- VERDICT
Pantheone is as unique product for both audiophiles and art lovers that is stunning to look at and a thrill to listen to. But only if you can afford it.
What do you get when you get when you cross a work of art with a high-end speaker? Answer: the Pantheone which provides an eye-catching form that also happens to be a powerful wireless audio system.
And it is also an Australian creation.
We say creation for a reason – it is unlike any other speaker you will see or hear.
This is a product that is both interesting to look at and a pleasure to listen to.
For our review, we had the speaker located in the front/lounge room of the house and anyone who saw it asked us what it was.
And when we told them it was a speaker they said they had to hear it.
The Pantheone is certainly a unique approach to a speaker where looks means as much as the sound – and it gets it right on both accounts.
Before we go any further we should point out one important fact. Pantheone doesn’t come cheap.
To have this decorating your home and entertaining you with superior studio it will set you back $3,390.
Still with us?
Let’s talk about the design – it has an egg shape with a hollowed out core. The cabinet is made of fully-moulded resin and has no seams or lines which gives it a real purity.
And the curved shape and internal space are designed to enhance the acoustics.
Pantheone acoustics includes powerful subwoofers that are connected by a long throw voice coil.
These 6.5-inch subwoofers are in a bass reflex chamber with curved port tubes placed diametrically opposite one another to cancel mechanical vibrations.
Another bit of attention to detail is the handpicked acoustic fabrics that help enhance the audio quality and listening experience.
And did we mention this speaker is pretty big and quite heavy.
Pantheone tips the scales at 25kg. It’s also 65.3cm high and 46cm wide.
Now that is all fine and dandy and we’ve accepted the large egg in our home is actually pretty easy on the eye and represents a form that can be appreciated just as you would a work of art.
It was literally as conversation starter – and we were happy to talk about.
The top of the speaker is where you’ll find all the controls but it’s the Pantheone companion app that makes things easier to set-up, connect and stream your music
The speaker connects either through Bluetooth or wi-fi to your favourite music services including Spotify and Apple Music.
It’s also as smart speaker with Amazon Alexa onboard which can be used to control the music, answer all your questions and give you the latest news, traffic and weather information.
Users can also connect an audio source through the Auxiliary 3.5mm jack input.
But what about the sound?
Just like the physical dimensions of the speaker – it’s big and loud.
And despite having a loud voice, it also has remarkable clarity and definition.
It has a frequency between 33 and 22,000Hz and supported codecs include: APE, FLAC, WAV, Apple Lossless Audio (ALAC), AAC, AAC-LC, HE-AAC and HE-AAC v2.
It is powered by a Class D amp with a 130W subwoofer and 70W for midrange/tweeters.
Quality is remarkable on Bluetooth – the audio has such strength with a room-shaking subwoofer when you crank the volume to a neighbour-disturbing level.
That’s the beauty of the Pantheone speaker – on top of its physical beauty – it can suit all types of listeners no matter what type of music they prefer.
Users will notice a step up in quality when the speaker is connected through wi-fi and used with premium music streaming services like Tidal which offers high-res audio.
The added crispness and warmth is easily noticeable.
The speaker can actually be physically connected with an Ethernet cable through the LAN port on the base for added convenience.
The Pantheone speaker is a unique proposition that offers both a visual and audio quality.
As a work of art it has an under stated elegance that would exist even if there wasn’t a speaker under the hood.
It is beautiful and thought provoking and something that will people will talk about.
I’m not that into art as some other customers so we’re sure there would be an appreciation of this functional work of art far greater than the high praise we could offer.
From as purely audio perspective, the Pantheone is also like a Rolls Royce – offering a luxurious sound and enhanced audio experience.
At $3,390 Pantheone will have a limited audience and will appeal to the niche crossover audience of art lovers and audiophiles who have a few dollars in the bank.
If you’re one of these people, you’re going to absolutely love Pantheone.
For everyone else, there are lots of cheaper options that still offer high quality so for the moment Pantheone is something we can all aspire to.
VERDICT
Pantheone is as unique product for both audiophiles and art lovers that is stunning to look at and a thrill to listen to. But only if you can afford it.
