Our search for the ideal sound box for these unique speakers lasted from 1996 to 2000. During this period, we tried out many designs and materials. The results were generally speaking satisfactory, but the “magic” of a “live” musical performance was not quite there. One fine day in 1999, Bernard Salabert gave us the idea of using Sitca spruce “tonewood” for the boxes, instead of MDF. Sitca spruce is the wood used for the sound boards in pianos, for guitars, violins, cellos and other stringed instruments.
Extensive study taught us what we needed to know about how musical instruments are built and, armed with this knowledge, we started a second search, which resulted in the design of a sound box with very thin walls, made entirely from 4 mm solid wood, and with the necessary bracing – like that used in the manufacture of guitars, for example.
The design and realisation of this bracing was a real challenge, but the final result is a sound box that is completely free from undesired resonances, and no muffling is required in the box. For the finishing of the boxes, we chose a violin varnish based on shellac, a proven product for high-quality musical instruments.
The results obtained were truly astounding – suddenly the magic was there, the sensation of being personally present at the musical performance, with the timbre and the subtlety and richness of the sound of musical instruments. To cut a long story short: this is what we had been looking for all those years.
In fact, our work has since been applied by others: in 2006, the Japanese company ONKYO, in cooperation with Japanese guitar maker Takamine, developed the D-TK10 loudspeaker, constructed on the basis of exactly the same principles– see http://www.eu.onkyo.com/article/article_en_4211572.html