February 2021
by Norbert, administrator PIEGA forum

This or a similar response is what you get from many upon first hearing the name PIEGA. At least in my experience. But this statement is simply wrong. If PIEGA was solely focusing on design, the manufacturers in Horgen – the company’s headquarters – could work with materials that are a lot easier to work with.

The benefits of aluminium

When PIEGA presented the C40 some 20 years ago, many people turned up their noses at the usage of aluminium as a cabinet material. But in principle, this material has great prerequisites for loudspeaker manufacturing. Aluminium is light, strong, has relatively high internal damping and can be transformed into almost any shape. It’s not for nothing that aluminium has been used in vehicle and aircraft construction for many years.

This material can thus be used to build very rigid cabinets with little resonation. Its high rigidity enables thin walls, leading to an excellent ratio between inner and outer volume while at the same time allowing for complex shapes.

However, it is not enough to enter the nearest DIY store, purchase aluminium and assemble it with a handful of rivets. The realisation of an aluminium loudspeaker cabinet from the initial idea to production maturity requires several years’ effort, high-tech vendor parts and comes at very high development costs. In short, a very high level of technical know-how is essential to build a high-quality speaker from aluminium.

Today, no one sniffily criticises the use of aluminium in loudspeaker manufacturing. Meanwhile, even some of the world’s most renowned speakers are made of this material.

There is more to aluminium

Aluminium doesn’t just make a loudspeaker «prettier» and PIEGA’s rounded aluminium cabinets have not only been shaped to visually stand out from other manufacturer’s devices. This shape significantly reduces sound-affecting standing waves that occur in any loudspeaker cabinet. Furthermore, the rounded shape ensures high rigidity. Think of any container that has to withstand high pressure: a pipe, boiler or even submarines. Aluminium can thus be used to build very sophisticated cabinets in which aesthetics and design submit themselves to technical requirements.

With the newly launched Ace series, PIEGA enters the world of aluminium model lines. The Ace 50 is a slim, almost delicate column loudspeaker that sounds a lot «bigger» than what we’re led to believe by its looks. Of course, one needs to be aware that even PIEGA cannot unhinge the basic rules of physical matters. Relying on the Ace series to pull off a rock concert in a 200 m² loft will lead to disappointment but in a living room of 20 to 25 m² size, the Ace 50 can be an excellent choice. With remarkably clean and well-defined bass tones, the Ace 50 emits a power that is unprecedented in speakers of its size. Its voice reproduction is of very high neutrality and the treble of tremendous detail without being annoying. By the way – all these positive sound characteristics are also a merit of choosing aluminium as preferred cabinet material.

The Ace 50 is a result of meticulous craftsmanship that visually blends into almost any living environment. More importantly, it sounds amazing and will provide a great deal of pleasurable music moments for many years to come.

At this point at the latest it has become clear that PIEGA doesn’t primarily sell speakers of iconic design.

Let’s conclude, hand on heart: The fine design and noble outfit are a pleasant side effect – don’t you agree?

Musical greetings from Norbert,
who SOLELY relies on his ears