Concrete is an excellent material for loudspeaker cabinets. However, it is hard to work with, so few manufacturers use it in their products. We have written about one such company, the German factory Concrete Audio, that makes cabinets of special high-strength concrete. This time, we would like to feature the Zurich-based brand Vonschloo creating incredibly beautiful loudspeakers of fiber cement composite called Eternit.
Eternit was not only chosen for aesthetic reasons. It also has excellent acoustic properties, harmonically combining form and function. “The decision to use composite cement was triggered by the fact that concrete is one of the best materials available for acoustic cabinets,” describes the manufacturer. “But only the mix with fibres and air make it usable. We invested a lot of time in exploring the possibilities of this interesting material before coming up with an appropriate design for the material involved.”
The design by the local studio estragon draws inspiration from the “Folle”, an archaic conical amplifier that has been used in the Swiss Alps for centuries to call the “Alpsegen”. The conical shape gives additional stiffness to the structure and, what is important, prevents the emergence of standing waves inside cabinets that may cause the distortion of the original sound. Unlike many electronic products, Vonschloo speakers feature a 360° design being attractive from every side and therefore allowing them to be placed anywhere in a room.
Each pair, including the housing and many internal components, is handcrafted in Switzerland. The product range comprises three models: L242, L8, and L10. The L242 is a compact passive model based on the Seas Excel premium coaxial drivers. It can be configured either with a floor stand — inspired by the design of the 50s and 60s — or with a compact stand for shelf placement.
The L8 and L10 are two different loudspeaker configurations sharing the same housing, magnetic grill, and stand. The difference between L8 and L10 lies in the drivers and sound concept. Both versions have high-quality wire connectors that can be used for wire, spades, or banana plugs.
TYPE: Passive
DIMENSIONS: 460mm x 422mm x 762mm (floor standing variant), 330mm x 242mm x 280mm (bookshelf variant)
WEIGHT: 8kg / loudspeaker including floor stand, 7kg / loudspeaker including shelf stand
MATERIAL: Composite cement, wood, metal, fabric
DRIVER TYPE: Point source, two way coaxial
DRIVER: SEAS E0051-04/06 C16N001/F
FREQUENCY RANGE: 73 – 22,000 Hz
HOUSING TYPE: Sealed cabinet
CONNECTORS: Gold plated binding posts
TYPE: Passive
DIMENSIONS: 450mm x 310mm x 975mm
WEIGHT: 22kg / loudspeaker incl. floor stand
MATERIAL: Composite cement, wood, metal, fabric
TECHNOLOGY: Quasi-Active /Acoustic Crossover
FREQUENCY RANGE: 25 – 24,000 Hz
LOADABILITY: 400W
CONSTRUCTION TYPE: Acoustic-Suspension
CONNECTORS: Gold plated binding posts
TYPE: Passive
DIMENSIONS: 450mm x 310mm x 975mm
WEIGHT: 23kg / loudspeaker incl. floor stand
MATERIAL: Composite cement, wood, metal, fabric
TECHNOLOGY: Linear Motion Transformer 1-28kHz
FREQUENCY RANGE: 25 – 28,000 Hz
LOADABILITY: 1000W
CONSTRUCTION TYPE: Acoustic-Suspension
CONNECTORS: Gold plated binding posts