Stephen Mejias on Oswald Mill Audio AC1 at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 08
Comments from RMAF 2008 Show Report at Stereophile.com
Posted Mon Oct 13, 2008 — By Stephen Mejias
Do you know about Oswald Mill Audio? Check out the website; it's fascinating.
Truth is: I'm not really into exotic loudspeakers.
I like my loudspeakers to look like loudspeakers. To me, a simple wood box is beautiful. But I was more than impressed by the extraordinary Oswald Mill Audio AC1. Completely hand-built out of solid Pennsylvania ash, it takes about a month to complete a single pair of AC1s. Each speaker uses a single 15" Alnico paper-cone woofer and a vintage compression driver for the midrange. Due to the finite quantity of the specific late '40s to early '60s driver, production of the AC1 is limited to just 25 pairs.
Designer Jonathan Weiss asked me if there was anything in specific that I'd like to listen to.
"Any rock and roll?" I asked.
Jonathan looked down to his stack of LPs, took a long pause, and soberly replied: "Not much."
"Oh well. How about…"
"Actually, I've got Prince. Wanna hear Prince?"
"Cool."
Prince's "Darling Nicky" sounded just as it should: Naughty! This was a speaker that managed to remove itself from the room despite its towering size and attention-grabbing looks. When Weiss informed me of the price of $53,000/pair, it almost seemed like a bargain.
Crazy, I know.
Jonathan Weiss hopes to open an Oswald Mill Audio showroom in New York City by the end of the year. I cannot wait to hear these speakers again.
Jonathan Weiss reports on RMAF 08
The response to the OMA room was overwhelmingly positive. Far beyond what I would have expected if I were being optimistic. Many people said, "Best Sound of Show," and some just said it was the best sound they every heard. That was edifying.Exchange at OMA message boards
Bill: Congratulations Jonathan! Sound by Singer is next! A great job, due to all the work you put into the job.Jonathan: Hi Bill. I think you deserve a huge amount of credit here. Without Bill Woods the AC-1 speakers would not exist. I really hope this might cause a revaluation of horn speakers and the conical profile as well.
Win: I agree. When I first began my association with Jonathan, the very idea of horns scared me. I continued because I liked Jonathan, and because I really love my small part as a turntable builder. Inside, I was a planar-electrostatic guy to the very core. No more, though. I really do believe Bill Woods is a virtuouso of conical horns, and I can't wait to get my own pair of AC-1 speakers. Otherwise, how can horns sound so real?
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