This is one funny-looking speaker

What is not a planar, but has no drivers?

Made in St.Petersburg, which is not in Florida, but is known as the "cultural capital of Russia".

The look of this actually reminds me of the city. If that analogy is to be carried further, it should sound polite and cold.



http://www.raeco.spb.ru/English/ra.htm

and a "data cart" (sic) for the system:

http://www.raeco.spb.ru/English/techinfo.htm

 

Hey, check out the funky blue version!

 

Looks like a Space Needle... Would be interesting if just for a woofie, but the high frequencies - would they disperce well twords' ya?

Part of it also looks too much like a coffee table. I know some people who WOULD lose their drink on that. Neat tho!

 

I'm a little skeptical on that 360 dispersion concept with upper mids and highs (especially with downward/upward firing drivers that bounce the signal?). These type designs seem to be geared towards people who are outside the ideal listening area, but I've never listened to a speaker system set up this way so I can't really comment on how well that technology works. Could be one of those designs that looks good on paper...but? Their site did not give any details on the drivers (assuming that's what's being used) or crossover points. I'd love to hear a set though.

edited to add: apparently these are some sort of planar design?

 

I learned about these from a person in Moscow, who thought they were the best-sounding speakers at a hi-fi show that they had there last week. Not really a surprise, since "regular" speakers cannot be placed in those hotel rooms properly most of the time.

They do employ dynamic drivers of some kind; looks like the site is deliberately vague on that.

The company sales people at the show were asking $2500/pr for the biggest model with some sort of a "luxury" finish. Well, if not anything else it is a cool piece of wood.

 

Wow!

I think Frank Lloyd Wright did something similar, but in a building, not a speaker.