John
A pair of 4″ Kevlar mid/bass drivers and a 1.5″ titanium tweeter powered by a 100 watt Class D amplifier. Nothing out of the ordinary. Now add internal DAC with TOSLINK input and a 3.5mm analogue socket to keep the turntablists happy. Still a fairly vanilla powered loudspeaker. Stir in Bluetooth to make it Mom-n-Pop-friendly. We’ve seen it all before…
…or have we?
Cast your eyes upon its unconventional form, its unusual materials and its world-first streaming functionality. This new loudspeaker has Future-Fi coded into its DNA.
What is it?
After carefully and diligently cutting a reputation as purveyors of audiophile-grade headphones for the fashion conscious wearer, New York’s Master & Dynamic have announced the MA770 — a standalone loudspeaker designed by one Sir David Adjaye. The very recently-Knighted (New Years Honours 2017) Adjaye is an architect whose CV includes the new Smithsonian museum in Washington DC.
The MA770’s curved, triangular prismatic form is designed to “dissolve the sense of volume through sculptural detail”, according to Adjaye. The casework’s material is unusual too: a “proprietary concrete composite” implemented to up the enclosure’s acoustic dampening and therefore reduce its resonance. Master & Dynamic claim that the MA770 will not disturb a turntable placed nearby, even when cranked to full volume. The MA770 weighs in at a whopping 35lbs/15kg and measures 41cm x 51cm x 25cm.
The controls are “diamond cut anodized” and the “etched stainless steel grille” is magnetically attached (and therefore removable).
On connectivity, the MA770 also does it differently. As well as Bluetooth 4.0, Google’s “Chromecast Built-in” allows users to stream audio via wifi from almost any device – PC, laptop, tablet and smartphone – and two MA770 can be paired using Google’s streaming tech for a much wider (read: proper) stereo image.
The MA770 is available for pre-order now at £1600/€1900. Shipping commences mid-May. Can’t wait? If you’re in NYC, you can catch the MA770 in the flesh at the MoMA Design Store from 25th April.
Further information: Master & Dynamic
