Usually the term Fat lady isn't one of endearment but the Morel company has given this moniker to their new floorstanding loudspeakers. The speakers are made of an outer layer of carbon-fiber composite with an inside fiberglass enhanced layer. The Fat Lady's zaftig shape is the result of over two years of research and development to create extraordinary sound dispersion through the driver membranes without deflection and sound distortion. The speaker uses two 9" woofers, a single 6" midrange and a 1.1" hand-coated soft dome tweeter. They are expected to cost around $20,000 a pair.

Another entry into the blockbuster speaker category, the Klipsch Palladium™ P-39F floorstanding speaker just looks loud. The P-39F uses a proprietary horn-loaded tweeter assembly made of unique acoustically-damped materials and three high-output woofers to offer high sensitivity and extremely low distortion. The P-39F's three low-frequency drivers have nine-inch hybrid cone woofers (made of aluminum, Rohacell and Kevlar), powered by a three-part neodymium magnet structure. The boat-tail-shaped cabinets are up to 30mm thick with multiple laminations of medium density fiberboard. Each set is a left and right speaker pair that are acoustically matched. The pair sells for $15,000.

[via Uncrate]

I recently posted about the Goldmund Media Room, a high-end custom design for a home theater system. The folks at Goldmund were kind enough to invite me out to check out the system in action. They have tricked out a luxury home inside a gated community in Tarazana, CA with several different sound systems including the lavish home theater room. It doesn't look as large as it does in the pictures but it really is a very impressive system.

I thought the new CD player from Bryston was pricey but the new 061 Classic Line CD Player from Burmester which is being unveiled at the CEDIA expo blows it away. The top-of-the-line model has a dedicated top-loading CD Playback system, a Phillips CD 2 Pro direct drive with a modified servo board and advanced converter technology with switchable upsampling rates of 96 and 192 kHz, and top-of-the-line analog output stages. The top loader is made of milled aluminum with a 10-millimeter thick tray that softly moves on Teflon rails. The 061 CD Player's connection panel includes two digital RCA inputs and outputs, one Toslink optical digital input and output, a balanced XLR stereo output, and two unbalanced stereo RCA stereo outputs. The 061 Classic Line CD Player in silver housing with a chrome front panel has a suggested price of $11,995. Burmester has a variety of high-end uadio products and has also created the sound system for the Bugatti Veyron.

Those mad audiophile genius at Bowers & Wilkins are at it again, this time with a rather striking iPod speaker system. The Zeppelin is barely two feet wide and has a central docking station for your iPod. The tapered ends house the midrange and tweeter drivers, low frequencies are handled by a single five-inch "subwoofer" located in the center and the bass performance enhanced by the twin rear-firing ports. The stainless steel floating arm that holds the iPod allows for ease of use. It also comes with a mini remote and when docked, the iPod can accesses a special Zeppelin "Speaker" menu, with five-position bass EQ to tune response for system placement or individual preference. The Zeppelin will be available starting in September and sells for $599.

Is that a really fancy toaster, my companion asked when he saw this thing. Nope, not a toaster. This is the F80 a new project created with Ferrari and Meridian to be a luxury entertainment center. It can be hooked up to your iPod, play CDs or tune in to the radio. But its main purpose is to look good, expensively good. Brit gadget blog Shiny Shiny recently traveled to the Silverstone Racing Circuit to check out this chic little boombox. It has 80 watts of power and comes in the five Ferrari colors of red, yellow, black, white and silver or if you are truly deep pocketed you can spring for the limited edition leather finish. The standard version sells for £1,495 (over $2,900) and the limited edition system costs £1,795 ($3,492).

These MartyWear Speakers from BauXar would be a lovely addition to a home stereo system if you want something that is going to blend in reasonably well with your decor, as well as providing high quality sound. The speakers are coated in Abs resin with a wood-grained finish in black, brown or beige. The tower design is intended to provide optimum acoustic performance and they project sound not in just one direction, but in a full range of 360 degrees. Price: $400 each.

[via uncrate]

Many of us like to keep our audio equipment out of the line of sight of guests. After all, high quality surround sound is much more impressive at home when you don't have to look at a chair-sized speaker in every corner. If you are going to keep your speakers out, you may as well use them to make a statement. With Woofers, that statement might be a little on the creepy - if kitchy - side. The speakers come in a pair in either high-gloss black or white. Price: €599 ($756).

[via Shiny Shiny]

AR Home Decor, from Audiovox, is a line of various covers to camoflague your sound system. Unlike many stereo disguises, these do not take any form of rock or sculpture, meant to be used outdoors, but include clocks, books, vases and wall sconces. My favorite part of the line are the trunks that hold the sub-woofers, because having a large trunk in the room is a good deal more subtle than having a subwoofer. In all seriousness though, the majority of the designs are quite clever and, as long as they match the overall look of the room you want to use them in, can be a great addition to the home.

 

When I was at the CA Boom show last week, one exhibit, tucked into a corner, attracted a bit of attention. Not just from sight but from the sound. It's hard to explain the difference between good stereo sound and great stereo sound. Like fine wine or a perfume made from carefully blended precious natural essences, the experience is more corporeal than intellectual. The richness of sound speaks to the body in such a way that it seems to almost bypass the brain. You just know. The Audio Salon's exhibit at CA Boom featured the MBL stereo system. These high-end audio components from Germany are not just gorgeous they provide deep resonant rounded sound. I'm not usually a major audiophile but as one of Trey's favorite sites, Sonic Flare, pointed out the other day, the MB 101E speakers are definitely craveworthy. The speakers alone run around $45,000 per pair but the sound is truly epic.

It sounds like an international policy or a design manifesto but the Swedish Statement is actually an ultra-luxe%uFFFD ($400,000-$450,000) stereo system. The Marten $250k Coltrane Supreme speakers have%uFFFD 1" diamond tweeters and 2" diamond midranges and lots of ceramic drivers. The cabinets are made out of carbon fiber and wood and the big towers function as subwoofers with 9" drivers. The system has a whole bunch of components that don't make a whit of sense to me but apparently deliver big rich sound. Sonic Flare has a couple of posts that demystify the worth of the system and the Swedish Statement website describes the system as "five high end producers putting their statement products in one of the worlds finest audio systems."

[via Gizmodo]

We’ve seen several options for turning your plasma TV into art but what about your speakers? Artcoustic is a company which makes wall-mounted speakers that resemble framed artwork. Their flat panel loudspeakers feature screens that can be selected in a wide variety of colors and images or decorated with your own custom artwork. The screens are also easy to swap out when you need to change your decor. Prices range from $1,100 to $14,000.

[via Style.com]