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| Crystal Audio 'Ballad' subwoofer
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There must be something in the water at Crystal Audio. Shaped a bit like a cello that's been cross-pollinated with a giant ice-cream cone, the company's new, and quite outlandish Ballad subwoofer is the brainchild of renowned sculptor Ilirian Shima.
The eight foot tall Ballad is the latest addition to Crystal Audio's 'Sound of Art' loudspeaker series and was created to accompany its Melody speakers from the same series. The Ballad subwoofer is hand made in two parts from solid plywood, with the lower element comprised of more than 40 concentric circular wood segments bonded together to create a multi-layered enclosure.
But there is method to this design madness. The whole unit sits at an angle thanks to an endpin that tilts the subwoofer on its edge, which is designed to allow minimal energy transmission with the floor. Also the 30.5cm long-throw driver, which is powered by a 200W amplifier, is not parallel to the floor meaning there is no reflection back onto the driver and therefore potentially delivering a cleaner sound. Crystal Audio also reckon the way the notes reflect off the floor leads to sound dispersing over a larger area than a normal subwoofer.
More information: Crystal Audio
