As a connoisseur of luxury and high-fidelity audio systems, I find myself utterly captivated by this extraordinary collaboration between Goldmund, Pinel et Pinel, and the brilliant street artist, Cyril Kongo. With a life that has been enriched by the symphony of sound and the aesthetic elegance of art, this project strikes a chord in my heart that resonates with an unparalleled harmony.
Goldmund, a renowned Swiss high-end audio manufacturer, has collaborated with Pinel et Pinel, a French luxury trunk maker, to redesign their legendary Apologue speakers. As a result, they’ve created 20 exclusive pairs of these updated speakers, priced at approximately $1.77 million USD each.
Additionally, they have invited Cyril Kongo, a renowned French street artist also known as just Kongo, to join their creative team. His artwork is displayed on all five separate units, with Kongo describing this collaboration as a “multi-sensory project that connects the realms of high-end audio, luxury leather goods, and contemporary art.
In 1987, the Apologue speaker by Goldmund was honored for its design by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and showcased to the public. Unlike the original three-way passive speaker from the 1980s, the latest “Apologue Ultimate Pinel et Pinel & Cyril Kongo” edition is an active speaker consisting of six individual drivers. This updated model boasts one tweeter dome, one super tweeter dome, two seven-inch midrange drivers, and two 12-inch woofers.
The latest Apologue speaker is equipped with six matched amplifiers, each driving a specific component. There’s a separate 300-watt amplifier for each tweeter, while two 300-watt amps handle the midrange driver. Additionally, there are two 700-watt amps, all of which are embedded within the five speaker units themselves.
According to Fred Pinel, founder of Pinel et Pinel, these speakers were created as works of art. The “sculptures” are adorned with approximately 15 pieces of premium, supple calfskin leather, each piece measuring about 52.5 feet (or 16 meters), sourced from their Parisian atelier. These components were then meticulously hand-painted by Kongo, who was given full artistic license to express his interpretation of the design brief. Similar to many Goldmund speakers, each one is assembled in Switzerland.
Besides requiring the artist to paint in reverse due to the speaker’s later construction, this partnership offered Kongo a chance to explore another of his passions: music. He explains, “When I was younger, I dabbled extensively with sound systems.” He expresses a deep affection for both musicians and artisans like Fred Pinel. Furthermore, he views the collaboration as a way to “blend the features that characterize my visual style, my artistic language, and my personality.
These exclusive, high-end speakers can be ordered specially at Goldmund right now. Each one tips the scales at a substantial 794lbs (or 360kg), and they come with quite an investment of €1.5M EUR / $1.77M USD for a pair.
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2024-11-06 18:56