Klipsch has partnered with Ojas, a boutique New York City brand founded by Devon Turnbull, a former streetwear designer who has carved out a reputation for his uncompromising approach to audio systems. The collaboration’s first product is the limited-edition kO-R1 horn-loaded loudspeaker, a big, boxy speaker that comes in Spiral Red Oak or Pewter Grey finishes and sells for $8,498 per pair.
Turnbull’s career as a speaker designer and builder began as a hobby while he was growing his Nom De Guerre streetwear brand during the first two decades of the millennium. It eventually evolved into full-fledged business under the name Ojas, a Sanskrit term that loosely translates to “life vitality,” according to a profile on Turnbull by GQ Magazine. Ojas’ speakers are now sought after by retail brands like Supreme and have even made their way into star producer and musician Mark Ronson’s home.
The kO-R1 bear Ojas’ unmistakable design cues, described by some as brutalist. It’s a plain-looking box made of Baltic birch plywood with a huge 12-inch woofer. It’s crowned with an equally massive, adjustable sandcast aluminum multi-cell horn that houses a high-frequency driver. The horn is fully exposed, right down the wiring that feeds it from a five-step attenuator, which is used for fine-tuning the sound.
Around the back are a set of five-way anodized aluminum binding posts, and the bottom of the cabinet features anti-vibration rubber feet. The side of the speaker is graced with a laser-engraved metal ID plate, just in case anyone questions its provinence.
Each speaker is hand-crafted at Klipsch’s Hope, Arkansas, facilities and comes with its own Klipsch stand.
To create the kO-R1, Turnbull worked directly with Roy Delgado, who learned the art and science of high efficiency horn design from Klipsch’s founder, Paul W. Klipsch. That made Klipsch the perfect partner for Turnbull, who has been experimenting with horn-loaded designs for years.
“My strict adhesion to the horn speaker design philosophy means that Klipsch is one of the few brands that has 100% conceptual cohesion with my own vision,” Turnbull said in a press release. “Both our brands prioritize premium audio packaged with classic design. There are few visionaries more important in the history of horn speakers than Paul W. Klipsch and I’m proud to contribute to that legacy.”