Having created what is unquestionably one of the greatest -and most expensive- sound systems the world has ever seen, River’sTone deserves all the plaudits it has received. A collaborative effort between former Sony audio designer Michio Sakamoto and Anodic Supply Co., River’sTone is the ultimate luxury for any lover of sound who wants the absolute best of the best.
Music from across the world can instil different feelings in different people, but it is a near-universally enjoyed medium. Whether it is the powerful vocals of Pavarotti, the head-banging rock of the Foo Fighters, or the gentle twinkling of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, music was made to be enjoyed. By all regards, River’sTone is the pinnacle of sound manufacturing, offering the perfect way to enjoy the beauty of music, regardless of your chosen genre.
For many people, the idea of luxury differs drastically. Some yearn for a private island, where others may wish for the simple luxury of a comfortable leather armchair, a glass of their favourite wine and a moment to enjoy it. However, few would argue that a solid-gold, state-of-the-art speaker system is anything less than complete and total elegance when it comes to enjoying beautiful music. The ultimate design statement, River’sTone represents the zenith of cutting-edge craftsmanship that a sound system can possibly be.
With a unique design ethos of “less is more”, River’sTone is the absolute premium of speaker systems, boasting matchless sonic purity for an unparalleled listening experience, and a solid gold finish to cement its status as the ultimate in speaker systems. Sleek and minimalist design saves the speakers from falling into over-opulence. Simple and elegant, this speaker system not only offers outstandingly pure audio, but brilliantly bejewelled high-quality decoration.
The brilliance behind this behemoth of the industry belongs to Michio Sakamoto, a former Sony audio designer, and Japanese firm Anodic Supply. Originally working for Sony, Mr Sakamoto brings a wealth of experience from one of the audio industry’s long-standing titans as a highly-respected recording engineer, systems designer, and marketing genius. Throughout his established career, Mr Sakamoto has worked on and developed some of the world’s most high-end, top-quality audio systems in both studio monitor and headphone form. Now, River’sTone offers, arguably, his most luxurious offering to date.
Anodic Supply was founded in 2000 as a subsidiary company of Sankei Industry Co. Ltd. Using processes developed by parent company Sankei, Anodic Supply leveraged their research and development teams to begin working on a premium speaker system that would be housed inside of a gold-plated box. Following the successful creation of River’sTone as a solid gold product, it has since been marketed worldwide whilst the company then focused on developing a premium speaker system that is surrounded by sterling silver.
Currently offering four products in the River’sTone range, luxury lovers of music can get their hands on these divine speakers, but not without spending a pretty penny. Aurum, the pure gold speakers, will require admirers to part with £5,790,000 in order to sample this simply stunning system. Argentum, the sterling silver version, will cost £203,000, with the Al-10-Au (gold-plated 10μm), and Al-03-Au (gold-plated 3μm) costing £79,000 and £53,000 respectively.
Each dazzling speaker systems comes with grills adorned with extra shine to enhance the luxury standard. Aurum and Argentum models come complete with platinum and diamond-studded grills, where as A1-10Au and A1-03-Au models come with silver and zirconia. The system grills on each River’sTone model are custom-designed for each individual unit, and totally optional, so users have the choice to be even more minimalistic and elegant-looking.
Getting inside the speaker is where the craftsmanship and mastery of materials really comes alive. Mr Sakamoto and Anodic Supply have made sure that this beacon of industry excellence was hand-made and hand-wired with the deftest of touches, and only the most superior materials. With all the components and parts hand-made in Japan, River’sTone is comprised of only the finest quality materials that money can buy.
A three-part system, River’sTone is made up of a dedicated, digitally-powered integrated stereo bi-amplifier, and two speakers either side. Not just awe-inspiring in its composition and aesthetic, the system’s technological advancements mean that it is capable of streaming music from a smartphone, tablet or laptop via Bluetooth, whilst also boasting RCA connections for CD players or turntables. Enhancing the aesthetic even further, the centre of the amplifier houses a volume control unit that is surrounded by LED lights which change from white to blue once the Bluetooth function is activated.
The speakers either side of the stereo biamplifier house their own set of technically outstanding features, including an 80mm woven carbon-fibre driver, and 20mm silk dome tweeter. Both are powered individually by their own amplifiers, and the result is simply heavenly. River’sTone’s sound quality is exquisitely rich, detailed and melodious, whilst fans of more bass-heavy music have the option to connect a subwoofer for enhanced low-frequency levels.
Whilst the use of gold may seem gratuitously divine to an untrained eye, Mr Sakamoto and Anodic Supply are well aware of the fact that gold offers unparalleled sound clarity and quality. A justifiably excellent engineering choice, the solid gold body of River’sTone actually helps the speaker system achieve the lowest longitudinal elastic modulus and density, resulting in what can only be described as incredible clarity, and a transparently pure audio signal.
Mr Sakamoto and Anodic Supply have created a new icon and gold standard for the audio industry to aim for; a shining example and testament to the power of innovation, creativity and collaboration. Every aspect of River’sTone exudes luxury, divinity and magnificence, and it is the perfect centrepiece to any sound and speaker system.
River’sTone currently offers four extraordinary editions. Do note, that final prices are subject to change depending on gold price and exchange rate at time of manufacture.
Aurum (pure gold), priced at £5,790,000
Argentum (sterling silver), priced at £203,000 Al-10-Au (gold-plated 10um), priced at £79,000
Al-03-Au (gold-plated 3um), priced at £53,000
Contact Information:
Company: River’sTone For Mainland Europe, Russia & Middle East, contact:
Bodo Feldmann, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 177 398 41 18
Email: [email protected]
For the UK, contact:
Sonic8 Limited, UK
Phone: +44 (0)3330 508945
Email: [email protected]
For Japan, Asia, Pacific & USA, contact:
Anodic Supply Co., Ltd. Japan
Phone: +81 (0) 3 6807 9449
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.rivers-tone.com/
