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Audio as art: Sonic frontiers in hand-crafted design
BDDW mostly sells handmade American furniture, but they also offer a few carefully selected audio components such as turntables, amplifiers and speakers.
A turntable, amplifier and speakers on display at BDDW.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)Exoticism and the high-end audio aesthetic ought to be a natural combination, but that's rarely the case. There are exceptions, and when I find them I'll cover them in this blog.
Walking down Crosby Street in SoHo in Lower Manhattan with a few friends, we spotted a trendy shop, BDDW. The window display featured brilliantly designed furniture.
Once inside, it wasn't just the furniture that dazzled, there were quite a few vintage motorcycles on display! Looking further I came upon one of the strangest looking turntables I've ever seen. BDDW was definitely not your average boutique operation; its heady mix of audio, furniture, and motorcycles is something I won't soon forget. Manhattan rents being what they are, BDDW must be doing something right.
High-end speakers and vintage motorcycles, only at BDDW!
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)BDDW's Jon Thorson told me the belt-drive turntable (in the top picture) was so heavy they needed a forklift to put the turntable in its place. This stereo system is mounted on a huge piece of marble, placed on top of an impressive hunk of machinery.
I didn't catch the names of most of the audio products on display, but some were by Phila Audio.
Another turntable on display at BDDW.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)
