a visual collective outlet of inspiration

as promised here is the follow-up review to the joey roth ceramic computer speakers available for under $500. we received our review copy about 10 days ago. they arrived in an eco-friendly unbleached corrugated box. right off the bat you could feel the hand made, small production, feel you crave for in an age of mass production and junk culture.

the ceramic unit is lovingly crafted (no bubbles and carefully glazed) and feels solid. the heavy speakers (magnets) signaled a promissing start and the mini volume control amp, made of stainless steel and wood is sturdy enough to out-last new york city’s cocaroches.

all good, we originally loved the look and we enjoyed the craftsmanship, but what about the sound? well, as an audio enthusiast who sports a pair of quicksilver mono block tube amps and audio research preamp at home i was anxious to see what these juniors could do. each year i read and search for small computer speakers as that’s where i spent most of my day. i have so many collecting dust that its becoming a liability in a city where a square foot of space is worth a $1,000. from tube mono speakers, to my portable suitcase cambridge audio unit, to audio engine monitors, as well as a range of consumer monitors… none ever fully fit the bill. so what can i say about these?

well i was pleasantly surprised and happy to see something, that was so well designed, sound so good. i am not a sub fan and i prefer to rely on my speakers for a more natural bass, and in this case, without a sub-woofer these speakers hold their own quite galently. the only bummer was the wood speaker stands, holding the sculptural speakers. i didn’t like the loose fit of the wood pieces and the speakers inside the felt lining. to get a tighter base i had to build my own contraption with rubber nipples to direct the resonance. perhaps version 2.0 will address that. that taken care of, the sound was warm and clean, the highs & lows were not exaggerated as in most consumer speakers, and having listened to them, everyday for the past 10 days, i can say that there is no fatigue associated to the sound. this is not something i can say for any other desktop speakers thus far. in low volumes the sound was full a key point for me. i had in the past recommended the audio engines to most friends, but the joey roth ceramic speakers will be up there on top of my list moving forward.

last the price tag may seem like a chunk of change for many, but if you are into music and equipment that replicates it accurately, you will appreciate the craftsmanship, and quality, making $500 a steal for something that will possibly last you a lifetime. my home pre amp alone sold for $4,000 and that was in the 70’s and i challenge a new model to beat it at any price. i hope that these will be the last desktop speakers i get. well done. by dd