𝗨𝘀𝗲:

Morningstar Speakers are passive hi-fi speakers designed to work with standard home listening amplifiers / receivers. The speakers connect to your amplifier via standard two-conductor speaker wire, and are fitted with a terminal cup which accepts both banana plug-in connectors and raw wire via a screw terminal. Recommended amplifier brands include Arylic, Wiim, and Dayton Audio. Sound system spec and full-service installation are available on request, please contact: emmett@hammerheadaudio.com.

Available as pendant (hanging) or bookshelf (freestanding). Chain for pendant hanging available on request.

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

Both speaker models use 8 ohm impedance full-range point-source drivers. Recommended amplifier rating is 50-100W per channel.

𝗗𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

The 8” sphere design is 11” diameter in the maximum dimensions including spikes.

The 12” sphere design is 16” diameter in the maximum dimensions including spikes.

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀:

Full-Range Point Source Driver, Carbon Steel with Patina, Stainless Steel, Hardware. A hi-fidelity home listening speaker.

Machined and assembled by hand in Brooklyn, NY.

Speakers are available in custom patina, powder coat, and electroplate finishes (tool black 8” and autumn rust 12” pictured). For custom finishes please contact: emmett@hammerheadaudio.com.

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻:

This speaker was inspired by a technological coincidence bridging hundreds of years of history: the form of a Morningstar (a medieval spiked mace weapon) is an acoustically optimal design for a speaker.

Sound expands spherically, and spherical speaker enclosures are renowned by audiophiles for their even frequency response. Within the enclosure, the spherical walls create a maximally complex path of reflection for sound waves, allowing the speaker to harness the acoustical amplification provided by a hollow cavity while maintaining an even frequency response. Outside the enclosure, the curved wall prevents early reflections off of the surface of the speaker, creating a more direct experience of the sound.

The spikes of the Morningstar function as loudspeaker spike components: hardware specifically designed to isolate vibration from the surface the speaker rests upon. The speaker can stand on any combination of 3 spikes, allowing for flexible directional positioning. Any of the spikes can also be replaced with an eyebolt, allowing for use as a hanging pendant speaker with flexible directionality.

The spike in the speaker's center functions as a phase plug, reflecting and dispersing high frequencies to create a more spatially even frequency response ideal for home listening environments.

The choice of full-range point source drivers was inspired by my work with acoustic phase interference and the interaction of sound from multiple sources in physical space. In many traditional speaker designs different frequency bands are handled by separate drivers (tweeter, midrange, woofer), with an internal crossover filter to handle separation of these bands. This produces an uneven spatial response with different frequency bands being physically offset from one another, plus unpredictable phase and eq side effects from the crossover filter. Full-range point source drivers are designed to project all frequencies from a single driver source, eliminating the need for a crossover. This allows for a predictable spatial response and a more direct experience of the sound.