MICRO 20: CELEBRATING TWENTY YEARS OF THE MICRO
Following critical and commercial success with his ground-breaking spherical Nucleus Solo reference loudspeaker, and as a result of 5 years of development, in the summer of 1999 Anthony Gallo launched his new ‘affordable’ Nucleus Micro design.
As the 90’s faded out and the dawn of a new millennium shone brightly on the horizon, the audio market was changing. The beginning of a decline in the traditional ’stereo’ market was just starting to be noticeable, home cinema was rapidly gaining in popularity and the launch of the iPod was only 2 years away, and with it the birth of the digital music revolution. The proliferation of large, floor-standing loudspeakers was starting to be challenged, driven in part by design and innovation, but also by a subtle yet tangible backlash against large ‘boxy’ speakers. There was a market opportunity for a compact, design-conscious alternative that was capable of delivering true hi-fi performance.
Inspired by the same principles that had seen the Nucleus Solo gain acclaim in audiophile circles – namely that spherical speaker designs have inherent superiority over traditional box enclosures, the Nucleus Micro set about changing perceptions of just how good a ’small’, reasonably priced loudspeaker could be. Originally available in a choice of black or white finishes, the Nucleus Micro design (now known simply as the “Micro”) was an instant hit, equally acclaimed as a two-channel product for the stereo crowd, as it was as a multi-channel home cinema speaker.
“Each Micro shell is painstakingly chromed before being assembled by hand here at our headquarters in Lanark, Scotland.”
After twenty years of continuous production, the Micro can be considered a true classic. Over the years, evolutionary refinements to its enclosure and driver have improved the Micro in all areas, a second higher-performance version (the Micro SE) and pendant variant (Droplet) have been added to the line-up, each true to the philosophy of Anthony’s original concept.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary we have produced a very special chromed version of the Micro, Micro SE, Micro Droplet and Micro Droplet SE.
Each Micro shell is painstakingly chromed before being assembled by hand here at our headquarters in Lanark, Scotland. The result is a very special loudspeaker – tactile, handsome, and beautifully luxurious.
The ‘Micro 20’ special editions are available from all Gallo Acoustics dealers and distributors, or directly from our online shop.