HOW WOULD

James’ 33AL speakers hydro-dipped to blend with books.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR SOUND TO LOOK?

With a wide, high performance range personalised exactly to your customer’s needs, James Loudspeaker is writing the next chapter in custom audio luxury, says Habitech’s Jonathan Pengilley.

On a mission to ‘personalise’ the installation of audio for an elite clientele, James Loudspeaker has overtaken rivals to become the ultimate US custom brand. In only two decades it’s built a business trading on exclusivity - the most desirable commodity in luxury retail - without ever having to sell itself too hard.

This is because James Loudspeaker is the most accomplished supplier to a niche in a market where nothing is ‘standard’. As conspicuous monuments to success, the Chiron on the drive and the Ferretti in the marina are deliberately and immaculately customised to represent the very antithesis of mass production. James supplies audio solutions that are similarly personalised, and therefore highly valued. It’s a tautology, but the products behind its Unique Selling Proposition are, in themselves, unique! We’re excited to be working with a brand that hasn’t so much carved out its niche as built it from the ground up in every possible shape, colour and finish.

STAR TURNAROUND Beneath the peerless quality, creativity and the confidence to complete any custom job however extravagant, James’ big secret is its ability to practice the ‘art of bespoke’ more efficiently and cost-effectively than any potential rival. It’s a challenge that requires a totally different mentality to the one devoted to volume production. For instance, celebrated and successful though it is, Sonance wouldn’t consider any production run under 500 units to be viable. James loudspeaker on the other hand is proud - yes proud - of the fact that it produces only two wholly bespoke speaker designs every day. Each project is logged by James for future reference and by leveraging this database it’s developed unrivalled expertise in meeting each custom project quickly and completely.

So evolved are the production processes that the custom-sizing of a sound-bar for instance is considered as routine rather than truly custom. But when James’ engineers (that’s most of the workforce) are able to transform the brand’s stock-in-trade aircraft-grade aluminium enclosures into the bespoke article, cost effectively, usually within two weeks, you know you’ve hit custom gold. No mass producer is able to achieve this.

It’s not about engineering acumen or acoustic intuition - all specialised speaker brands have these in abundance - it’s really the

time on the turf that makes James’ proposition so unique. From the moment it decided to evolve from ‘A N other’ mass producer to the doyen of impeccably tailored audio solutions, the company has single-mindedly acquired the means to deliver the quick turnaround of custom originals all under one roof, making it the go-to supplier of everything bespoke in the world’s most sophisticated CI marketplace. James’ impeccable custom integration has won it a commanding presence in the luxury yacht market

ORIGINAL DESIGN PROJECT-BY-PROJECT The possibilities for your business are endless. James’ ‘never say no’ philosophy means you can have any design you like; each speaker calibrated according to need. Choose from as many as ten ‘small aperture’ in-ceiling/wall systems, developing full-range performance from single, near-invisible 75mm or 100mm apertures; or from the PowerPipe line of hidden subs. If the stock models fit the application, fab: you’ll get fantastic sound from fewer speakers and much less effort. But if the system has to share the space with air-conditioning hardware or some other inconvenient bulkhead, no problem, James will build around it and deliver the same pristine acoustics and build quality from the same volume, custom-shaped to slot straight in. Then again, if your client wants to make a statement with a free-standing original that looks like a phone box or a Dalek, that’s okay too. Send the specs and James will ensure they jump off the screen in every detail faster than even the most exalted audio brands could manage.

Same goes for the thirty-four sound-bars and the fifty-one outdoor speaker options in the James line-up, supplied from stock or customtailored for the project. There are marinegrade models protected by a heavy powder coat against the harshest sea-going conditions (James has a commanding position in the luxury yacht market), as well as all-weather under-eave speakers, sat-sub systems, and innovative custom planter sub boxes available in any design or finish. Everything is possible. All your client has to do is decide how they want the sound to look. It can stand out, or blend flawlessly with the space.

FULL FIDELITY CHAMELEON The most flawless integration of all is available through James’ use of a technique called ‘hydrodipping’. It allows for a digital image to be applied to the exterior of any product. The image is converted to a film, which adheres to a power coat base layer and is sealed by a clear coat on

James’ 63Cube speaker customised to match its environment flawlessly

Whatever you want: all-weather speakers disappear into step risers

James’ small aperture in-ceiling audio systems are hidden behind perfectly disguised grilles top. If your client wants the speakers in the library to be camouflaged perfectly with the volumes on the wall, or outdoor speakers to match the stonework of the host structure exactly, tell them you know the company who can.

THINK CUSTOM, THINK JAMES LOUDSPEAKER James has installed a ‘hydro-dipping’ facility at its new plant at Minden, Nevada, which also features expanded assembly lines and specialised finishing stations doubling manufacturing capabilities, reducing turnaround times and keeping costs ultracompetitive. Everything is in-house to ensure the QoS is consistent with the standards of a luxury brand, and the uber-expectations of its exclusive customer niche.

Now under the auspices of Sonance, James Loudspeaker shares a core belief that, as Sonance CEO, Ari Supran puts it, “technology should disappear into architecture”. In what must be the most convincing disappearing act since Harry Houdini, James performs this magic exclusively, flawlessly and more successfully than any other CI brand. The evidence is compelling if you look hard enough.

Habitech www.habitech.co.uk