What just happened? What's in a name, you ask? In the case of Nocs Design's latest wireless speaker, the answer is, "quite a bit." The Monolith Aluminum is a new portable speaker due out later this year from the Swedish audio specialist. The chassis is crafted from a single block of aluminum, which is further sandblasted and anodized in your choice of silver or matte black.
It looks a lot like the mysterious monoliths that have been popping up around the globe as of late. Or maybe an Xbox Series S console.
Nocs wanted a sleek and refined appearance, so they elected not to plaster logos all over it. "Timeless is paramount to me," said CEO Daniel Alm.
Spec-wise, the Monolith Aluminum packs two full-range, two-inch drivers alongside a pair of four-inch ultra compact woofers and a single 0.8-inch tweeter. All drivers are based on a neodymium magnet motor system. The speakers are paired with a closed-loop Class-D 225 watt (5 x 45 W) amplifier, and we are told to expect a frequency range from 39 Hz to 23 kHz.
Multi-room playback is possible by combining up to eight individual units.
The Monolith supports Bluetooth 5.0 as well as 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz connectivity, and is compatible with Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. It packs a 5,000 mAh battery that is good for up to 15 hours of continuous playback on a single charge; an included USB-C cable is used for recharging. The Monolith measures 348mm x 230mm x 57mm (13.7 inches x 9.1 inches x 2.2 inches) and tips the scales at 4 kg (about 8.8 pounds).
The focus on sustainability extends beyond its use of recycled materials. Nocs designed the speaker such that all components are replaceable for an extra-long lifecycle and to provide a better return on investment.
Nocs is now accepting pre-orders for the Monolith Aluminum. Pricing is set at $1,000, and you will need to put down a 10 percent deposit to reserve yours. Look for it to ship in November 2024.
The Nocs Monolith "portable" wireless speaker is carved from a single chunk of aluminum
