Hi Everyone,
As I’ve said many times before speakers are my favorite part of the HiFi chain, there are so many excellent choices out there, so many different technologies and they come in all shapes and sizes and I can honestly say I have never seen a speaker like the FrontRo by Mellow Acoustics so when I was offered a chance for a listen I jumped at it, more because I was intrigued to be honest but I had no idea that they would sound as good as they do so I am really pleased to say that we now have a pair on permanent demo.
Other than the sound what I really love about these speakers are that they look totally unique, they are certainly getting attention in the shop, not everyone wants a big cabinet imposing in their room but in the past most lifestyle products may deliver on looks but are really left wanting when it comes to sound quality, that really isn’t the case with the FrontRo speakers, you can now have a speaker that will blend into your living space, look cool but also sound amazing.
So what are they I hear you say, basically they are a hybrid passive speaker comprising of 12″ Electrostatic unit, the top round part, that handles the midrange and treble, partnered with a conventional 5.25″ dynamic driver to handle bass duties, they are all designed and build in the UK.
They have been developed by Tim Mellow who was kind enough to visit us and explain his new ‘Oscillating Sphere’ concept on which these speakers are designed to create a big, wide and live sound, I’ve stolen the below from his website rather than recycle it –
‘Unlike other electrostatic loudspeakers on the market, FrontRo uses an innovative concept to prevent the waves from beaming towards you: The Oscillating Sphere. Imagine a rigid sphere oscillating back and forth in free space, spreading the sound out in all directions across the entire musical spectrum. This is the perfect dipole sound source and has a smooth response.
Having always admired the clear and detailed sound of electrostatic loudspeakers, Tim Mellow set out to create a new design that was more efficient, compact, and attractive in the home than anything previously available. Also, nearly all loudspeakers he heard sounded nothing like music played live in the room because most real instruments don’t beam the sound towards you at certain frequencies. Hence, loudspeakers generally lack the room-filling effect of live music that immerses you in reflected sound to produce that lovely sense of space and airiness.
Tim spent over five years, designing and developing his own concept for a new type of hi-fi speaker, driven by his desire for a way of reproducing recorded music as if it were a live performance. A benefit of the improved quality of the reflected sound is that it is recognized by the ear as belonging to the direct sound so that the two are combined (Haas effect), which in turn enhances the stereo image. If you close your eyes, you can hear where each musician is located.’
I must admit that I was intrigued more than anything but I really didn’t expect them to sound as good as they do, if you do want a speaker to compliment your interior rather than dominate it but don’t want to compromise on sound quality then the FrontRo speakers from Mellow Acoustic really do need to be considered as I am sure you will be as surprised and impressed as I was.
Please find a couple of reviews below –
David Price, StereoNET: “It possesses all the desirable traits of a great electrostatic – a superb, near translucent midband, super quick transients and no nasty boomy box sounds ….. you get an excellent sense of spatiality; it’s a truly expansive sound and not one that beams out at you”
Paul Messenger, Hi-Fi+: “The bass line was invariably crisp, clear and well defined….The vocal talents of Joplin were portrayed well on the FrontRo, suggesting a speaker of rare detail, vocal clarity and dynamic range…This is a loudspeaker with a distinct focus on sound that simply does the business, supplying good sound quality wherever one sits and outstanding quality if you listen in the sweet spot.“
Jess Marshall, Luxury Lifestyle Magazine: “(FrontRo) speakers are, an investment in music, an investment in entertainment, and an investment in interior design. For music lovers everywhere speakers don’t get much better, or more stylish than this.”
Jarone Ashkenazi, Upscale Living: “After five years of development paying meticulous detail to design and audio quality, FrontRo has positioned itself as possibly the world’s most luxurious electrostatic audio units.”
Please find a link below to FrontRo on our Website below –
https://hifilounge.co.uk/product-category/brands/mellow-acoustics/
Also this review is well worth watching which sums up my thoughts also –
And some pictures below –
Cheers,
Paul.
