Aesthetics and acoustics come together in the Braque speakers from Nocs Design

The newest speakers from minimalist hi-fi specialist Nocs are inspired by Cubist simplicity and maximal power. Nocs founder Daniel Alm describes Braque as ‘an exploration in symmetry – two cubes, one sculptural stereo system’. Like all of Alms’ very distinctive designs – the Monolith speaker, for example – Braque is as much a sculpture as it is a functional piece.

Braque consists of a meticulously finished brushed steel cube with a plywood speaker box above. Drivers are supplied by Celestion and connections are both analogue RCA and optical (no Bluetooth here). ‘Braque was designed as both object and instrument,’ says Alm, ‘it reflects our belief that form and sound can coexist in perfect balance.’

The weighty metal base comes in at 25kg. Handcrafted in Sweden with an exacting finish, it’s paired with the plywood speaker cube (made in Estonia) to create a 75cm tall tower that’s the perfect height for listening. Braque will be built in limited numbers, with Alm’s own design studio offering custom Pantone-based colour schemes via direct enquiries.

Alms gives the nod to Georges Braque (1882-1963) due to the French painter’s exploration of ‘geometry, duality, and the reduction of form. Braque reflects this thinking through its stacked architecture – two cubes working together as a single instrument,’ he says. There’s more than a hint of Donald Judd’s spatial sculptures in the Braque’s quietly dominating stance.

In addition to the dual Celestion 8-inch coaxial drivers, Braque has twin Hypex FA122 amplifiers with integrated DSP. ‘By working with a larger enclosure and a coaxial driver, we were able to shape a sound that’s natural, open, and honest,’ says Alm. ‘It reveals what’s in the recording without adding anything of its own, which is the core of our Studio Sound approach.’

Braque speakers, €6000 / $6000 per pair, Nocs.design, @Nocsdesign, custom finishes via DanielAlm.com