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The design of Transparent\u2019s latest wireless speaker looks like the complete opposite of the glass-enclosed see-through speakers<\/a> that helped originally launch the brand. The $4,000 Brutalist speaker<\/a> is made from aluminum, and although it stands around 23-inches tall in person, without context it could be easily mistaken for a minimalist office tower designed by an architect still inspired by Britain\u2019s post-war architectural style.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Transparent\u2019s speaker features a pair of three-inch tweeters positioned at 90-degree angles that work alongside a 6.5-inch subwoofer positioned on the opposite side of them. The company suggests its design is most effective at filling a room with sound when the speaker is positioned in a corner so sound can bounce off walls, but wherever you position it you\u2019ll want to make sure an outlet is nearby because it doesn\u2019t have a battery. At 26.5 lbs, it\u2019s already heavy enough.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The speaker can stream audio from devices over Bluetooth 5.2, but it also has Wi-Fi and supports Apple\u2019s AirPlay 2, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, and Amazon Music. A pair of 3.5mm inputs allow other audio sources to connect with a cable, and while it\u2019s compatible with Amazon\u2019s Alexa, the Brutalist speaker doesn\u2019t have its own microphone, limiting the usefulness of the smart assistant\u2019s integration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Transparent spent three years developing the Brutalist speaker, but a lot of the challenges actually came from its decision to make it using 70 percent post-consumer recycled aluminum. \u201cOf course, we spent a lot of time in manufacturing to perfect all of the different modules coming together well and ensuring everything sounds great, but actually, the sourcing of the recycled aluminum for the cabinet hasn\u2019t been easy,\u201d Per Brickstad, Transparent\u2019s creative director, told Wired<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n