‘Strayaaa Day. It’s a time for family. It’s a time for mates. For sinking tinnies and – for some – punching out darts. For others, it’s an excuse for over indulgence and an ultimately regrettable punch on. Back on the gentler side of the street, it’s a time for backyard cricket or a picnic. It’s an opportunity to watch the Australian Open, either live or on TV. For the more progressive local, it’s a time to debate whether Australia Day should exist at all; to protest in the streets, to refuse to celebrate or to simply dismiss it as Invasion Day. For all walks of life though, it’s almost certainly time to thrown another prawn on the barbie and open up another cold one. You beaut.
Whatever your take on the Australia’s favourite summer public holiday, it’s a day that brings folk together. The soundtrack more often than not Triple J’s Hottest 100, as voted for by the good old Aussie public (or anyone else with access to the Internet and a geoblocker). And the Hottest 100 means controversy and – therefore – expletives lobbed aimlessly at the radio. And what of that radio? In this digital streaming age, it’s probably not of the FM persuasion. Is it some piss-ant Bluetooth thing that chirps from the corner of the room? Or laptop speakers? Word to the wise: friends don’t let friends listen to laptop speakers.
One year, I attended a Hottest 100 party where the music was pumped through a fist-sized speaker dangled from a Hills Hoist. You know what’s louder than a fist-sized speaker dangled from a Hills Hoist? EVERYTHING. Even the shuffle of feet. If you experienced such horrors this Australia day, your mate might be in need of some generosity. Like a new pair of speakers that do old fashioned things like stereo. And bass. And imaging. And all the things audiophiles care about.
How about a FREE pair of Bluetooth-ready loudspeakers that look the business and sound just as good. No charge. No dollars down. Nothing. Thanks to the top blokes at Audioengine we’ve got a pair of their HD6 loudspeakers (review here) to give away to one lucky punter. Fair dinkum. I’m pretty sure this pair come in Walnut (as per the pictures) but without breaking the seal on the box I can’t know for certain. These speakers are all packaged up and ready to roll with AusPost.
From the Audioengine website: “Our flagship HD6 powered speaker system represents a major milestone for Audioengine and shows just how far we’ve come in 10 years. Featuring built-in amplifiers that really pack a punch as well as analog and digital inputs including aptX® Bluetooth® and optical, the HD6 is not just another great-sounding pair of Audioengine powered speakers, but a complete audio system. Easy to set up, simple to use, and designed for the way people listen to music today.”
‘Cept you can’t win them for yourself – you must nominate someone else. Perhaps it’s your mate who subjected you to the Hottest 100 through the speakers on his smartphone? Or maybe it’s just yr Mum. Whoever your intended beneficiary, simply let us know who and why in the comments section below. Best nomination wins.
Rules of engagement. The winner will be chosen by myself after consultation with team Audioengine in the USA. Our collective decision is final. If you hadn’t worked it out by now, this competition is open to AUSTRALIA ONLY. And because it’s down under, I’m obliged to mention that there’s no cash substitute on offer here. More than that, the winning party – your nominee, not you (ya drongo) – must live in Queensland, New South Wales or Victoria. Please, no bleating from SA, WA, NT or TAS that you’re excluded. Whingeing – it’s unAustralian. What are you, a bloody pom?
Lastly, ensure you provide a working email address when making your submission.
Entries close after Home and Away wraps on Tuesday 9th February. Youse gots two weeks. Get moving.
ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED and the winner contacted. Congratulations to Will F. of Westmead, NSW.
Further information: Audioengine USA