Flare Audio, the Brits behind the £999 24-karat gold-coated in-ears, claims to have developed the world's first premium speaker with an environmentally-conscience design in its new Zero range.
So what makes these premium speakers zero-waste and 100 per cent recyclable? Paper. Yes, really. Zero is allegedly the world’s first loudspeaker to use recycled paper in the fabrication of its exterior. "We use an English paper mill which makes the greyboard from recycled paper. This is then stamped into vortices. Waste is sent back to the paper mill, creating a perfect synergy and zero waste. The metal plates are machined from solid plates of aluminium. Any waste from the machining process is recycled, again allowing zero waste,” explains Flare founder Davies Roberts.
Using its patented Space technology, Flare Audio clamps layers of 2mm thick recycled paper between solid, milled aluminium plates with such force that the paper apparently becomes as rigid as concrete. These layers of rigid paper sheets form hundreds of vortices, trapping sound but letting air through to release pressure and enabling free movement of the driver. Flare calls this technology 'Vortex'.
The three speakers – 8.1, 12 and 21 – are customisable across 16 colours with optional feet on the 8.1 model, wall-mounting on both the 8.1 and the 12 models, plus diamond-shaped 'swords' which make the units stackable to create cog-like, unique designs. Flare Audio wants you to think of Zero as a series of 'floating' circles; a modular loudspeaker available in different models that can be deployed in limitless formations – either in individual components or in full stereo configurations.
The Zero is a new version of the original Project Zero speaker, which was released four years ago in inch-thick aluminium and with an eye-watering price tag of £250,000. It can now be obtained for less than a tenth of that price, then – plus it's now an eco-friendly option.
Flare Zero pricing starts at £1999 for a single Zero 8.1, £2999 for the Zero 12 and £5999 for the 21, with full Zero systems ranging from £9499 for a Zero System 1 through to the full System 3 at £19999.
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