Female-Facing Audio Brand Stellé Outfits Latest Speaker Line With Alexa Voice Control

Design-centric, female-focused brand stellé audio bowed a line of smart speakers it calls “pillars” with Amazon Alexa voice control. The pillars are a “fusion of design and sound quality,” said stellé CEO Anna Perelman at the embargoed launch in New York last week. Drivers of the Alexa add-on to the stellé line are ease of use and the emergence of voice control as the “wave of the future,” she told us. On whether the company is looking at other voice control engines, Perelman cited Alexa’s 76 percent market share, and its compatibility with Cortana, before saying, “Never say never” regarding Google Assistant. Currently, there are no Alexa skills for stellé speakers, but Perelman referenced the 25,000 Alexa skills that are accessible through the speakers. Finishes for the pillars are high-gloss white, bronze, pewter, matte black and ebony wood in what Perelman said is a “form meets function” product lineup. “The technology is behind the scenes” in keeping with the company’s design philosophy, she said. Connectivity options include Bluetooth and stellé’s multi-unit networking that enables users to connect multiple stellé smart pillars via Wi-Fi or stellé’s standalone network when Wi-Fi isn't available, said the company. The speakers' Proactive Detection feature delivers notifications if a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is activated, it said. Life for the rechargeable battery is given as 15 hours. The $299 pillars will be available from stelleaudio.com, Amazon and Neiman Marcus in November, and the luxury retailer also will sell two exclusive wood finishes: ash and wenge, at $299. Stellé’s premium line of pillar designs adds Swarovski crystals, starting at $2,000, and will be available through the company website.