The Beat Goes On
Just when it appeared that the Beats Pill+ portable speaker was gone for good, Beats has revealed that it will be bringing back the popular portable speaker — this time in collaboration with streetwear brand, Stüssy.
American rapper and audio entrepreneur Dr. Dre has worked with several powerhouse names to create a number of special-edition speakers and headphone sets for Beats since the brand’s inception in 2015, including Balmain, Fendi, graffiti artist Barry McGee, A-Cold-Wall, Fragment Design and many others.
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True fans of the brand know that Beats quietly let these speakers slip from its catalogue of products in January 2022, and hasn’t made any moves so far to replace them with a new Pill model or another portable speaker. And while many are still hopeful for future releases, the limited-edition Stüssy model is the only option at the moment.
Maintaining its overall shape and signature form, this version features Stüssy’s signature logo on the back, an all-black body and the classic bones artwork plastered all over the speaker grille, alongside the phrase “The only good system is a sound system.” The skull and bones motif used on the limited-edition Beats Pill+ was a mainstay of skater culture during the ’80s and ’90s, with brands like Powell Peralta, Skull Skates and Santa Cruz all using variations on the theme. Other key features of this model include bluetooth connectivity for pair and play, a 12-hour rechargeable battery, a built-in speakerphone and the ability to charge phones and other devices.
The speaker is available for purchase now exclusively at Stüssy’s e-commerce sites in the U.S. ($185), Canada (255 Canadian dollars), U.K. (185 pounds), The Netherlands (205 euros), South Korea (230,000 won) and Japan (21,500 yen).
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