Напольная акустика — Goldmund Apologue Ultimate Pinel et Pinel X Kongo

The Apologue Ultimate Pinel et Pinel X Kongo is a limited edition of Goldmund's historic Apologue loudspeaker. The Swiss company created it with Parisian trunk and leather maker Pinel et Pinel and graffiti-inspired artist Cyril Kongo, known for collaborations with Hermès and Richard Mille. The original 1987 Apologue, designed by Italian artist Claudio Rotta Loria, was selected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York for its design. Only 20 pairs of this edition are made, priced at EUR 1.5 million or USD 1.77 million per pair.

Key specs that matter

Each speaker uses a dome super tweeter, a dome tweeter, two 7 in midrange drivers and two 12 in woofers. The super tweeter covers 13 kHz to 30 kHz, the tweeter 2.4 kHz to 13 kHz, the midranges 200 Hz to 2.4 kHz and the woofers 24 Hz (-6 dB) to 225 Hz. Built-in Telos amplification provides 300 W for the super tweeter, 300 W for the tweeter and 2 x 300 W for the midranges, and 2 x 350 W for the woofers. Inputs are an S/PDIF digital input and a wireless audio input. Each speaker is 85 cm wide, 185 cm tall and 120 cm deep, and it weighs 360 kg.

Engineering and use context

The 1987 Apologue was a three-way passive speaker. This edition keeps the identical external design but incorporates 36 years of Goldmund development, becoming a six-way active speaker. The amplifiers are built in, one channel per driver, so the crossover works digitally before amplification and each amplifier drives one unit directly. The wireless input and digital processing mean the speaker needs only a source, without separate preamplifier or power amplifiers. The enclosure is wrapped in smooth calfskin leather by Pinel et Pinel, with 16 m of hand-stitched seams per speaker. Kongo paints the flat leather pieces before assembly, anticipating how they come together in three dimensions, so no two pairs are the same. Early pairs were produced in pink and blue. Power consumption is rated at 720 W per speaker at one-eighth output. A 2013 Anniversary edition had already introduced digital technologies to the Apologue before this version.

Pairing

Being active, the speaker connects directly to a digital source over S/PDIF or wirelessly, and Goldmund's own streaming and control products complete the system. Its size and mass suit large rooms of 50 m2 and above.

Alternatives

Goldmund's Rhea Passive is the three-way passive floorstander of the brand with a 7 in midrange and a 12 in woofer.