IFA 2007: Timewarp To The 1970s With Audiorama Speakers August 30, 2007

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Remember those 12in wide flares your dad [or you] wore, swaggering down the High St. in the 1970s thinking God had surely broken the mould when he created a creature as hip, sexy and cool as you? In hindsight, you may blush but if you still hark for a bit of the OTT 70s then check out the Grundig Audiorama spherical stereo speakers which, thanks to the 100th birthday of founder Max Grundig, are making a welcome comeback.

On show at the IFA 2007 Show in Berlin now, they will be reincarnated next year.

These were cult items back in the day and they are certainly a welcome departure from the typical boxy speaker. They can hang from the ceiling like some cute alien light fixture or stand on the floor like big, fat audio lollipops. The company says:

“In contrast to the original Audiorama the horizontal plane of the new model is more elliptical, for best positioning of the chassis units. As in the seventies, the 2008 Audiorama has four speakers per housing, variously angled for 360-degree sound distribution and an unparalleled audio experience. A special design protects the tweeters from sound pressure from the subwoofers.”

Expect to pay around £400 a pair next year.-Martin Lynch

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