Sitting at the intersection of form and function, Wrensilva’s record consoles embody design that’s fully balanced. For the founders of the San Diego handcrafted HiFi record console producers, music is an unparalleled medium between analog and digital. We sat down with co-founder Scott Salyer to hear about the new Loft record console, sound quality, and his favorite album to listen to on vinyl.
How Wrensilva Makes Music Sound Like Liquid Velvet
The founders of the HiFi record console company have true grit and deep roots in music. Hand-crafted from American hardwood in California, Wrensilva's newest introduction, Loft, is yet another covetable piece of high design—for music and design connoisseurs alike.
By Gabrielle Golenda December 22, 2020
Photography by Ingalls Photography; Art Direction by Drew Frist
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First thing’s first, what’s your favorite artist to listen to on vinyl?
We listen to a wide variety of genres, but are mostly drawn to albums with interesting recordings. Right now, I’m really into Rick Rubin’s new release of Tom Petty’s Wildflowers & All The Rest.
How did you get started in the audio industry?
Our founding team has deep roots in music and sound engineering. I’ve been a musician for more than 30 years and spent 10 as a recording engineer. Building speakers and various electronics has always been a hobby of mine that branched off of my music and engineering experience.
How did you meet and launch Wrensilva?
Debra and I built the first Wrensilva model, the M1, in a tiny shop in North Park, San Diego. We’d build commissioned furniture pieces during the day and work on our consoles at night. Our passion project became a larger vision when Greg Perlot, who had been a senior executive at Sonos, came across an article on the M1. He emailed us to meet and the three of us immediately connected over our shared vision of bringing back beautiful HiFi in a modern way. The ideas from that first meeting have since evolved into a company that gives music lovers a seamless way to enjoy both the analog and digital music experiences. We’ve created a solid team along the way.
What is Wrensilva’s ethos? How does that come across in its design?
At the heart of Wrensilva is grit that stems from the founders’ backgrounds and extends to the type of employees we hire, the way we design and build our products, and the customers we attract. Our consoles are beautiful, but they’re also capable and built with integrity. There’s always an element of gritty beauty whether in a raw steel element or a certain type of wood that keeps our consoles tough, too.
Can you describe the company’s design process? How long does it take and what are the steps from concept to creation?
Debra and I both have backgrounds in high-end furniture design, which comes through in our aesthetic. Our consoles are modern yet timeless. When designing the most recent addition to our console family, Loft, it took about one year and 11 iterations until it was finally ready. We always start with the audio components, beginning with the speakers, and then build outwards. Every console takes about six to eight weeks from order to delivery, and each one is crafted in our San Diego workshop, which allows for an unparalleled level of quality control.
The other consoles also incorporate Pro-ject turntables, which seems like a longstanding value.
Pro-ject turntables are well-respected globally. They sound solid and are built solid. We also source VPI out of New Jersey for certain models. Both companies are leaders in the audio technology space and have origin stories similar to our own, which we love. They build fantastic turntables that integrate beautifully with our product.
What inspired Loft? How is it different from the others in the range?
We wanted an all-in-one system that could fit into a wider variety of spaces but still had the sound quality and capabilities of our larger consoles. Loft delivers the power and connectivity of our M1 and Standard models, packed into a smaller footprint. It’s amazing what we’ve fit into the Loft, actually.
What needs does Loft answer in this day and age?
Loft answers to the shift in the way people are living. We don’t need to fill our lives with mountains of stuff anymore. It’s more important to figure out what really makes you happy and invest in a few quality pieces that truly enrich your life. For music and design lovers, especially those who are looking to buy for a smaller space or even a second home, the Loft is that piece.
How do you envision Loft being used within a space?
We see the Loft‚—and all of our consoles—at the heart of the home where friends and family interact with one another. Sonos makes it possible to listen to anything you could imagine. Even if you don’t own it on vinyl, everything you listen to, digital or vinyl—can be simultaneously broadcast to any Sonos speaker within your space.
What are you most proud of?
The jobs we’ve created by sticking to our guns and building with integrity.
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