ALMA by Strofeld – The sustainable streaming speaker

With ALMA from Strofeld, a special streaming speaker is ready, a solution that is described as sustainable and thus represents a particularly exciting alternative to the solutions from the Far East that are common in the field of wireless speakers. Made of natural solid wood, the company Strofeld Manufaktur from Innsbruck pursues an approach based on sustainability, producing solutions that are produced fairly in Tyrol, can be repaired for a lifetime, are designed to offer flexibility and ease of use and, last but not least, fine sound. The spectrum that ALMA by Strofeld offers ranges from Bluetooth to WiFi to the possibility of connecting various sources via cable.

The Strofeld Manufactory from Innsbruck with a long history

The Strofeld Manufaktur is not really a new company, because this was already founded in 2016 by Dominik Strobl and Jonathan Dornfeld in the Tyrolean capital. What drives the two is the idea of realizing solutions that combine a love of craftsmanship, the pursuit of quality, and that deliver what they promise for a lifetime.

They were first able to prove this with the so-called Strofeld suitcase, handmade transportable speaker systems integrated into original vintage suitcases. Each product is thus unique, a one-of-a-kind item with charm and esprit that is second to none.

The latest project is now ALMA by Strofeld, with which for the first time something like a series production was approached, but also here completely in accordance with the previously outlined corporate philosophy.

ALMA von Strofeld – Fair, regional and natural

There are three key words in particular that the Innsbruck-based company around ALMA von Strofeld cites, and they are fair, regional and natural. Terms that normally come to mind with fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products, but not with modern consumer electronics solutions.

But that’s exactly what the founders of Strofeld Manufaktur are interested in, offering an alternative to the usual solutions from the Far East in the field of consumer electronics, especially in a segment where consumers have had no alternative at all up to now, namely wireless speakers.

Unique Wireless Speaker

Even if, as already indicated, this solution of the Tyroleans is for the first time a mass-produced product, in the case of the ALMA from Strofeld you can still speak of each piece being unique. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that this solution is ultimately manufactured in small series, namely by hand, and that here above all the material wood is used.

Housing made of solid wood, manufactured in Tyrol

It is particularly important to emphasize here that it is actually solid wood, and not veneered MDF panels, as used in other such solutions. And to actually meet the aspect of sustainability, it is woods from regional and sustainable Austrian forestry, namely pine, oak or spruce, which – depending on the wood – are also offered in different finishes.

In passing, the manufacturer mentions that production takes place in ultra-modern production facilities of the sheltered workshops Tyrol, where people with disabilities find a job. The final assembly and quality control then takes place in the Strofeld manufactory.

Designed as a stereo bass reflex system

One thing should be said, the ALMA from Strofeld is a basically portable wireless speaker, but not the most compact in its class, and that’s a good thing. After all, the system measures 480 mm in width, 200 mm in height, and 138 mm in depth, and thus weighs between 3.3 and 4.8 kg, depending on the wood variant.

They are stereo bass reflex systems, which relies on two 80 mm full-range drivers with aluminum cone.

The signal processing is DSP-based and the corresponding power is provided by amplifier modules in Class D, which deliver a power of two times 30 watts. According to the manufacturer, the ALMA from Strofeld can achieve a sound pressure of at least 100 dB, and a frequency range between 75 Hz and 20 kHz can be covered.

Regarding the electronics and the speaker chassis used, the manufacturer states that these components have so far been sourced from the Far East, these simply could not be sourced at reasonable cost from local suppliers. Explicitly emphasizing and openly communicating this is also part of the concept fair, we think…

Analog, Bluetooth and WiFi

ALMA by Strofeld can be used particularly flexibly. In the simplest case, various analog sources can be connected via a 3.5 mm stereo jack. However, it is of course more exciting to use ALMA from Strofeld as a wireless speaker, whereby Bluetooth 5.0 is primarily available for this. This means that a smartphone can be used directly as a source, which not only offers the user’s own content, but also the entire spectrum of different streaming services depending on the installed app.

Strofeld’s ALMA also has a Wi-Fi module according to IEEE 802.11n and can thus be directly integrated into the network. It supports the Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect protocols as well as the industry standard UPnP as a dlna-certified streaming client.

4Stream App for Google Android and Apple iOS

Apart from the fact that you can operate Strofeld’s ALMA directly on the device quite easily with just three buttons, the manufacturer also offers its own app for the wireless speaker, the so-called 4Stream App, for Google Android and Apple iOS. This provides the option of connecting two of these wireless speakers to form a stereo pair, or to use several wireless speakers in a multi-room audio streaming network. Up to twelve ALMAs from Strofeld can be used in the house.

Various streaming services are directly available via the app, namely Internet Radio via TuneIn and iHeartRadio, Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz, Amazon Music, QQMusic, Deezer and Napster.

It should also be mentioned that Strofeld’s ALMA naturally supports all relevant audio data, ranging from MP3, AAC, ALAC, WAV to FLAC, and this up to a resolution of 24 bits and 192 kHz. The ALMA from Strofeld is thus Hi-res audio capable.

A wireless speaker but not a smart speaker

The Tyroleans also emphasize another point, namely the fact that they deliberately decided to create a wireless speaker but not a smart speaker. Strofeld’s ALMA does not have an integrated microphone for Amazon Alexa or Google Home, but of course offers the possibility to connect such devices if desired.

Optional battery

Finally, it should be mentioned that the customer can also purchase the ALMA Wireless Speaker from Strofeld with an integrated battery. This is a lithium-ion battery with 21 V and 3,100 mAh, which, according to the manufacturer, should provide a playing time of around 20 to 25 hours at normal volume, and even up to eight hours at maximum volume. Power is supplied via an external 19 V 3.42 A DC power supply.

Wall mounting possible

It’s also interesting that you can place ALMA by Strofeld in a variety of ways in and around the house. The housing, which is always slightly slanted towards the back, allows for both horizontal and vertical placement, offering optimal radiation into the room in each case.

Wall mounting is also possible ex works, the corresponding mounting device is part of the scope of delivery.

Prices and availability

The Wireless Speaker ALMA from Strofeld is available immediately, directly from the manufacturer in its online store. The price for this solution is € 850,- without, and € 895,- with integrated battery.

Getting to the point

Terms like fair, regional and sustainable are simply not known in the field of consumer electronics, that has to be admitted in no uncertain terms. Especially the product segment of wireless speakers has been characterized by solutions from the Far East for years, which are mostly made of plastic and are not designed as truly durable solutions. This is completely different with the ALMA from Strofeld, a solution that has been developed and optimized precisely for these aspects, and with which the user nevertheless does not have to accept any compromises in terms of flexibility in use and also does not really have to dig deeper into his pocket. The ALMA by Strofeld from the Innsbruck-based company Strofeld Manufaktur is thus an excellent example that things can be different after all, that clever concepts can offer consumers a real alternative to the mainstream.