Premiere Design

Of all the various types of audio and video products, speakers seem to offer the most potential for design variation. Case in point—the Magic Flute from Swedish maker SWSpeakers.

Each of the four drivers is ensconced in its own turbine-shaped, isolated, carbon-fiber enclosure that is said to approach an ideal "infinite sphere." A 1-inch soft-dome tweeter handles the highs, while a pair of 6-inch midwoofers split the midrange and a 9-inch woofer brings up the bass, resulting in an overall frequency response from 36Hz to 25kHz (±3dB). The tweeter can be tilted downward by as much as 10 degrees to make sure it's aimed directly at the listener's ears.

Reportedly, the Magic Flute garnered high praise at the 2010 Munich High End Show in May. I would expect nothing less for a list price of 60,000 Euros per pair (almost $74,000 as of this writing), which the company justifies in part by the use of high-end materials throughout, including the crossover, drivers, and internal wiring. I hope SWSpeakers brings the Magic Flute to CES in January, giving stateside audiophiles a chance to hear it.