Ikarao Shell S3 HD Gives Home Karaoke a Bigger Stage

The new model follows Ikarao’s Break X1, the Red Dot Award-winning smart karaoke speaker featuring a 13.3-inch, 180-degree-rotatable touchscreen. The Shell S3 HD takes that idea and shrinks it into a more affordable, portable format, while adding HDMI output so lyrics can be displayed on a TV or projector. In other words, the performance can now move from one person squinting at a small screen to the full living-room spectacle, for better or worse.

Ikarao says the Shell S3 HD expands its existing smart karaoke range, which currently includes the Break X1, Break X2 and Shell S1. The company positions the new model as an all-in-one entertainment system with a built-in Full HD touchscreen, wireless microphone support and app-based music access.

Hugh Jackman and Neil Diamond singing karaoke on the Ikarao. Source: Hugh Jackman Instagram

That shift from personal singalong box to shared-room entertainment system appears to be central to Ikarao’s thinking. Karen Tso, Ikarao Co-Founder, told StereoNET:

Customer experience fundamentally drives our decision-making for new designs. Karaoke is experienced with the whole family, so the addition of HDMI and projecting lyrics onto the family TV moves Ikarao from the bedroom to the living room.

The unit features a 7-inch colour touchscreen with lyrics display, but the more interesting inclusion is HDMI output, allowing users to push lyrics to a larger TV or projector. There is also an AUX output for connecting the machine to a larger speaker system, plus USB, AUX input, bluetooth and a 6.3mm input for wired microphones, guitar or keyboard use.

Inside, the Shell S3 HD uses a 4-inch full-range driver with a claimed 80 watts of peak power. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth 5.4 and 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi. Ikarao also includes two wireless microphones, rated for up to 10 metres of range and up to 30 hours of battery life, with the microphones stored and charged inside the unit.

The system also includes what Ikarao describes as original vocal-removal technology, allowing users to tap the screen to turn regular tracks into accompaniment. As ever with vocal removal, expectations should probably remain realistic, but the feature makes sense in a product designed to remove friction from casual karaoke nights rather than demand a carefully curated library of dedicated backing tracks.

For those who do want a more traditional karaoke catalogue, the Shell S3 HD comes with a six-month Karafun subscription, providing access to more than 50,000 songs. Built-in apps also include familiar music and video services such as YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music, which should make the machine feel more like a self-contained entertainment hub than a single-purpose party gadget.

The portable side of the equation is handled by an internal battery, with Ikarao claiming up to 6 hours of operation with the screen on and 7 hours with it off. That opens the door to camping trips, beach gatherings, busking, parties and, depending on the confidence of those involved, a few deeply questionable renditions of power ballads after dessert.

The Ikarao Shell S3 HD is priced at A$499 and is available now through national and specialist retailers.

For more information visit Ikarao