Vandersteen Audio has developed a version of their Quatro loudspeaker, clad in, of all things, wood veneer.

 

Stereophile gets the jump on everyone in their just-posted review of the Vandersteen Quatro Wood loudspeaker. As one would expect of a loudspeaker produced by Vandersteen, the Quatro Wood receives glowing praise from Stereophile. The Vandersteen Quatro Wood will set you back $10,700 a pair, a mere $3705 more than the cloth sock-wrapped version, but rest assured that the differences between the Quatro and Quatro Wood are more than skin deep. Richard Vandersteen's designs eschew traditional styling and looks to concentrate on what really matters: the sound. A veneer wrapped Vandersteen gets our attention because Richard's loudspeakers are mostly minimal-baffle designs that are wrapped in a cloth sock.

 

For those of you unfamiliar with Vandersteen, Richard Vandersteen is responsible for one of the most enduring designs in hi-fi, the Vandersteen 2. If you are anywhere near a Vandersteen dealer and haven't yet heard Richard's loudspeakers, make the effort to go do so. They may just end up on your Christmas list.