Akai SW-155 12" 4-Way Speaker

At a Glance

The SW-155 is a piece of vintage Japanese audio engineering that has some unique character. Starting with a real walnut cabinet 1" thick and wood lattice grilles that are screwed in place--inside you'll find a 12" woofer, 5" midrange, 2.5' tweeter and horn-loaded super-tweeter! It's a high-efficiency, big-box (38lb) speaker that can fill a large space at concert level. Typical of its day, there are mid and treble pots (operational), spring-loaded inputs, as well as phone jacks. Cabinet is well-braced and rear-ported. 8 ohm nominal impedance. These were made in early '70s by a company known for tape recorders. They have a warm, slightly colored sound described as “Kabuki-style” — visually impressive with multi-driver setups, though not refined by modern standards. These are rare enough to be hard to value, but the condition is remarkable--a one-owner purchased new at a PX in Japan. They have aesthetic appeal for vintage collectors but aren’t considered “holy grail” speakers. If you want something visually striking for a listening room, they’re a solid pick!Read More