A small woodwork shop in Oregon has a fondness for Apple products and goes to great lengths to craft eye-appealing iPhone cases, iPad docks, and monitor stands.
Now, Portland-based Grovemade makes a play for the ears with horn-shaped hardwood desktop speakers that debuted this week.
A majority of Americans listen to their music through computer speakers, according to a survey conducted last year by Strategy Analytics. Computer speakers even beat out headphones on portable devices, 55 to 41 percent, indicating convenience wins out over sound quality, the survey said.
But dozens of brands for external computer speakers can be found online trying to coax you into upgrading your listening experience.
Photo: Grovemade
Grovemade makes its case by teaming with industrial designer Joey Roth for its first speaker system, available in walnut or maple. Roth’s design portfolio includes high-end ceramic speakers that got rave reviews, including one from Wired, which described them as “a seamless marriage of drool-worthy design and audiophile-worthy sound.”
The Grovemade speakers may also require a towel for the chin.
The back-loaded horn shape is supposed to bring out the low frequencies. A two-inch full range driver is said to deliver “coherent mids and sparkling highs” without using a digital signal processor. It is paired with a 2x25W amplifier.
Each speaker gets two coats of natural oil that are bugged by hand to seal the wood. The stainless steel stand is covered in leather. The small speakers are compatible with any computer, turntable or any other source for music and other audio.
Photo: Grovemade
The Grovemade Speaker System is not cheap. The walnut set runs $599 while the lighter maple speakers are $100 less. Audiophiles aren’t likely to flinch at the price tag.
While you check out the speakers on the Grovemade website, take a gander at its gallery of products designed specifically for the Apple fan.
