Many of the best wireless speakers are functional and designed with only their audio performance in mind. But others are designed to be seen and heard too. That's definitely the case with the beautiful speakers shown above, the Adsum and Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 speakers.
The rather clunky name is because these speakers are a partnership between German high-end audio brand Elac and Brooklyn fashion house Adsum. The speakers are based on Elac's award-winning self-powered bookshelf speakers, the Debut ConneX, and in this edition have been complemented by custom magnetic speaker cabinets, a custom one-piece metal stand, and a custom speaker enclosure and driver. They are also the only fully painted speaker model you can buy.
Adsum and Elac present the Connex DCB41 speakers: substance and style
Of course, there's no point in having pretty speakers if they don't offer excellent audio. But this pair should do it. They feature two 50W Class D amplifiers and support a wide range of audio sources, including Bluetooth (aptX), HDMI ARC, analog/phono, optical, and USB (Hi-Res, 96kHz, 24-bit for Mac/Windows ). As a nice touch, there's a built-in phono stage so you can plug in one of the better turntables directly without having to run it through a separate phono stage first.
The speakers use Elac's proprietary Xbass Enhancer, which can boost the lower frequencies without overpowering the rest, and if you need even more bass presence, there's also a subwoofer output and speaker output for even more kit. The drivers here are 4.5″ polypropylene woofers and 3/4″ soft dome tweeters.
The price? $649 / £650 – but there's a problem. These speakers are only available to customers in the US and Canada. However, if you can live without Adsum's refreshed styling, the standard ConneX DCB41 is widely available elsewhere and currently sells for £399 in the UK.
You can learn more about the Adsum and Elac Debut Connex DCB41 speakers at adsumnyc.com.
