Goldmund was founded in France in 1978 and made quite the stir with its T3 computer-controlled tonearm. With an early focus on analog playback, Goldmund took on the traditional American, British, German, and Japanese heavyweights with the reference Goldmund Studio Turntable LP; the massive groundbreaking turntable was released at CES in 1982 and became the new standard in flagship turntables.
The company relocated to Switzerland after it was acquired and started working on its first loudspeaker designs in the mid-1980s. The Apologue loudspeaker was selected for the MoMA in NYC in 1998.
The manufacturer no longer makes turntables and has shifted its focus to power amplifiers, pre-amplifiers, integrated amplifiers, digital sources, and active/passive loudspeakers.
The new Tethys loudspeaker has been introduced with a rather lofty price tag.
Core Design Philosophy
Built on the design of Goldmund’s flagship Gaïa loudspeaker, every element, from the precision-engineered drivers to the meticulously tuned cabinet, has been designed to reproduce sound with precise accuracy, detail, and clarity.
Tip: The Gaia is a wireless powered speaker, whereas the Tethys is a traditional passive speaker.
In addition, the Tethys not only incorporates state-of-art engineering, it is also designed to be a work of art. Its elegant design blends into any environment.
A Nod to Greek Mythology
In the tradition of Greek mythology, the name Tethys alludes to the goddess of fresh water born from Gaia, the Goddess of the Earth. With meticulous attention to detail, Goldmund sees Tethys as providing a sound experience as clear as water.
The Tethys Package
The components of the Tethys speaker are designed and assembled to deliver optimum audio fidelity. Wrapped in Goldmund’s iconic grey aluminum finish, Tethys features state-of-the-art drivers that have been custom-designed and engineered to reproduce sound with unparalleled precision. The advanced drivers are designed to deliver a wide frequency response and dynamic range, ensuring that subtle nuances and emotions within the music are faithfully conveyed.
Goldmund has employed “advanced crossover technology” in the Tethys (although no details were provided). This allows for precise control and balancing of frequencies, resulting in a coherent and immersive soundstage.
The Tethys speaker enclosure has two sections, the tweeter, and midrange are housed in the top section, while the woofer and ports are housed in the bottom section. The sections are separated by specially implemented spacers.
Each loudspeaker is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ensuring precision and attention to detail. The materials are carefully selected, and rigorous quality control processes are implemented so that every loudspeaker Goldmund makes meets its standards.
Tip: The gold-plated elements are crafted by a fellow Swiss luxury specialist that also supplies Rolex and Patek Philippe.
Goldmund Tethys Specifications
- Speaker Type: Floorstanding Three-Way Bass Reflex
- Driver Complement: (1) 9-inch woofer with additional support from 2 front-mounted ports, (1) 7-inch midrange,
- Frequency Response (-6dB): 43Hz > 25 kHz
- Impedance (nominal): 6 ohms
- Impedance (minimum): 5.7 ohms
- Speaker Connections: Traditional binding posts and LEMO Style provided.
- Dimensions (WHD – per speaker): 29 x 109 x 37 cm/11.4 x 42.9 x 14.6 inches
- Weight (per speaker): 67 kg (148 lbs)
Tip: Goldmund did not provide exact detail on the construction of the drivers, nor the diameter of the tweeter driver.
Available and Pricing
Tethys is available with a silver-gray finish with a choice of black or gray grills from specialist retailers, priced at £62,500 per pair (US pricing forthcoming).
For more information: goldmund.com
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