A-Box, which bundles high-end audio electronics inside an authentic 1950s military ammobox.

No crappy plastic cases painted with camouflage here.  These are real-deal, vintage ammoboxes made from 1mm steel plates and fortified from the inside with 6mm trespa, each of which supposedly came straight from the military (according to Thodio).   Manufactured back in the 50s, the fact that the bulletproof boxes remain usable now should prove a testament to their durability.

The A-Box uses audio components that are exactly the same as the company’s iBox, a luxury iPod speaker that retails for a hefty chunk of cash.  It comes in two models, light and heavy, which weigh 6.4 ad 6.9 kilos respectively.  The former packs two 25-watt rms amplifiers and woven glass fiber speakers, while the latter upgrades the amps to two 70-watt units and the speakers to woven kevlar.   Both are housed within a similar 30 x 15.5 x 19.5 cm (L x W x H) ammo cases.

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Each model gets battery indicator LEDs in the bass tube, which changes from white to orange to red, depending on how much power you have remaining.  The heavy model gets extra indicators behind the speakers, which warn when the distortion is driven too loud.  The insides are lined with vibration-dampening materials to ensure good sound despite the steel construction.

If you’ve ever wanted for a durable and stylish outdoor iPod speaker, I think the Thodio A-Box is as good as I’ve ever seen.  As an extra bonus, you can plug in your music player either outside or inside the box.   When docked inside, all that bulletproof metal should ably act as extra protection for your gadget too.  The light model costs 350 Euros, while the heavier one retails for 475 Euros.

[Thodio via Retro Thing]