Libratone isn't a household name yet, but the 30-person Danish company with its roots in acclaimed Steinway Lyngdorf audio is hoping to change the face of portable speakers, literally. Having grown from just ten employees at the introduction of its cashmere-adorned Lounge and Live AirPlay speakers in 2011, the company is back with a new Zipp portable speaker, targeting a well-heeled market segment now dominated by the likes of Bose and Jawbone. However, unlike most portable speakers that rely upon Bluetooth, the Libratone Zipp opts instead for AirPlay and a new technology it calls PlayDirect. Unlike Bluetooth, PlayDirect has more bandwidth for streaming lossless audio between Apple devices and the company's speaker. Better yet, it doesn't require a Wi-Fi access point; a trick that lets you take the $399 Zipp along as a companion speaker for picnics or a day at the beach. PlayDirect gives you the convenience of Bluetooth with the higher-quality audio and range associated with Wi-Fi, and that's a pretty big deal.