US fashion brand Adsum refresh German audio brand ELAC's Debut ConneX DCB41 powered loudspeakers with a monochromatic, minimalist makeover.

Audio brands are well aware there’s been a resurgence of interest in gear among younger listeners looking to graduate to better components. Speakers have become seriously sought ? and priced ? design objects, with countless social media channels dedicated to spotlighting new and vintage loudspeakers alike. With this renewed interest has come an aesthetic informed by the past while designed around technology attuned to listener habits today. A prime example of this trend is German brand ELAC’s Adsum + ELAC debut Designer Series ConneX DCB41-DS Speakers.
Original Debut ConneX Powered Speaker prior to the Adsum design makeover Originally launched in 2022, the Debut ConneX DCB41 arrived as an unassuming pair of small desktop speakers with greater sound than expected, popularized by their high performance-to-price value. ELAC would eventually invite New York clothing brand Adsum to give their diminutive desktop duo a monochromatic makeover. This sparked the inaugural launch of ELAC’s Designer Series.

The refreshed design begins with a new fingerprint-resistant white finish (thankfully without the original ConneX DCB41’s overly conspicuous badge), alongside a new minimalist and magnetic grille design. Adsum also literally elevated the design by giving each speaker their own custom one-piece bent metal speake...