Pioneer's PureMalt S-A4SPT-VP speakers: whiskey makes 'em better

You loved those JVC sake-soaked speakers right? Only, the smell of that warm fermented rice elixir is a painful mnemonic of some woeful, Golden-Gai excess you'd sooner forget. Yeah, us too. Then check the latest rev of the "PureMalt" speaker line-up from Pioneer made from the 100 year old oak used to barrel-age whiskey (or is that whisky?) before retiring in your bookshelf HiFi.  As to the specs, well, if this is the kind of marketing ploy that appeals to you, then do you really care about the inclusion of Pioneer's Technical Audio Devices (TAD) technology usually found in their professional speakers? Didn't think so. The S-A4SPT-VP goes on sale in August for ¥48,000 or about a $421 equiv for the pair.

[Via Impress]

[strider_mt2k @ Jul 11th 2006 8:43AM]

-or the classic buying excuse to give your wife: "When I bought them I also was soaked in whiskey at the time"

Seriouly though they look really really nice and I have always liked Pioneer stuff.

[CRH @ Jul 11th 2006 8:51AM]

Whiskey or Whisky? Both are correct depending on mostly location. Whisky is Scottish or Irish in origin I think. If I am wrong I am sure some one will let me know. For $421 they better get me drunk every time I listen to them.

[JW @ Jul 11th 2006 8:58AM]

-or the classic excuse to give to your wife when caught licking your whiskey soaked speakers "Hell, you knew when you married me I'm a cheap date"

[Tonio @ Jul 11th 2006 9:09AM]

Bretheren, look no further than thee Wikipedia:

"Whisky (or whiskey) comes from the Gaelic uisge/uisce beatha meaning "water of life", and is ultimately derived from Latin aqua vitae.

The spelling whisky (plural whiskies) is generally used for those distilled in Scotland, Wales, Canada, and Japan, while whiskey is used for the spirits distilled in Ireland and in the United States."

[MacroEQ @ Jul 11th 2006 10:28AM]

Want to find whisky soaked speakers? You don't need to any further than your local pub... where they'll be soaked in whisky, lager, cider, bitter, stout, vodka...

M.

[jcg @ Jul 11th 2006 12:06PM]

I've go to pare off jolt soaked speakers, shall start the bidding at 200 dollars?

[asdf @ Jul 11th 2006 12:09PM]

that's mostly just marketing. i really doubt that even a whisk(e)y jar can do any sound wonders with only 154×213×246mm to begin with and the claimed 100w seems fairly ridiculous @ this size.

[Dr. TOBOT @ Jul 11th 2006 3:06PM]

Q. Oak Barrel Aging

[WTM @ Jul 13th 2006 3:12PM]

If they are indeed made from 100-year old barrels, the oak must come from Scotland, Wales, or the birthplace of whiskey, Ireland. American and Canadian whisk(e)ys must be aged in brand new barrels, giving them their distinct tannen (woody) taste. Ireland and Scotland reuse barrels, often buying them from wine, sherry, or port producers, to give specific taste blends to the whiskey. So it's likely that the oak was originally used to brew something else first.

I don't know what the Japanese policies are, but I doubt they've been making whisky for over 100 years.