Cool Hunting

by Brian Fichtner

Audiophiles have had a tough time of it in recent years. Ever since the digital music revolution made it possible for music lovers to archive entire collections on a hard drive, high fidelity and the golden age of home audio equipment have all but disappeared. Fortunately for the stalwarts, a few companies still value the home stereo system as an important element in modern living.

The British manufacturer of high performance speakers, KEF, recently teamed up with the Italian manufacturer, Giorgetti, to prototype a beautiful hybrid stereo-cum-shelving unit, queerly dubbed Stringless Pleasure. Designed by the architect Chi-wing Lo for the Creation 9707 project (a campaign to promote Hong Kong design), the unit is fabricated from antique wood and accentuated by precious stone dials, a slot load CD drive, and a concealed iPod dock.

Although there’s no word on pricing or commercial availability, interested parties are advised to hold on to their jewel cases and contact the manufacturers for further details.