Sharper Image Launches Premier Sound Soother System for iPod and MP3 with 50 Sound Soother Selections

Business Wire, Nov 30, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO -- Sharper Image Design Product-Development Group Invents Sleek, All-in-One Sound Soother Speaker System with Dual Aluminum-Cone Stereo Drivers and a Subwoofer

Sharper Image Corporation (NASDAQ:SHRP) today announced the launch of its proprietary Sound Soother(R) Fifty Aluminum-Cone MP3 Speaker System with LCD Remote Control. Created by the Company's in-house product-development team, Sharper Image Design, this premier, three-in-one tabletop speaker system includes a cable for playing iPod, iPod mini and other MP3 devices. With a simple connection, the Sound Soother Fifty transforms these private-listening devices into high-fidelity stereo systems, with superior aluminum-cone driver technology and impressively rich, full-range sound that everyone can listen to and enjoy without earbuds.

"The popularity of iPod and similar digital devices is extraordinary," said Richard Thalheimer, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of The Sharper Image, "and compatible quality speakers systems are emerging as an essential audio accessory for full enjoyment of one's music collection. There are so many occasions when listening through earbuds is not optimal; and our new all-in-one speaker system sounds fantastic."

Built into Sharper Image Design's new product is a Sound Soother with an extraordinary 50 environmental soundscapes -- by far the Company's largest and most diverse selection. There are natural environments like Tropics and Desert Wind; innovative choices like Buggy Ride and Sailboat. Babies coo to Heartbeat or fall asleep to Clothes Dryer; couples snuggle to Fireside or Rainy Night. Homesick New Yorkers can choose Downtown or City; landlocked Californians can select Surf's Up. In addition to Sharper Image's core of 20 popular sounds, the added 30 selections allowed for imaginative sounds such as Biker, Hair Dryer, Pink Noise and every kind of wind chime imaginable. "The Sound Soother idea is extremely popular at The Sharper Image," explained Mr. Thalheimer, "and more is better! People like to make their own choices for masking out traffic horns, barking dogs, a snoring partner, a neighbor's stereo, even tinnitus (or ringing in the ears). The world is a noisy place," he said, "and a Sound Soother can help one feel calm, relaxed, clear-headed and rejuvenated. You can hear all 50 sounds on our Website at http://www.sharperimage.com by clicking a link on the product's page. This is a fun item -- for the soothing sounds as well as for the stereo speaker and subwoofer system for iPod," Mr. Thalheimer concluded.

Sound Soother Fifty has a compact, graceful design that measures 12 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches; it weighs 2 1/4 lbs. and plugs into any standard outlet with its included AC adapter. All functions can be controlled from anywhere in the room by a remote that features large toggle buttons and switches for both hands and a big, easy-to-read LCD screen with scrolling text. (The remote control runs on 4 AAA batteries, which are included.) It is available for purchase exclusively through The Sharper Image catalog by calling 800-344-4444, the Sharper Image Website at http://www.sharperimage.com, and at more than 170 Sharper Image stores nationwide.

The complete list of the 50 Sound Soother selections follows:

Bamboo Chimes

Biker

Brass Chimes

Breakers

Breeze

Brook

Buggy Ride

City

Clothes Dryer

Coin Chimes

Crickets

Deep Jungle

Desert Wind

Dockside

Downpour

Downtown

Ebb Tide

Evening Woods

Everglades

Ferry

Fireside

Flag Day

Foghorns

Hair Dryer

Heartbeat

Island

Jet

Jungle

Meadow

Night Train

North Woods

Oceanside

Pasture

Pink Noise

Rain Forest

Rainy Night

Range Rider

Sailboat

Songbirds

Steam Train

Surf's Up

Thunderstorm

Trail Ride

Tropical Hike

Tropics

Trout Stream

White Noise

Wind Chimes

Windstorm

Yosemite Falls

Sharper Image is a specialty retailer that is nationally and internationally renowned as a leading source of new, innovative, high-quality products that make life better and more enjoyable. A significant and growing proportion of sales are of proprietary products created by the Company's product development group, Sharper Image Design. The Company's principal selling channels include 170 Sharper Image specialty stores throughout the United States; the award-winning Sharper Image monthly catalog with annual circulation in excess of 85 million; and its primary Website, http://www.sharperimage.com. The Company also sells its products through its own online auction Website and an online Outlet store to help manage refurbished and close-out inventory; both sites are accessed from the home page of sharperimage.com. The Company also has business-to-business sales teams for marketing its exclusive and proprietary products for corporate incentive and reward programs and for wholesale to selected U.S. and international retailers.