You will find all kinds of exhibitors at the Dutch Audio Event. One of them is ‘craftsman’ Joep Slooten, who will be bringing along some rather unusual loudspeakers and furniture.
Joep Slooten is a Dutch manufacturer of loudspeakers and furniture. Enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike have come to appreciate his products. This year, he and his company are taking the plunge and heading to the Dutch Audio Event: ‘This year, I decided to make my debut as an underdog at the Dutch Audio Event in Veldhoven with my speakers and hi-fi furniture. It is an enormous step for me as a relatively small entrepreneur, and it would be an understatement to say that competing against major brands such as Sonus Faber, KEF, Yamaha… is going to be difficult.’
To which, as far as we are concerned, the obvious response is: ‘Do you really want to become that big?’ After all, innovation, genuine enjoyment of the work and personal involvement with your products can be considerably greater at a small company than at a large corporation or even a multinational. Innovation and product development at larger companies can often take that little bit longer and become rather more predictable along the way.
Philosophy Behind the Design
And it is precisely that unusual and innovative approach that makes Joep Slooten interesting. Someone once asked him, he recalls, to explain the philosophy behind the design of his loudspeakers. The answer turned into quite a story:
‘Initially, I was planning to design a system myself using a Hypex amplifier with DSP. However, I soon discovered that designing a good system involves some seriously advanced mathematics. I was determined to use an existing active system from the professional PA industry. The reason? When it comes to active loudspeaker technology, the PA world is always one step ahead of the home hi-fi world. In addition, in my opinion there is far less bullshit marketing in the PA industry, something I am rather allergic to. I also find the price-to-performance ratio considerably more attractive.’
KS Audio
Slooten continues: ‘I then got in touch with KS Audio and entered into a close collaboration with them. They were able to offer me an active system that met my “requirements” exactly. When it came to designing the cabinets, I had to adhere to strict rules, while they made a software adjustment that allows my system to reach down to 20 Hz without difficulty. In addition, the waveguides used offer a major advantage because of their controlled dispersion, resulting in far fewer unwanted reflections in the listening room. When I first heard them, I was immediately convinced. Incredibly direct and intense, with tremendous dynamics.
The baffle and horn had to be designed with millimetre precision, which was one of the biggest challenges. I wanted to make a bookmatched front from solid walnut, with the wood mirror-matched and glued together. So I have now managed to combine the very best of the PA world with my woodworking expertise, resulting in extreme performance. The speakers are fully digital and are also driven entirely digitally via balanced XLR cables.’
Real Wood
Also important, although perhaps hardly surprising for a furniture maker: ‘And I make everything from real wood, in the wood species of your choice, mirror-matched and glued. It is even possible to have matching hi-fi furniture made from exactly the same wood, from the very same tree.’
You will find Joep Slooten at the upcoming edition of the Dutch Audio Event in Veldhoven, about which we previously published an extensive article. More precisely, you will find him in the Kempenzaal, right next to the coffee bar!