Goldmund and Pinel et Pinel's New Collaborative Speakers Are Priced at $1.77 million USD

An update to the brand's renowned Apologue speakers, these are hand-painted by French street artist Kongo and are limited to only 20 pairs.

Goldmund

The prestigious Swiss audio firm Goldmund has collaborated with the French luxury trunk manufacturer Pinel et Pinel to enhance its renowned Apologue speakers.

The duo has also engaged Cyril Kongo, the French street artist commonly referred to as Kongo, as a third creative collaborator. Kongo's artwork embellishes each of the speaker's five distinct units, with the artist – who has previously collaborated with Hermès and Richard Mille – describing the collaboration as “a multi-sensory work that connects the realms of premier hi-fi, luxury leather goods, and contemporary art.”

The Apologue speaker, a hallmark of Goldmund, was acknowledged by MoMA in 1987 for its design and thereafter shown publicly. In contrast to the 1980s model, which had a three-way passive speaker system, the new “Apologue Ultimate Pinel et Pinel & Cyril Kongo” edition is an active speaker designed with six distinct drivers. It comprises one tweeter dome, one super tweeter dome, twin seven-inch midrange drivers, and dual 12-inch woofers.

The new Apologue, as an active speaker, incorporates six amplifiers that energize its drivers: one 300-watt amplifier for each tweeter, two 300-watt amplifiers for the midrange driver, and two 700-watt amplifiers, all integrated within the five units comprising the speaker.

Goldmund

“We conceptualized these speakers as sculptures,” elucidates Fred Pinel, founder of Pinel et Pinel. Each of these "sculptures" is enveloped in 52.5 feet (16 meters) of high-quality, silky calfskin leather from Pinel et Pinel’s Parisian workshop, divided into around 15 segments per speaker. Kongo individually hand-painted each piece, exercising complete artistic freedom in his interpretation of the brief, as stated by the companies. Moreover, akin to the majority of Goldmund's speakers, each unit was meticulously constructed in Switzerland.

The collaboration presented a novel obstacle for the artist, who had to paint in reverse due to the subsequent construction of the speaker, while also enabling Kongo to explore another of his passions: music. “In my youth, I extensively experimented with sound systems,” he states, “I possess a fervor for music and musicians, as well as for artisans such as Fred Pinel.” He asserts that the partnership provided a chance to “integrate the elements that characterize my pictorial style, my artistic lexicon, my persona.”

The exclusive speakers can now be acquired through special order from Goldmund. Each weighs 794 pounds (360 kilograms) and costs €1.5 million EUR / $1.77 million USD per pair.