LG Turns Up Audio Profile With New Music Phone

Determined to expand its audio business, LG Electronics on Thursday released a music phone developed as a "hand-held audio system." The Rhapsody in Music phone is the first creation by audio engineer Mark Levinson since the company brought him in as a special consultant.

Levinson is a living legend in the audio industry, having designed a long list of high-end audio products since he established Mark Levinson Audio Systems at the age of 25. Now 61, Levinson helped to make sure LG's new phone has the best possible sound quality and developed an exclusive earphone for it.

The new phone features a navigating touch wheel for song browsing, sweep spot selection and volume control. It comes bundled with the album "Rhapsody, The Soul of Sound" by seven Korean singers including Sung Si-kyung and Bobby Kim.

Levinson is now using his 30-year expertise in the field to develop software to make digital devices like MP3 players and handsets sound as good as analog machines. Korea's electronics giant wants to use Levinson's knowledge and talent to develop a range of audio devices to expand its business.

"LG is the second leader in the global home theater audio market following Sony," the company's vice chairman Nam Yong said. "We aim to become a leader in the global audio industry based on Levinson's skills and reputation."