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Most beautiful speakers in the world ?

HeadDoc12 said:
I start with the premise that nearly ALL speakers are ugly, regardless of performance. Unlike a table or a chair, for example, which can be beautiful while also exhibiting poor function (odd dimensions or uncomfortable or whatever), there is NO speaker that I would want in my home if it didn't produce sound. Moreover, the speakers that are either best measuring (Genelec, KEF, Revel, D & D, Magico, etc.) ALL have several large drivers pointed at the listener - i.e., directly into the room. I have yet to see a woofer or midrange that I consider remotely attractive (again - the criterion is: would I like it in my space if it had no function other than looks?); tweeters are more acceptable to me, as they are easier to hide. I think the brand that does the best job designing speakers that look nice is B & O, a brand that is largely hated here, and that - as far as I know - measure pretty poorly. I still have hope that this situation will change. Amazon just released some new Echo speakers that detect where they are placed and assign channels (and apply eq) accordingly. I have little doubt they suck, but the intention is a good one. Give me a simple near-sphere in a bunch of color options, allow me to place up to, say, 9 of them in my room, add a sub or two that can double as end tables, connect the whole thing wirelessly, of course (just AC cords, naturally), and I would be one happy listener. I still think this is coming, and as soon as a real speaker brand does it, we all win.
Click to expand...

That’s an interesting criteria, and I can see the sense in that.

Personally the criteria “Would I have this object in my room purely on aesthetics if it didn’t do anything” doesn’t work for me.

Having a hobby or enthusiast interest increases the aesthetic value of the objects in that hobby.

It’s like, I’m not a Star Wars fanatic or interested in Star Wars models, so I would not decorate a room with Star Wars models “ just for the aesthetics.”
But if I was really into Star Wars that deeply, then those would become aesthetically pleasing objects.

Likewise, I’m not into cars myself, so I would not “ decorate” my driveway with some fancy sports car if given the choice. But if I was a big enthusiast, my favourite sports car sitting in my driveway would be a joy.

Along those lines, I love tube amplifiers. I wouldn’t have them in any of my rooms if I didn’t, and I don’t see a tube amplifier as some decoration for a room. But since I’m really into them, I really enjoy seeing my tube amplifiers because I love the combination of
“ what they do and how and the aesthetics.”

That’s why I would never replace the tube amplifiers on my rack with some little black box or piece of software that made the same sound.

And I have similar thinking about choosing my loudspeakers: I love a good looking loudspeaker. For me it adds to the aesthetic satisfaction of the listening room, as well as the satisfaction with the loudspeaker itself.
If I didn’t like loudspeakers, I wouldn’t use them as decoration, but since I love loudspeakers, they become desirable, aesthetic objects as well.

In fact, I find the finish on my Joseph (and Thiel) speakers to be the nicest wood finishes we have in our home (even though we have a 1922 home with plenty of nice woodwork).

So…I like this and I don’t wish for invisible speakers at all for my two channel system (one of my Thiels) :

1766608546740.jpeg


However, when it comes to Home theatre speakers my criteria flips 180° and I very much don’t want to see any speakers!
I absolutely recoil at the many Home theatre set ups which have projection screens or displays surrounded by phalanxes of big boxes with blaring exposed drivers. For me it is technological overwhelm and I find it distracting to have all that around at the image. So I don’t want to see any speakers at all in my field of view when watching a movie. That’s why made fitted black velvet covers for my home theater speakers so they are not distracting around the screen (the two channel speakers visible in this photo become invisible for watching movies because I cover them with black velvet as well):

1766608907531.jpeg
 
HeadDoc12 said:
I start with the premise that nearly ALL speakers are ugly, regardless of performance. Unlike a table or a chair, for example, which can be beautiful while also exhibiting poor function (odd dimensions or uncomfortable or whatever), there is NO speaker that I would want in my home if it didn't produce sound. Moreover, the speakers that are either best measuring (Genelec, KEF, Revel, D & D, Magico, etc.) ALL have several large drivers pointed at the listener - i.e., directly into the room. I have yet to see a woofer or midrange that I consider remotely attractive (again - the criterion is: would I like it in my space if it had no function other than looks?); tweeters are more acceptable to me, as they are easier to hide. I think the brand that does the best job designing speakers that look nice is B & O, a brand that is largely hated here, and that - as far as I know - measure pretty poorly. I still have hope that this situation will change. Amazon just released some new Echo speakers that detect where they are placed and assign channels (and apply eq) accordingly. I have little doubt they suck, but the intention is a good one. Give me a simple near-sphere in a bunch of color options, allow me to place up to, say, 9 of them in my room, add a sub or two that can double as end tables, connect the whole thing wirelessly, of course (just AC cords, naturally), and I would be one happy listener. I still think this is coming, and as soon as a real speaker brand does it, we all win.
Click to expand...
You may like those in-wall speakers then. Appeal to home theater owners but some sure have high-end specs.
 
Speaking of fluids, Focal have the right idea, in that nobody can put their drink down on top of the utopia/sopra. Maybe ubiquitous wine has driven their styling decision?
 
FTB said:
I wonder sometimes if speakers builders think "the more drivers the better" despite all the technical difficulties to integrate several drivers ?
Click to expand...
It is a three-way system that emits a cylindrical wave in the low frequency range.
So yes, in this case, more chassis are better because they optimize the radiation behavior, the cutoff frequency, the maximum excursion, and, of course, the membrane area in the low frequency range.

1766967160964.jpeg
 
Audionaut said:
So yes, in this case, more chassis are better because they optimize the radiation behavior, the cutoff frequency, the maximum excursion, and, of course, the membrane area in the low frequency range.
Click to expand...
Any measurements available? I don't see any on their site
 
RexrothPigeon said:
Any measurements available? I don't see any on their site
Click to expand...
I'll write to Canton and ask if they publish their measurements.
I know the company and I know that they take measurements. Very detailed measurements. Actually, I don't know of any major German loudspeaker company that doesn't take measurements, because they more or less invented the measurements, right?
Klippel is German and emerged from this scene, just like Anselm Görtz and the experts at Canton.
So yes, I'll ask them if they want to publish their measurements.
The spirit of the times demands it.
Apparently

1000044842.png
 
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