Really, what is the X?
Over the past four weeks, we have been dropping clues, each week corresponding to a theme that helps us shape up our new identity and mysterious pet project, the X. At Effect Audio, the X is the perfect blend of art, design, science and philosophy that we believe would not only be an expression for our brand, but also for the shape of audio to come.
The X is for “Versatility”
Last week, we have discussed what it means to be an “audiophile” at Effect Audio. This week, we look at another principal attribute of the X: Versatility.
In our books, a perfectly versatile audio product is like a chameleon. It’s a shapeshifter, blending in and disappearing into its surroundings; allowing its users to dictate the ways it should be used without the technology nor its inherent sonic signature getting in the way.
In other words, versatile products so transparent, they would bend to the will of their users regardless the nature of the ask. Whether it’s to put the art up front and centre, or enjoy perfect fidelity anywhere in the world, the X is always up to the challenge.
Why Versatility?
Of all the lengths we go to, why choose versatility, you ask? The reasons are three-fold.
The first part is simply because we have done it before. When we launched the ConX® system earlier this year, we knew this was more than an answer to the various standards and ways people can choose to connect their favourite devices together, sustainably.
The second part, and perhaps the most obvious, is that of the changing nature of the way sound is enjoyed and consumed currently. A zeitgeist of sorts. Gone are the hazy days where one could afford the time to sit down in front of large stacks of power-hungry equipment; with the lyrics to a gatefold vinyl album in one hand and a glass of one’s favourite drink in another. Letting time slowly slip away as one gets spirited away to another world.
The modern listener lives quickly, and they live lives larger than their forebears. The modern listener makes very bold statements about themselves everywhere they go.
Rigorous gym sessions in the morning, teleconferencing before lunch, a podcast or two in the afternoon, long runs in the park at sundown, a spot of music after dinner, games before bedtime. These are but some of the many ways the modern audiophile spends his or her day, with countless other permutations and possibilities everywhere else in the world.
The X needs to be able to present such content truthfully, and yet be flexible enough to be tuned to its user’s fancies. Therefore, we have worked in user-customisable features on the X to suit every imaginable need. And we are only just getting started.
Life: Unbounded
Being able meet the content demands of the modern audiophile is not enough, we wanted to create an experience and a timeless product that would scale well into the 21st century.
This is where the final part of being versatile comes in.
Because the X needs to cater to all the above demands and some, we believe the X should not just be restricted to the stuffy confines traditionally associated with audiophile listening. We have therefore chosen a very bold approach to designing the X.
Therefore, the X must be at home anywhere in the world: Be it in a gym, on stage in front of thousands, in the privacy of a listening chair, in a jamming studio with friends, at a mixing desk, at cafes, in the air, at sea, in the hands of a content professional or of someone discovering the joys of hearing high fidelity sound for the first time. The X must be always ready for its next mission, whatever it may be.
That is why the X will be a through and through analogue product. But where it differs from others in its class is its ability to scale, regardless of its use, with the exploding number of digital sources and user applications. It will bounce between the new and the old, the known and the unknown.
What this means for the modern audiophile is that there are no more boundaries, no more prior considerations or conceptions about synergies or usage contexts. With the X, we believe that we have redefined the concept of universality in audio products and sincerely hope it would be the model to emulate in many years to come.
What is the X for You?
More details on “what is the X” will be revealed in the coming weeks. Stay tuned next week as we reveal what is “user experience”, in the context of the new look Effect Audio and the X.
In the meantime, do let us know in the comments below what does Effect Audio and, potentially, the X mean to you. Who knows what surprises might await at the turn of this new chapter?
