Have Stereo Consoles Returned? Wrensilva Thinks So

in the late 50's/early '60s every Mad Man home had one

Handmade in San Diego California, Wrensilva's eye-catching custom cabinetry houses a modernized version of a 50's/60's era console stereo. Revered among the attaché case carrying corporate climbers of the late '50s and early '60s, the form factor lost its hipness as the JFK era gave way to assassination, war and chaos, bringing with it a more austere, raw component esthetic.

Wrensilva is one of a few companies riding the vinyl revival wave, returning to the living and family rooms of high-esthetic apartment and home dwellers a full-featured, high performance turntable-based audio system housed in eye-catching luxuriously appointed, hand-made wooden cabinetry. It's a lifestyle statement as is playing vinyl records among this market segment.

Aimed more at the musically engaged, but not sonically obsessed segment of the vinyl buying market, the Wrensilva puts the speakers in the room where the cabinet must go as opposed to where the speakers might acoustically sound best—and there's nothing wrong with that hierarchy, especially if one partner is dead set against turning a beautiful space into an audiophile listening room. Sometimes, the best esthetic and acoustical placement serrendipitously match!

Today, June 18th, Wrensilva launches a "next gen" console collection so why not give them some digital ink? Quoting from the press release: "Each console exudes exquisite craftsmanship with locally sourced hand-selected woods and finishes—including Blonde Mahogany, Tobacco Walnut, and classic Natural Walnut—sumptuous leather-lined record pockets, and brushed metal legs. The introduction of new duo-weave speaker fabrics further enhances the visual appeal, effortlessly blending into any interior space. In addition, the new consoles can be styled sans fabric covers for a bold display of the custom speakers featuring a beautiful horizontal wood grain pattern taken from a single source of wood."

The audio systems in the two models (The Standard and M1) feature a turntable, Sonos/Bluetooth compatibility and a pair of Aux inputs. At each end of the approximately five foot long (or almost six foot long M1) cabinet is a two-way bass reflex speaker system featuring a 7.5 inch Egyptian Papyrus cone woofer and a 1 inch textile dome tweeter (or in the M1 a 9.5 inch cone woofer). Between is a separate preamp and a powerful 300 watt Class D ICE module based amplifier.

Both models have record storage space (130 and 150). The turntable details are minimal, but it's clearly not a "drop in" Pro-Ject. There's a "custom two-tone aluminum tonearm" with a "sleek" counterweight, a "thick 15/16 inch acrylic platter" (on The Standard; the M1's platter is 1 3/8 inch tall) and "floating, split plinth belt drive turntable" as well as an Ortofon 2M Blue in the Standard model and a 2M Black in the M1, but that's it for turntable details—probably sufficient for this market segment.

Looks similar to a Thomas Schick arm

The Wrensilva people have managed to round up endorsements from some big names including: Don Was, Joe Harley, Giles Martin, Chris Blackwell, Jim James and a few others. Clearly the person behind this company has a thick Rolodex and knows how to call in favors. The Don Was association gets console buyers a curated Blue Note collection. Here's another interesting page.

The more deluxe M1 cost starts at $18,880 depending upon finishes and other options. Delivery adds $650 to the total. The "Standard" (its name) starts at $14,880. These two models are but part of the Wrensilva story. There's also a showroom on Melrose Avenue just as Churchill, a '60's era console company with ties to Harman-Kardon (or as we used to call it, Hard-on Karman) had one in midtown Manhattan.

Make of this what you will, I certainly like it better than the New York City fashion hipster posing with a soldering iron he barely knows how to use selling butt-uglyAltec-Lansing movie theater speakers and ghost designer tube amplifiers to a very different crowd.

Now that I've alienated everyone involved and not involved, I'll stop. If you live in L.A. make an appointment and have a listen. We'll happily publish your sonic findings.