IMAGINE the din. Every cardboard-packed item in a supermarket could soon be
blaring out reduced-price messages or playing advertising jingles. It’s just one
of the uses being touted for a build-it-yourself, flat-pack loudspeaker
developed by British company NXT.
The Cambridge-based firm’s collapsible speakers are made of “acoustic fluted
composite”—otherwise known as corrugated cardboard. Versions designed to
be used with home sound systems are pyramid-shaped and stand about 70
centimetres tall. Advance demonstrations for New Scientist of a
£30 pair revealed surprisingly high-quality sound that was certainly loud
enough to dance to. The sound could easily be coming from a…
