The Art Of Sound

This Paris Design Week, Maison&Objet proved the future of sound is visual. Here are the three most innovative speaker and sound systems right now.

Transparent

In a modern world where new technologies start stalling soon after you buy them, and shortly crash completely, we are producing overwhelming amounts of tech waste. Products aren’t designed to be repaired, just to be rebought. And so, at Transparent, they propose a sound design philosophy to combat tech waste and overconsumption.

In conversation with one of the founders, Magnus Wiberg, he explains the brand’s mission for the future of sound. ‘Transparent makes objects that can be as much an interior decoration piece as fully functional, technological audio equipment’.

At Transparent, ‘timeless’ is more than just a campaign slogan; they truly make speakers to last forever. Magnus Wiberg states, ‘What we mean by timeless is that instead of becoming obsolete, products should become better over time’.

The idea is that as the piece ages, instead of it degenerating, you service it, from the comfort of your own home. Each speaker comes with a repair tool, so customers can refurbish their speaker if and when it needs restoring. They send out specific components customers might need to replace. So, you can upgrade instead of discarding it.

‘We have created this modular design philosophy, which means every bit can be taken apart and put back together in a simple manner,’ stated Magnus Wiberg. Allowing this beautifully designed speaker to last for generations.

For Wiberg, the aim is, ‘To change around bad habits in the tech industry. Products that become obsolete so you have to buy something new. The goal is to remove the overconsumption this creates.’

The design reflects the ‘timeless’ philosophy. The translucent systems only display the speaker diaphragm, as though suspended mid-air. Thus, only the sound technology is on show, and as Wiberg explains, ‘these elements will never go out of style’.

Transparent’s visionary design and sustainable programming redefine the future of speaker technology. Not to mention the sound quality from these speakers is excellent. All-encompassing, loud and smooth.

Lexon creates the art of sound with Jeff Koons

For their newest collection, a collaboration with renowned pop artist Jeff Koons, Lexon creates Balloon Dog Speaker, reimagining one of contemporary art’s most recognizable silhouettes in speaker form.

The smaller collection, “Balloon Dog Speaker Chromatic” comes in four colours: platinum, gold, blue, and red, a nod to the classic metallic hues of the artist’s original porcelain Balloon Dogs. Powered by Bluetooth and True Wireless Stereo (TWS) technology, two speakers can be paired to create an extended stereo soundstage, transforming any space into a live performance. And so, the iconic sculpture transforms the room in which it stands, truly capturing the art of sound where acoustic meets design to create a multi-sensory listening experience.

The “Grande” model is more than four times the size of the original. It’s 7kg in weight and powered by a 1000W amplifiers. Embedded with 6 active speakers and enhanced by 4 acoustic boosters it delivers immersive tones, resonant bass, and powerful volumes. In fact, I could barely hear what the Lexon engineers were saying over the loud hum of the speaker, vibrating through the floor and into my ears.

The “Balloon Dog Speaker Grande” is part of a limited edition collection of 3,000 pieces, each engraved with Jeff Koons’ signature. A truly special piece: an iconic artwork you not only look at, but listen to.

Groovaly, the furniture that houses sound

Not a sound system, but a furniture system designed around sound, Groovaly designs interiors to fit with the way people live with and listen to vinyl. They create shape-shifting record storage solutions you can adapt to your space. A minibar, wine rack, and shelving unit all in one: these pieces create an art of sound you can live in.

Typically crammed into a shelf, records are difficult to identify: you’re left prying apart spines, trying to read them. And so, Groovaly brings the vinyl covers to centre stage. Displaying them as artworks, framed in their furniture, they make the vinyl collection accessible and enjoyable to explore.

The recent “Golden Age” collection draws inspiration from the record culture of the 1970s (the golden age of vinyl). The designs mimic the smooth curves and cubic shapes of 70s interiors. “Curtis”, the focal piece of the newest collection, prioritises the listening experience, bringing records, a turntable and hi-fi equipment together in one composition to create an auditory ritual dedicated to vinyl.

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