Warwick Acoustics’ flagship headphone system, the APERIO, promises the ultimate listening experience. Image courtesy of Warwick Acoustics

British company Warwick Acoustics has developed a reputation for innovating and producing innovative audio technology. Their flagship headphone system, the APERIO, takes both sound quality and product design to the next level with a 24 karat gold hand-finished limited edition. Here, LUX discovers how the ultimate listening experience is achieved

Numerous studies have shown that listening to music can positively impact your mood, well-being, sleep quality and cognitive ability, reduce stress, and even ease physical pain, but is there such thing as a perfect listening experience?

‘Sound is definitely a subjective experience and what is considered ‘perfect’ for one person may not be for another,’ says Martin Roberts Director of the Headphone Business Unit at UK-based audio technology company Warwick Acoustics Ltd., whose products are designed to achieve an exceptionally high level of sound clarity. Their recently unveiled flagship headphone system, the APERIO (named after the Latin word meaning to uncover or reveal), follows the company’s Sonoma Model One (M1) electrostatic headphone system, and is the result of three years of extensive sound exploration and technical development carried out in their Warwickshire workshops.

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‘Simply put: the APERIO is designed to reproduce audio content as pristinely and accurately as possible – revealing the details and complexities in the original recording without colouration or alteration,’ explains Roberts. A review in Hi-Fi News claims that the system possesses the ability ‘to deliver rare insights into your music.’ Whilst this level of sound quality is naturally more geared towards professionals in the music industry, the company hopes the product will also appeal to music-loving high-net-worth individuals as a high-functioning collectible item.

Each APERIO is assembled by hand in the company’s Warwickshire workshops. Image courtesy of Warwick Acoustics

In terms of design, the company believes in American architect Louis Henry Sullivan’s ethos that ‘form follows function’, and aspire to create products that have a timeless appeal.

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The standard version of the APERIO, for example, is understated in sleek black with soft sheepskin leather and stylish detailing such as the curved metal patterning of the headphone grilles, which visually evokes undulating sound waves.

The APERIO standard version. Image courtesy of Warwick Acoustics.

The limited-edition Gold APERIO is more flashy, crafted from 24 karat gold (including the headphone grilles, hardware and Amplifier front panel) in England’s historic jewellery quarter in Birmingham. Limited to 100 units globally, the system is now available to buy in the UK exclusively from Harrods in Knightsbridge, London.

It’s not just the design that has been upgraded, however, the Gold system also utilises the highest grade Balanced-Drive HPEL Transducer (the component that determines the quality of sound reproduction) innovated by Warwick Acoustics to guarantee outstanding performance. That level of quality doesn’t come cheaply though; the Gold model retails at a cool £30,000/US$35,000 whilst the standard version is priced at £20,000/US$24,000.

The Gold Aperio is limited to 100 units, available in the UK exclusively at Harrods, London. Image courtesy of Warwick Acoustics.

But how exactly is audio performance or sound quality measured? Each APERIO undergoes rigorous testing, including at least three human listening tests, before the product is released from the company’s Warwickshire facility. ‘The APERIO is about listening to music as if you were there,’ says Roberts. ‘I remember when I visited a very famous recording studio in Los Angeles and a mastering engineer listened to a remastered recording by the great Frank Sinatra… He listened intently to the same track several times then just sat back and said, “Wow.”  When I asked him how his experience was he said, “Amazing, I have literally listened to that Sinatra track a thousand times and this is the first time I have ever heard him smacking his lips in the pauses between verses of the song…Simply astonishing detail”.’

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Warwick Acoustics’ anechoic chamber where the headphones are tested. Image courtesy of Warwick Acoustics.

Attention to detail is at the heart of Warwick Acoustics’ engineering philosophy. The whole system is designed to work harmoniously together, rather than piecing together disparate components and technologies. In many ways, it’s a similar process to the development of a supercar or ultra-high-performance watch, and ultimately, that’s what you’re paying for: the experience. Listening to music is, after all, a process of immersion, of gradually getting closer to the sound, of being slowly transported into another place, self, or way of being.

For more information visit: warwickacoustics.com/headphones, or contact [email protected]

An Emilio Pucci collection on display at Palazzo Pucci, the family’s ancestral home in Florence.

Florentine aristocrat Emilio Pucci founded his eponymous label in post-war Italy; now the fashion house is internationally renowned for its vibrant geometric patterns and wearable glamour. We ask Emilio’s daughter, Laudomia Pucci, the brand’s Image Director and former CEO, 6 questions.

Laudomia Pucci. Image by Juan Aldabaldetrecu

1. Describe the modern Pucci woman.

The Pucci women is a very international woman. She travels, she is self-assured, she loves femininity and enjoys beauty and fun. She is not afraid of colour and enjoys life.

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2. How do you innovate whilst still staying true to the iconic Pucci aesthetic?

The innovation comes from the fabric and what women want. Mixing a more fluid day look also with sneakers, for example, blurring day and evening, adding more knitwear and changing proportions as well as making sure we are always true to the brand codes…

A look from the Fall/Winter 2018-19 collection

3. What were some of the inspirations behind the new collection?

The inspiration was the glamour of Marilyn Monroe, mixing it with the sporty chic feel of Los Angeles, the colours the shapes, the body-con effect. I think it’s very modern and glamorous at the same time.

4. What comes first functionality or style?

In fashion I think you need to try and serve both. Than it depends on the woman’s taste how she wants to live.

A look from the Emilio Pucci Spring/Summer 2019 collection

5. Earlier this year you collaborated with artist Mouna Rebeiz, creating a piggy bank as part of a charity auction. Do you see fashion as an art form?

We have always enjoyed collaborations and we delighted to participate to Mouna’s project. I’m not sure fashion is art, however they do sometimes cross paths and we have done that in the past with some very special brands. However I do believe my father could have loved being an artist and his prints are just as perfect and recognisable as art pieces, classical in their longevity. He also did lithographs and I have had some contact with artists too on the interpretation of the brand.

6. What’s the best city in the world for shopping?

Dubai – the gold market, the BURJ Khalifa, the mall of the Emirates. Just the quantities of possibilities for shopping are totally incredible there! Also I love Hong Kong for shopping – Hollywood road for the antique shops, Lane Crawford department store and all the shopping areas around Ocean Center.

Discover Emilio Pucci’s latest collections: emiliopucci.com