Milan 08: American lifestyle brand Charles & Marie presented Phonofone II, a ceramic iPod loudspeaker designed by Tristan Zimmermann, in Milan last month.

The horn-shaped product amplifies sound from the earphones of a personal music player without the use of electricity.

Zimmermann's design has been put into production by Charles & Marie, including a limited edition of 200 in black ceramic (the one shown here is in white ceramic, obviously).

Here's some text from Charles & Marie:

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Designed by Canadian designer Tristan Zimmermann, the Phonofone is a ceramic amplification system for your iPod.

The design harkens back to the antique gramophone and phonograph, and works similarly. A beautiful reinterpretation of the past, the Phonofone may be the heirloom keepsake of early 19th century technology. Simply hook up your ear phones and the Phonofone uses passive horn acoustics to amplify sound, boosting the audio output of standard earphones up to 55 decibles* (roughly the maximum volume of a laptop speaker, but without the annoying static tinkling).

All ceramic, the Phonofone takes advantage of the material's "rigid and resonant" qualities in its application of producing sound. It needs no external power source or batteries to operate.

Tristan's idea is simple: it is about music appreciation. The Phonogram was the first device for recording and playing sound, the Phonofone is the first device to bring an elegant form to the marriage of old and new technology.

The Phonofone will transform your listening experience, reinterpreting your music library into a warm, rich, lullaby to the ears.

Made of glazed white ceramic
Dimensions: 11“x9.5“x20“ (28x25x51 cm)