New from French speaker company Elipson is the £3300/pr BS 50 Tribute loudspeaker, which uses a spherical housing combined with an upward-firing drive unit and a large reflector.
The speaker is actually a re-creation, using modern materials, of the original BS50 – Ball Staff 50 –, designed by the company in 1953, and used for the first sound and light shows at the royal Chateau de Chambord in the Loire Valley (below).
The speaker's bass-reflex enclosure stands on a brushed alloy tripod, and the swivelling 'ear' allows the sound to be directed precisely as required.
After its son et lumiére debut, it went on to become the reference speaker at the Maison de la Radio broadcast facility in Paris, the HQ of Radio France and the French equivalent of the BBC's Broadcasting House.
Elipson says its has 'reproduced this legendary model using today’s latest high quality materials, while preserving the acoustic sound qualities that were so unique to a product that defied all normal standards of loudspeaker design.'
The project was carried out to mark the 60th anniversary of the company: founded in 1938 as Multimoteur, it became Elipson in 1951. However, the extensive development involved in the BS 50 Tribute means it only arrived right at the end of the company's 50th anniversary year!
The company has actually been making spherical speakers for the past 70 years – perhaps its best-known modern products are the Planet L speakers. To see more of its history, and some of its distinctive designs, click here.
The Elipson BS 50 is now available in the UK through BBG Distribution.