The original Arabesque concept was for a cabinet with continuously curved walls, but it was impossible to achieve reliable results using glass, so we developed the facetted construction, using the advanced Comsol modelling software to optimise its shape and dimensions. Later, as we tried to bring the benefits of the Arabesque cabinet down to more accessible price levels, we ran up against the cost of this time-consuming and complex construction. If we were to create a more affordable Arabesque, we clearly needed to think again…
The result was the Minissimo, a radical departure from the previous plate-to-plate construction. Instead, the cabinet is milled from a single piece of metal loaded polymer material, a fully automated process that creates a monocoque enclosure in which we can control not just the curvature of the walls but their thickness too, further optimising the resonant behaviour of the structure and the enclosed air volume. Combine that with the same drivers used in the Arabesque Mini, the new Natural Science crossover topology, an integrated stand and monocrystal internal wiring and the result is a compact speaker of unprecedented performance at a lower price than even we thought was possible. The milled cabinet also allows us to make use of automotive paint finishes, making the Minissimo as visually versatile as it is attractive.