Tropical Cyclone Alfred didn’t do us any favours. Danube had to detour, unloading in Melbourne and Sydney before finally berthing at the Port of Brisbane on March 19 - a frustrating 10-day delay. After much anticipation, my shipping agent, Willship, delivered the speakers on March 28. Six timber crates arrived, each housing a separate speaker section, weighing between 50 and 75 kg.

Given the significant weight, unpacking and assembly required a team of three. At last, two towering speaker columns stood proudly in my studio - intact and flawless.

The angel has landed - and with it, an audiophile dream realized.

My shipping agent, Willship, informed me that my speakers missed the last shipment before the Lunar New Year and had to "slither" into the Year of the Snake! Unfortunately, China shuts down for two weeks from January 29, with operations only gradually returning to full capacity throughout the lunar January.

The good news is that I now have a confirmed schedule: the speakers will be loaded onto the Navios Miami on February 25, with an expected arrival in Brisbane on March 9. Hooray!

This week Fire Wolf shared with me the test results – the Frequency Response Curve and the Impedance Curve – the most important performance data for a speaker design, together with some other basic parameters.

To add a level of objectivity I thought I should seek someone’s help.  After some research and “working” with ChatGPT, below is a high-level performance summary. 

• Smooth frequency response across the audible range (20 Hz–20 kHz) ensures balanced and natural sound reproduction.

• Extended high-frequency performance beyond 30 kHz indicates high-quality tweeter design.

• Stable midrange and high-frequency impedance ensure compatibility with a wide range of amplifiers.

These testing results are promising and align with my design goals! However, the true test will come when I listen to the final product which is still weeks away.

I'm eager to hear the recording!

I am thrilled to share that the completion of the Angelic Sound One assembly! In the coming days, Fire Wolf will carry out final quality control checks through recording sessions.

They look stunning, and I can't wait to hearing how they sound!

One of the most crucial aspects of speaker design is the crossover. The crossover acts like a conductor for the speaker, directing different frequencies to the various driver units to ensure they work together in harmony.

With Fire Wolf's expertise in crossover design, I am confident that the crossover design process is in capable hands.

The speaker's engineering design is progressing smoothly, with Fire Wolf taking a central role in driving the process forward. For now, I’m content to step back and observe, watching Fire Wolf’s expertise and creativity come to life.

(Photo: Fire Wolf in his anechoic chamber)

I’m thrilled to share that the cabinetry work for Angelic Sound One is well underway!

We’ve also chosen American chestnut timber veneer for the finish. Once lacquered, it’s going to look stunning.

I can’t wait to see how it all comes together!

After refining the concept, we finalized a design including driver unit selection that incorporates key elements of a high-quality speaker system.

It’s an exciting step forward, and I’m looking forward to seeing (and hearing) how it all comes together.

Designing the Angelic Sound One required careful planning and collaboration. The goal was to create a speaker system that delivers exceptional sound quality, comparable to speakers priced over $200,000, but at a fraction of the cost. After rounds of discussions and sketches, we settled on a design that balances performance, practicality, manufacturability and cost.

The excitement is building rapidly.

I found a wolf - a Fire Wolf.

When I turned my attention to China, the manufacturing powerhouse, I discovered a promising path forward. Over the past 30 years, China has undergone a remarkable transformation. What once was a low-cost manufacturing hub is now home to specialized services and high-quality products at competitive prices. Think Apple iPhones and Teslas, both of which rely on Chinese expertise for critical components.

With Fire Wolf’s expertise and collaborative spirit, the dream of Angelic Sound One feels closer than ever.

(Photo courtesy of Angelic Sound and Fire Wolf Audio Lab)

“If you spend enough time on a problem, you will solve it.”

This advice from Bruce Grundy, has stayed with me over the years. His words became a guiding principle, helping me tackle not only academic challenges but also broader obstacles in life. To me, it all boils down to grit - or, in another word, doggedness - when facing a difficult problem.

With that mindset, I embarked on a research journey to solve my speaker challenge. Along the way, I considered numerous options and undertook a rigorous selection process.

(Photo courtesy of Eton, Accuton, BlieSMa, Scanspeak, Seas & Morel)

As a self-described "practical audiophile", I’ve long dreamed of developing a pair of high-performance reference speakers that are also affordable. But what exactly defines "high-performance," and what counts as "affordable"?

To me, high-performance speakers should provide an immersive listening experience, one as close as possible to the feeling of being in a real-life setting. Affordability, on the other hand, means the speakers should cost no more than a quarter of what similar commercial, off-the-shelf models typically go for.

I’ve named the reference speaker ‘Angelic Sound One’.

(Photo: A performance by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra in the Rudolfinum in Prague, Conductor Renaud Capuçon)