CES 2014

I didn't expect to find any high-end tower speakers amongst the car audio stuff in the North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center -- until I stumbled upon this new model from Hybrid Audio Technologies. The company wanted to branch out from high-end car audio into high-end home audio, so it hired boutique speaker designer Randy Kunin, whose company, Randall K, aspires to make what he calls "functional audio art."

"I want to make speakers that people don't have to hide," Kunin told me.

The speaker you see here is the result. The as-yet-unnamed model will cost somewhere around $60,000 per pair. It uses speaker drivers and crossovers made by Hybrid Audio Technologies, with acoustical and aesthetic design by Kumin. Each one weighs 148 pounds.

Of course, there was no point in demoing the speakers on the open show floor of CES, but Kunin told me he's going to be demoing his products at the upcoming AXPONA show in Chicago, and at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver this fall.