Billed as the world's first premium eco speakers, the Zero range makes use of recycled paper in its construction, with any waste returned to the paper mill for re-use. The paper is held in place with sheets of aluminum, and any excess produced during machining is recycled.
"We use an English paper mill which makes the greyboard from recycled paper," said Flare Audio's CEO Davies Roberts. "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."
Instead of a traditional speaker cabinet, 2 mm-thick sheets of recycled paper are clamped between aluminum plates, to become "as rigid as concrete." These 1,400 vortices in each speaker surround the driver and are said to trap sound but allow air through, slowly releasing pressure and enabling free movement of the driver. The result is reported to be crystal clear, accurate sound reproduction. And at the end of their lives, the speaker enclosures can be fully recycled.
The Zero range comprises three sizes that can be had in 16 different color options. The 290.5 x 190 mm (11.4 x 7.4 in) Zero 8.1 is priced at £1,999 (about US$2,570), the Zero 12 and 12B measure 425 x 190 mm (16.7 x 7.4 in) and cost £2,999 apiece, while the Zero 21 is 735 x 365 mm (28.9 x 14.3 in) and priced at £5,999. The speakers can be stacked in various configurations and color combinations, with multi-speaker setups starting at £9,499. That's certainly not cheap, but the original Project Zero speaker released four years ago carried a ticket price of £250,000, making the new range a relative bargain.
Source: Flare Audio