Liederhorn Speakers
$5,800
Available on backorder
The new Liederhorn speaker’s sonics are splendid. Its shapely curves visually arresting!
The tight lines and pristine appearance of the hardwood Liederhorns set them apart from the more organic patina of the Liederhorn Legacy model which were featured in the Sonic Arboretum exhibitions.
Form, function and hand work coalesce into a package of beauty and performance.
Call for details on items in stock or to order your custom Liederhorn speakers.
Custom horn speakers require 3 – 6 month production time.
- Dimensions
40" tall overall
21" horn diameter
9" cube base
12" minimum deep shelf - Driver
4" Fostex FE126En full range
- Impedance
8 ohms
- Sensitivity
1 W/1m 93 dB
- Frequency Response
fs - 25kHz
The Liederhorn speaker was originally designed as a part of the Sonic Arboretum, a collaborative sculpture and sound installation by Ian Schneller and composer/violinist Andrew Bird. The Liederhorn was introduced at in the Sonic Arboretum show at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in December 2011.
Liederhorn speakers offer superior audio quality. The natural woodgrain with contrasting bold saturated color in the bell interior make them a perfect choice for discriminating audiophiles and interior designers alike.
The sound of Specimen horn speakers has been described as “holographic” in that the sound seems to be coming from behind the enclosure, making it difficult to identify the sound source. This can evoke the sensation of the instrument being in the room with the listener.
Design and Construction
All Specimen Horns are entirely handmade at Specimen in Chicago, IL. The meticulous process requires several hundred hours per pair.
The bases are made of premium quality Baltic birch plywood. The horns are made from Italian poplar. First, the hardwood is cut into flats. The edges are then beveled to the perfect angle. After this, the flats are bent into curves that will make up the octagonally fluted horn shape. Assembly is a tricky process that requires two people working together with dexterity and perseverance. The seams are then reinforced with micro fiber filled epoxy and hand sanded inside and out. The assembly is then registered into the flange used to mount the horn to the base, or compression chamber. A natural nitrocellulose finish is then applied to the outside of the horn and an opaque saturated color applied to the bells. This serves as a stunning contrast to the beautiful hardwood exterior.
A full range driver is rear loaded with a horn shape to match the acoustic impedance of the air in the compression chamber with the air in the listening room. There is no crossover distortion.
Compatibility and Placement
Specimen Horn speakers are designed to work well elevated as a typical bookshelf speaker, out in the open, or even placed on the ground to achieve a more spatially expansive installation, as in the Sonic Arboretum exhibitions.
Pair these with one of my hi-fi tube amplifiers finished in a matching or a contrasting color for a complete ensemble and beautiful sonic symbiosis.
All Specimen Horn Speakers can be used with virtually any system and achieve excellent results.
You can drive Specimen Horn speakers with a Bluetooth device, CD player, Turntable, Cassette Deck, Reel to Reel, or any other sound source.
