Alex Leopold
February 26, 2016
We are all proud of our Klipsch speakers. For those who are sporting big ol’ floorstanders, center channels, surrounds and subwoofers, they are often the focal point of the entire living room.
Now, there may be some of you who don’t give a darn what your setup looks like, but we know there are plenty of people who want to show off their audio investment in all it’s glory.
A few weeks ago, we stumbled upon what might be the best media console we have ever seen. It truly rocks.
Custom furniture makers Adam Owens and Michael Gutierrez work out of TechShop, which provides the resources for them to craft incredible pieces like this media console. The duo had mutual friends in the industry and came together after Owens saw Gutierrez build a wine cabinet in TechShop. While they both work for themselves – NuBoyNow and Michael Maximo – but their collaborations are symbolic of a community.
“Design is being able to open up to possibility and follow the process where it takes you. There is a great network of craftsmen and makers in Austin, TX that are always up for helping each other out if the process takes you to unknown territories.”
Several months ago, a client, who was looking for the perfect media console to house his AV equipment including the Reference Premiere RP-440C, approached them about building a custom media console for the speaker. Admittedly, Owens and Gutierrez had never heard of Klipsch before starting this project. Their initial designs were just to cut out a rectangle and simply use the black grille that comes with the RP-440C center channel.
“Once [the client] took off the cover and revealed the signature copper colored facade, we knew that the detail of beauty of the speaker face had to be accentuated somehow. With the ability to use precision CNC routing technology, we know we could dial in a perfect fit to create a truly customized appearance.”
The duo worked in collaboration with the client, who has quite the eye for details, to gather the correct proportions and perfect design for the media console. Owens handled the consulting and designing duties while Gutierrez built out this custom piece.
Owens said, “There were quite a few examples that the client had eyes on as far as aesthetic, he just couldn't locate the perfect console. Black walnut was already being used throughout the house, so that was an easy choice for wood species. And I haven’t met a furniture maker that doesn't like to work with walnut!”
The exquisite finish of the black walnut wood is thanks to a Sam Maloof Poly/Oil mix that “livens up the wood grain, giving it a nice hand-rubbed satin finish” which is one of Gutierrez’s favorites parts of any project.
The design of the media console called for the team to build one large box to enclose six smaller boxes. Of course, getting everything to fit just right was certainly a challenge.
“Just like the process of weaving, the glue-up of the components was a bit of a juggling act,” Gutierrez said. “There may have been a safer approach but we all know...fortune favors the brave! Maintaining precise alignment in order to achieve crisp shadow lines was challenging as well as keeping the waterfall effect clean and fluid.”
The end result left the client “super happy” and exceeded all of his expectations and those of Owens and Gutierrez as well.
“This is definitely at the top of the list of both of our lists of projects to date! Gutierrez said.”
They duo was able to demo the client’s full system to make sure the custom media console didn’t affect the way the RP-440C was wired or sounded. The duo were subsequently blown away by an action sequence from Star Wars: Return of the Sith.
Look, Klipsch speakers can certainly stand on their own aesthetically and, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you have a jaw-dropping media console. After all, your speakers are still going to sound amazing even if you’re rockin’ a 10-year-old particle board monstrosity.
But, man, this is just oh-so-freakin’ cool. Bravo, Adam and Michael.
About Adam Owens
INSTAGRAM
WEBSITE (under construction)
About Michael Gutierrez
About Tech Shop
WEBSITE
TechShop is a playground for creativity. Part fabrication and prototyping studio, part hackerspace and part learning center, TechShop provides access to over $1 million worth of professional equipment and software. There is comprehensive instruction and expert staff to ensure you have a safe, meaningful and rewarding experience. Most importantly, at TechShop you can explore the world of making in a collaborative and creative environment.
Is this the best media console you’ve seen for Klipsch speakers? Where did your media console from? Let us know in the comments.
Categories: Speakers
