Love Hultén is known for his exclusive designs that merge function and beautiful aesthetics. Those products include everything from vintage-style arcades and cabinetry to other furniture and even the new Triaccord synthesizer lineup we mentioned in last week’s Logic Pros Music News. After taking a very quick glance over some of his work, which is all personally hand-made in Gothenburg, Sweden, it is clear these are some gorgeous and very limited pieces.
Most recently, the company is unveiling a brand new, retro-looking hi-fi stereo system with Hultén’s usual visual flair and some modern tech on the inside. The new Astovox setup is available for pre-order now, but it is certainly going to cost you…
The blocky design is highlighted by the African Mahogany housings and optional speaker stands. Each piece in the system features a brushed aluminum finish on the front-side. That includes both the receiver and the speaker plates, which are fully removable.
The ported, wood speaker casing carries two Pioneer TS-D1702R 6.75-inch drivers. There is also a 2-way built-in crossover system to split up incoming frequencies and more efficiently drive the speakers. According to Hultén, the drivers are able to maintain a uniform frequency response across the entire spectrum due in large part to the Aramid/Basalt composite construction of these particular drivers. Hultén says we are getting a 30 Hz to 32 kHz frequency range here. All of you Hi-Fi heads will be happy to see gold plated wire terminals along the backside of the various modules in the system (speakers and receiver).
As for the amp itself, don’t expect anything overly techy here. It is a basic, but solid 2 x 50W amp built around the Texas Instruments TPA3116 chip. This allows for simple tone control which can help out in large “booming” rooms. But there is some modern design in play here. Along with the traditional 3.5mm auxiliary port found alongside the back of the receiver, users will also be able stream audio from a smartphone, tablet, and well, anything else spitting out Bluetooth audio.
Now, this is indeed a modular system, meaning the speakers, speaker stands and receiver can all be purchased separately or in a bundle for $1,500. The wood finish and speaker face plates can both be customized. It appears there are three different color combos available: Desert Beige, Brushed Aluminum and White Marble. But you better jump on this if you’re interested, because Love is only pumping out about 100 of them before the Astovox is lost to time forever. Pre-orders are up now.
Speaking of home audio, if the fancy Swedish minimalism is outside of your budget, you might want to take a look at these. Yamaha’s feature-packed 7.2-Ch 4K A/V Receiver with AirPlay is down to $435 (Reg. $600) and Harman Kardon’s 5.1-Ch. Surround Sound System (recertified) is $140 (Orig. $600).
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