These Unique Wooden Horns Will Change the Way You Look at (and Listen to) Speakers
Prepare to have an eargasm courtesy of these cone-shaped wonders.
Having seen and heard speakers in seemingly all shapes and sizes, it’s nice to note an audio system based around an iconically—not to mention conically—simple shape premise. But OMA’s Imperia—named as a nod to the speakers’ industrial designer, David D’Imperio—are more than just visually striking.
From every angle, the natural beauty of the large, hand-crafted wooden horns are balanced both figuratively and literally by a contrast of slate and metal. Ironically, this unlikely juxtaposition is fabricated all in the name of producing the most natural sound possible.
Because the cones are inherently highly efficient, they not only require less power to produce the same level of sound, but do so in a way that’s realistically crisp. In other words, they’re purposefully designed to avoid both distortion on the high end and that nasal sound you might associate with traditional horned speakers (i.e. gramophones). Last but not least, they offer a wider soundstage than you might expect, avoiding the directionality that makes for small sweetspots.
Available in gorgeous Pennsylvania Black Walnut, Cherry or Ash, these space-defining speakers are 41 inches across at the base, 60 inches at maximum depth and 86 inches high.
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