As all who love music will know, speakers are a somewhat tricky business. Searching for true electrostatic Hi Fi quality speakers often comes at the price of aesthetics, and with many of us working so hard to make our homes extensions of our creative selves, a huge black box in the middle of the living room is not particularly what we are looking for.
This often leads even true music lovers to downgrade the quality of their speaker system in order to purchase designs that are more pleasing to the eye. That has been true, up until now, but from the genius mind of Tim Mellow and his company, Mellow Acoustics, comes an exciting new product that will make listening to music a whole new ball game.
The Mellow Acoustics FrontRo speakers, that have been developed and made in England, are both small (only 762mm high) and sleek, but develop a powerful sound almost unmatched in the Hi Fi world.
Tim’s philosophy is that ‘…good audio should be like good food, using only the finest quality ingredients in simple recipes with no artificial additives’ and that is exactly how he has created FrontRo – using only the best locally sourced materials. The speakers are made of oak veneered wood and come across as simple yet quirky and stylish, allowing them to fit right in with a modern house.
The grille cloths come in a range of shade, such as grey, navy, and burgundy, and for a small premium you can even choose the colour of the veneer wood. With its unique and contemporary design, these speakers are both eye catching and subtle; not imposing like its competitors, but a sure statement that will compliment the living space around them.
The speaker classifies itself as a ‘hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker’ and it is already boasting critical acclaim from leading audio writers, who are calling it ‘The next step in Hi Fi’.
The speaker has a 12” electrostatic unit that handles the mid-range and treble frequencies (600 Hz to 20 kHz), while the conventional 5.25” dynamic woofer handles the lower midrange and bass down to the lowest note on a double bass or bass guitar (40 Hz).
Being a passive loudspeaker, the FrontRo allows the owner to choose any ‘…amplifier and partnering equipment, such as a turntable or streaming device, that you wish to use’ making the functionality of the speakers clear from the get-go. It also has a special screen the helps to ensure long term function by keeping dust and moisture out of the speakers inner mechanisms.
The FrontRo speakers come with a price tag of £7500, making them a pretty hefty investment. However that is exactly what these speakers are, an investment in music, an investment in entertainment, and an investment in interior design. For music lovers everywhere speakers don’t get much better, or more stylish than this.
Technical specifications
Overall dimensions (without feet): 762 mm (H) x 494 mm (W) x 291 mm (D)
Recommended amplifier power rating: 25 to 100 W
Frequency response: 40 Hz to 20 kHz
Input impedance: nominal 8 ohms.
Sensitivity: 84 dB @ 1m for 2.83 VRMS.
Maximum output: 98dB SPL from electrostatic unit for 14 VRMS (input protected).
Crossover frequency: 600 Hz, 1st-order, time-correct
Mains connection: 240 V, 4 mA
