Swedish audio brand Nocs Lab has announced a new high-end speaker based on its flagship Monolith, and it's the Monolith x Aluminium (via our friends at Wallpaper). It looks like no other speaker: CNC-cut from a single block of aluminum and then sand-blasted and anodized, it "embodies a harmonious blend of minimalist design, audio excellence and environmental responsibility," according to Nocs Lab.
The environmental angle is clearly important to the firm: aluminum is recyclable, and using it in this version of the Monolith (there's another, larger version) enabled the firm to avoid the use of any plastics: that zen-like design means there's no unnecessary frills or wasted materials. Nocs Labs says it's also designed to be fully repairable too, to ensure an extra long life.
Thankfully, it's a lot smaller than it looks in the photos, which suggest some kind of 2001-style giant: it's small enough to carry in a reasonable-sized bag, and weighs a surprisingly light – for a big metal block – 4kg / 8.8 lbs.
Monolith Aluminium speaker: key features, pricing and availability
The Monolith x Aluminium takes the same design cues as its bigger sibling, the $1,500 Monolith, but instead of having the five drivers prominently assembled on the front they're all concealed inside that aluminum casing.
The frequency response is from 39Hz to 23kHz, and there are two full-range two-inch drivers with dual neodymium magnet motors, two 4-inch woofers with vented dual neodymium magnets and ferro-fluid cooling, and a 0.8-inch tweeter. They're driven by closed-loop Class D amps, delivering 45W to each speaker, for a total 225W. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is 5,000mAh with a claimed life of up to 15 hours of continuous playtime, which is lower than many the best Bluetooth speakers, but not bad.
Wireless is dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC and SBC, and it streams over Bluetooth, via Spotify Connect and via Tidal Connect. Nocs says that more streamers will be added soon. It's a bit disappointing that there's no aptX or other Hi-Res Audio support wirelessly, but it doesn't matter too much if it sounds good.
The Monolith x Aluminium will be shipping in November 2024 and pre-orders are open now with early customers getting an alcantara sleeve to protect it. The price is $1000 / £850 / AU$1,405 and you can choose between silver and matte black finishes.
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