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The allure of concrete isn’t confined to brutalist architecture. At some point, the miracle material found its way into the hearts and ears of the audiophile community, both for its weight and stability, but also for its undeniable aesthetic solidity. As we’ll see, concrete is still a force to be reckoned with across a number of new devices, but the history of audio-shaping aggregates goes back a long way.
For a start, there’s Ron Arad’s pioneering Concrete Stereo from 1983, a mighty statement of Eighties excess that dovetailed the young iconoclast’s anti-minimal aesthetic with an almost mocking disdain for the matte black and chrome image of the decade. You’ll find an example in the V&A’s collection, with a set selling for £47,500 at Christie’s in 2019.
Established Swiss manufacturer Thorens ventured into the concrete realm with their own turntable a few years later, but only a few hundred units were rumoured to be made, while the designer and maker Lewis Kemmenoe parlayed some of Arad’s spirit into his own set of unique speakers, created for Stanhope’s WestWorks building at White City Place.
Lewis Kemmenoe, concrete speakers for WestWorks, 2018
In recent years, other companies have incorporated concrete into speakers – the aptly named Concrete Audio from Germany, for example – hi-fi units, guitars and even keyboards. However, the only time the ‘Brutalist’ appellation has ever been applied to a piece of tech (as far as we know) is Transparent’s decidedly non-concrete but still heavyweight Brutalist speaker.
Concrete Audio's B1 speaker
Read on to discover other ways of getting the miracle material into your home technology eco-system.
Loewe Stellar TV
The concrete rear panel of Loewe's Stellar TV
Germany manufacturer Loewe reached for a new audience when they introduced a concrete finish on their Stellar series of television sets. The company developed a wafer-thin concrete finish for the rear panel of the aluminium framed Stellar family, adding another layer of textured, architectural minimalism to the set, available in either 48” or 65” screen sizes.
Loewe Stellar TV
Keychron K2 HE Concrete Edition
Keychron K2 HE Concrete Edition
The forthcoming K2 HE from Keychron taps into concrete’s weight and durability to create a satisfyingly tactile desktop device that is going to stay in place, no matter how ferocious your typing style.
Keychron specialises in Bluetooth devices with swappable keys and magnetic switch technology that results in a pleasing clicky keystroke with way more travel and feel than a slimline laptop or Apple Magic Keyboard.
Scaled to 75%, the compact K2 HE won't take up much desk space but can support up to three devices. A backlit black resin edition is also available for a more ostentatious effect.
Due to launch in February 2026. More information at Keychron.com
Celia & Perah M8 speakers and amplifier
Celia & Perah M8 speakers and amplifier
Taiwan tech company Celia and Perah offer a full range of audio equipment but it’s their M8 series of concrete-bodied speakers with a matching amplifier that we’re interested in.
Consisting of the M8-AMP stereo receiver, with its support for streaming audio, Bluetooth and traditional wired inputs, and the M8-SPK concrete speakers (each 4.5kg), the system uses the material’s strength and solidity for balance and reduced resonance despite their compact size.
Celia & Perah M8 amplifier
M8 Concrete Hi-Fi System, $1,599.99, Celia-Perah.com
Rok One by Wilmslow Audio
Rok One concrete speakers by Wilmslow Audio
Wilmslow Audio’s Rok One speakers are rare but worth seeking out. Each pair was hand-cast using low-carbon ECO concrete, with imperfections and variations in the surface and colour deliberately encouraged.
Each speaker weighs 9kg, and the solidity of the cabinet improves the sound and reduces the resonance, as per the C&P M8s, despite the concrete bookshelf form factor.
Detail of the Rok One speakers
Rok One speakers, £1,980/pair, WilmslowAudio.co.uk
EAT C-Dur Concrete turntable
EAT C-Dur Concrete turntable
Stability is the name of the game when it comes to a high-end record player. And what better way of ensuring a rock-solid base than using concrete as a material?
That’s the ethos behind European Audio Team’s C-Dur Concrete Turntable, which weighs in at a mighty 32kg and shouldn’t be troubled by any pesky vibrations. The elegant slab of smooth concrete is paired with an aluminium platter and EAT's own C-Note 10" Carbon-Aluminium Tonearm and a choice of cartridges.
EAT C-Dur Concrete turntable
EAT C-Dur Concrete Turntable, EuropeanAudioTeam.com, £6,499, available from HenleyAudio.co.uk and Kronos AV
Vertico 3D-Printed speakers
Vertico 3D-Printed concrete speaker
Launched in 2024 and made using Vertico’s own 3D-printed concrete technology, these ‘woven’ speakers were developed in collaboration with Dutch hi-fi specialists Kubuni and are available to order.
Vertico's 3-D printed concrete creation in action
The Eindhoven-based company uses the speakers as a showcase for their computer-controlled 3D-printing process, with intricate forms that simply couldn’t be created in another way. Kubuni’s input ensures the electronics are as cutting edge as the forms.
The 3-D printed concrete speakers are available in a variety of forms
Vertico 3-Printed Concrete Speakers, from €4,500, Vertico.com
S-Clock by Sand Product
S-Clock by Sand Product
It’s not quite concrete, nor is it audio, but the S-Clock by the Nishio City-based SR Services is part of a series of interiors products made from cast black sand. The company debuted its products at Designart Tokyo in 2024 and has since expanded to vases, mirrors, tables and trays.
Detail of the S-Clock by Sand Product
Shaped by Tokyo studio Pulse Design Unit, the products are formed from sand that’s usually wasted in the iron-casting process, getting its colour from a mix of graphite and carbon. Resin and waste black sand are formed into the new products.
S-Clock 300, ¥30,800, SandProduct.com