Meltham man to market concrete speakers

Jun 25 2009 By Katie Campling

Meltham man to market concrete speakers

A MELTHAM man has come up with the ultimate music must-have for rock fans – concrete speakers.

Gavin Alexander, 59, has spent three years perfecting his unusual design and is now planning to sell the speakers.

Each pair will be made to order and is expected to retail at around £6,000.

Concrete might seem an odd choice of material, but Gavin says it is in fact ideal.

He said: “To get good quality sound you need a material that’s dense and doesn’t leak sound out or vibrate.

“Concrete does that so you get a pure sound, even at quite high volumes.

“Lead is also good for this, but with concrete you can make it look nice.”

The concrete – made of white cement and high quality aggregates – is moulded, cured and waxed for a smooth finish.

Wooden veneers are then placed over the front of the speaker stand, around the speaker cones.

Mr Alexander has created a reusable mould but only plans to make around 12 pairs a year in his workshop at home.

He said: “It’s a niche market really, something for music enthusiasts who are serious about good sound.

“After all, not everyone wants a speaker weighing 58kg in their room. It’s not a mass market product.”

Mr Alexander has had a lifelong interest in sound and hi-fi systems himself.