AV Quick Takes: Looks Matter in Audio?

Most
new audio products are introduced either at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
in January, at Munich High End in the spring, or at CEDIA in the autumn. That
leaves the summer in a potential drought of new gear. One way that audio
manufacturers can keep things feeling cool and fresh during summer is to
announce new colors and designs for existing products. While some audiophiles
insist that sound quality is the only important criterion by which audio gear
should be judged, most of us understand that looks matter too. Here are three
popular audio products with new styles to check out.

KEF
LS60 Wireless
Lotus Edition

One
of the more visually striking active streaming loudspeakers on the market today is KEF’s LS60 Wireless. Now KEF has teamed up with Lotus,
the maker of my favorite sports car that turns into a submarine, to introduce the LS60 Wireless
Lotus Edition, which adds the
British Racing Green that Lotus is famous for to KEF’s do-it-all speaker. The
speaker could already stream from any source (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Roon), but
now it can do so while “bringing the track spirit into your home in a harmony
of design and innovation, elevating it to a new dimension,” according to KEF.
The special-edition LS60 will set you back $7,999.99 for the pair. Of course,
the collaboration
between these two iconic British brands

goes
beyond just styling home audio products. KEF has also designed the in-car audio
systems for the Lotus Emira sports car and the all-new Lotus Eletre electric
SUV. For the cars, KEF built a dedicated automotive version of the company’s
signature Uni-Q driver array, offering “incredibly accurate and coherent sound
for both the driver and passengers.”

More
information: KEF LS60 Wireless Lotus Edition | Buy the LS60s in Blue

Bowers
& Wilkins Px8 McLaren Edition

Not
to be outdone, Bowers & Wilkins has teamed up with another legend of the
supercar world, and has just released the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 McLaren
Edition, which sells for $799. The McLaren Edition
should sound just like any other Bowers & Wilkins Px8, but it sports a new look thanks to
McLaren-inspired styling. The integration of McLaren
Automotive styling includes a
Galvanic grey finish and Papaya orange highlights that call back to the famous
Papaya orange on founder Bruce McLaren’s early racing cars. The “discreet
tone-on-tone McLaren logo” is surprisingly subtle, considering the unabashed
and often ostentatious styling of McLaren’s cars. But this is still a Bowers
& Wilkins product underneath it all, and the distinct and striking design
offers only a hint of excitement. The two brands have been partners since 2015,
and you’ll find Bowers & Wilkins audio inside the McLaren Speedtail,
McLaren GT, and most recently, the hybrid McLaren Artura.

More
information: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 McLaren Edition | Buy the B&W Px8 McLaren Edition

See
also: Klipsch McLaren Legends Series

PSB
Alpha iQ

Originally
released only in black and white, the PSB Alpha iQ Streaming Powered Speakers
with BluOS are now offered in three flashy new colors. The price remains $1,299
per pair. Tangerine Yellow, Midnight Blue and Dutch Orange all make a bold
statement compared to the more traditional black and white options. PSB says
that the new colors work because of the Alpha iQ’s minimal, understated
industrial design. Underneath, nothing has changed. The bold aesthetic
statement of these new colors should contrast nicely with PSB’s signature “True to Nature” voicing, which aims
to be natural and non-fatiguing. These compact speakers combine a 4-inch
polypropylene mid-bass driver (with steel basket and rubber surround) with a 0.75”
aluminum dome tweeter. The Alpha iQ
is PSB’s first wireless streaming bookshelf speaker to integrate control,
source, and amplification in an all-in-one system. But there should be
very few bugs to work out because the speakers run on the mature and polished
BluOS platform.

More
information: PSB Alpha iQ