GUTTER CREDITSGenius at Work108
1 LEFT
OriginWeiss and industrial designer David D’Imperio
created the Ironic speaker—so-called because
it’s made of iron and the expectations from its
striking, design-statement aesthetic are upended
by its amazing sound—with the drivers mounted
not in a cabinet but rather on an (essentially) planar
surface. Open-baffle loudspeakers have no
boxy sonic colorations or resonances associated
with enclosures and produce uncolored bass,
instant dynamics and music almost as if it’s
hanging in free space. The Ironic looks unlike any
loudspeaker ever made.2 BOTTOM
MoldedThe Ironic begins with a sand mold into which
molten iron is poured. Because of the complicated
nature of the design, the mold can be fashioned
only through 3-D-printing technology. Sand casting
requires that the mold be broken to release the
casting within, so a new mold must be produced for
each loudspeaker, which when finished is 52
inches high and 35 inches wide.G2G_Oct_GAW.indd 108 8/30/19 5:52 PMGUTTER CREDITSGenius at Work108
1 LEFT
OriginWeiss and industrial designer David D’Imperio
created the Ironic speaker—so-called because
it’s made of iron and the expectations from its
striking, design-statement aesthetic are upended
by its amazing sound—with the drivers mounted
not in a cabinet but rather on an (essentially) planar
surface. Open-baffle loudspeakers have no
boxy sonic colorations or resonances associated
with enclosures and produce uncolored bass,
instant dynamics and music almost as if it’s
hanging in free space. The Ironic looks unlike any
loudspeaker ever made.2 BOTTOM
MoldedThe Ironic begins with a sand mold into which
molten iron is poured. Because of the complicated
nature of the design, the mold can be fashioned
only through 3-D-printing technology. Sand casting
requires that the mold be broken to release the
casting within, so a new mold must be produced for
each loudspeaker, which when finished is 52
inches high and 35 inches wide.