Having heard rumors about Pioneer’s S-A4SPT-PM Pure Malt Speakers a couple of years ago, we’re glad to hear now that they’re: a) available outside of Japan for the first time; and b) actually quite good value for money.

These speakers, made out of 50-year-old former whisky barrels, are more than just a cool ‘water of life’ lover’s gadget or the clever recycling of timber.

The use of aged oak, as opposed to the MDF from which most other wood speakers are made, apparently gives the speakers a a mature mellow tone and, without question, an aesthetic advantage over the myriad boring grey and black plastic eyesores adorning entertainment units the world over.

Pioneer S-A4SPT-PM ‘Pure Malt’ Speakers [via Tree Hugger, via Gizmodo, via CNET (what a journey...)]

Whisky-Barrel Speakers