Nocs Braque Stacks Two Cubes into a 25kg Sculptural Stereo System - Yanko Design

"Most hi-fi speakers still look like anonymous black rectangles, even when they sound great. A few brands treat speakers as furniture or sculpture, but often at the expense of engineering. Braque by Nocs tries to sit in the middle, a pair of cubes that are as considered visually as they are technically, treating stereo as both sound and composition rather than one serving the other as an afterthought."

"The upper cube is rigid plywood finished in deep matte-black oil, chosen for tonal warmth and acoustic integrity, and the lower cube is a hand-welded, brushed steel block that anchors the system physically and visually. Sorbothane isolation pads sit between them, decoupling the enclosure from the base so the driver can move without shaking the furniture or smearing the soundstage. Together, the two volumes form a study in symmetry, a minimal yet expressive composition."

"The acoustic core is an 8-inch Celestion FTX0820 coaxial driver with a 1-inch compression tweeter at its center, powered by dual Hypex FA122 modules delivering 125 W per side with integrated DSP. The coaxial layout gives a point-source image, and the active 2-way design lets Nocs control crossover and EQ precisely, resulting in a 42 Hz-20 kHz response that is tuned rather than guessed at from a passive circuit."

Braque pairs a CNC-machined plywood enclosure with a 25 kg solid-steel base to form a sculptural stereo system that prioritizes both looks and acoustics. Built in numbered editions, assembled in Estonia and handcrafted in Sweden, the design targets discerning listeners rather than mass-market wireless buyers. The upper cube uses rigid plywood finished in deep matte-black oil for tonal warmth, while the lower hand-welded brushed steel block anchors the system and isolates vibrations with Sorbothane pads. An 8-inch Celestion coaxial driver with a 1-inch compression tweeter is driven by dual Hypex FA122 modules (125 W per side) with integrated DSP, enabling precise active crossover, EQ control, and a tuned 42 Hz–20 kHz response; the geometry lifts the driver toward seated ear height to aid imaging.

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