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Orbitsound launches the Air D1 one-box luxury speaker

British audio company Orbitsound has launched its Air D1 high-end active speaker that’s the world’s only one-box luxury loudspeaker

The Air D1 is a high-end, fully active loudspeaker that uses Orbitsound’s proprietary Airsound™ technology, an innovation that delivers a stereo image without the need for a second speaker.

Orbitsound claims that no matter where you are in the room, you’ll hear the same tonal and spatial presentation with no need to be in the ‘sweet spot’ to get that hi-fi performance.

The Air D1 has a rather unique look in comparison to other more conventional speaker designs. The cabinet itself sits inside a stand arrangement that gives the impression that the speaker is floating in mid-air.

A picture of a scene from a game called Resident Evil 3

The Air D1 was conceived under the direction of Orbitsound founder and audio engineer Ted Fletcher, who has over sixty years experience in the music industry. The speaker marries together a number of recently developed technologies that include Airsound™ , as well as a technique called ‘transconductance’.

Transconductance solves a problem in traditional audio systems. In conventional speakers, a signal from an amplifier may end up distorted by the loudspeaker. With Orbitsound’s Transconductance solution in tow, the behaviour of the loudspeaker is constantly monitored by the amplifier, which corrects its own output to significantly decrease these distortions. Orbitsound says this results in a sound that’s “breathtakingly clear, transparent, dynamic and precise.”

Connection to the Air D1 is possible via wireless options – Bluetooth or Wi-Fi – or wired in the three aux analogue inputs, optical digital and an ethernet connection.

The Air D1 is out this month (April) and is available through Harrods for its initial launch period. You will need to break open your piggy bank to get one. It costs £12,000.

Would you pay £12k for a loudspeaker? Let us know on Facebook or on Twitter @TrustedReviews

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