Eyes On: The Delightfully Retro Samsung DA-E75 Speaker Dock

There’s just something about the Samsung DA-E750 that makes me want to own one immediately. Maybe it’s the fact that it plays just as well with Apple products as it does with Samsung’s own Galaxy devices, or it could have to do with the old-school wood design and its use of a vacuum tube amplifier.

We’ve covered the DA-E750 before, but actually getting the chance to see one in person here at Pepcom’s Digital Experience event only seems to have intensified that sense of gadget lust. It looks so little like anything else Samsung has trotted out today that I almost want to buy on principle — with plastic and glass and metal making up so many of the things that we use on a daily basis, it’s sort of refreshing to see a huge company like Samsung push out something like this.

Of course, it’s hard not to see it for what it is — a pretty brilliant marketing ploy. The wood finish adds nothing tangible to the speaker dock, and it’s pretty much tailor-made to appeal to retro-aficionados who yearn for the days of wood-grain everything. Still, it stands in stark visual contrast to other devices in its class, and that extra bit of wow that the DA-E375 sports could definitely it help it pick up traction among wannabe audiophiles.