Speaker manufacturers seem to be making a concentrated effort to make their wares look more obscure and different from the competition, and Transparent's Acoustic Sculpture is no exception.
This Sculpture is the latest addition to an ever-growing list of bizarre wireless speaker designs and we hope this trend never dies out.
- The best smart speakers of 2020
- Our top wireless speakers for every budget
- Apple HomePod mini price, release date, and features
Frankly, the Acoustic Sculpture looks just like that, a sculpture of a large chunk of an ear-shaped rock, which happens to have a speaker built into it. It's bizarre enough to be eye-catching, yet minimal enough to not immediately be recognized as an obvious speaker.
It's extremely different to what Transparent, the Stockholm-based electronics brand, has released before and it could grace your home for the eye-watering price of $3,530 / £2,700 (about AU$6,430).
The Acoustic Sculpture, which does kind of resemble an obscure piece of art, has been made using 3D sculpting software based on a hand-formed clay model and promises to "deliver the brand’s signature sound – a clear, crisp sound that reflects the true intentions of the artist."
Modular design
According to Transparent, the Acoustic Sculpture has been designed "for enjoying a rich and balanced sound experience."
Despite its, um, mineral design, the speaker has all the trappings you'd expect from a modern smart device.
There's built-in Bluetooth, 'true wireless' dual speaker streaming, and it can be upgraded to have a voice control module.
Speaking of upgrading it, the speaker is modular which means, just like a trusty Ikea product, you can add and remove different components as you wish.
Transparent explained in a press release that the speaker could actually become better over time, since the Sculpture's "systems can be added as wireless technology develops, meaning its products get better with age".
- This Alexa smart speaker looks like a work of art
