The Bar for Elegance, Innovation, Performance at Home and in the Office
PARK CITY, UT, Dec. 6, 2007 — David Wiener Ventures (DWV), a leading design and innovation studio, has premiered the Ferrari Art.Engine, a Ferrari-inspired digital music system at its first major automotive industry event, the Los Angeles International Auto Show, at the Ferrari exhibit, successfully bringing high-performance audio’s newest achievement in home, and executive office-based audio to a premier showcase of the best and brightest.
“Interest in the Art.Engine has increased dramatically as a result of its being featured in Ferrari’s exhibit at the L.A. Auto Show,” said DWV Founder and CEO David Wiener. “For the first time, enthusiasts were able to see the system beside the Ferraris that inspired it — and their comments spoke to Art.Engine’s exceptional sound and staggering build quality.”
Highly experienced in audio engineering as well as innovation and design, DWV’s audio innovations were the basis for its launch in 1996 of one of the fastest growing speaker companies in the commercial and professional markets. DWV’s new Art.Engine continues this tradition of excellence in performance and design.
At the Auto Show, the Art.Engine was exhibited among the Ferraris that inspired its design. “We showed people something they acknowledged is unique, elegant and timeless,” said Wiener. “People often talk about the Wow! factor, but this was one time they were able to experience it. They could see and hear the performance, excitement and romance of Ferrari, and know they could take it with them for their homes or offices.”
The Art.Engine has been designed from the ground up as both a tribute to Ferrari and as a high-performance audio system ideal for use at home or in the office — or in special settings, such as the main cabin of a yacht or a private business jet. The system’s compact size, sculptural presence, and technical innovations make it especially well suited to private interiors where space is precious and elegance imperative.
Licensed by Ferrari Sp.A. and produced in an exclusive, limited edition of 1,000, the Art.Engine is the triumphant culmination of an exhaustive engineering effort to create a completely new concept in audio, and an exciting listening experience. The combination of its elegant aesthetic and audio sophistication sets new standards in music reproduction and visual presentation.
High-Tech, High-Design
In the Art.Engine, DWV has created a self-contained stereo music system that combines twin-speaker arrays, wireless signal input, and digital electronics in a Ferrari-like, impeccably machined aluminum chassis. Only 47 inches tall, 16 inches wide and 6 inches deep, it creates a room/office/plane or yacht-filling sound field of high-definition stereo entertainment — more like a fine instrument than a piece of electronic equipment.
At the same time, it provides the technological bells and whistles contemporary audiophiles desire. Its wireless signal input system, for example, raises audio performance to a new level of ease. Simply plug the Art.Engine into an electrical outlet, and its digital receiver technology instantly accepts music files and Web-based radio beamed from any 802.11 WiFi-enabled PC or Mac.
The Art.Engine also provides a hardwire input for a CD player, iPod, satellite radio, or other portable music device, so owners can listen to anything they or their guests might want to plug in from a personal playlist.
Add Ferrari design elements — like an “Engine Start” button, authentic Ferrari colors, a machined aluminum chassis, NACA cooling ducts, and carbon-fiber components — and the affiliation is complete. The Art.Engine is Ferrari-inspired, Ferrari-licensed, and Ferrari-like in performance. It will instantly remind any owner of Ferrari automobiles, even as it provides its own satisfying and unique musical experience. It makes for Ferrari aficionados an ideal gift, investment or one-of-a-kind collectable, especially during the holiday season.
The Art.Engine even solves a significant challenge encountered by conventional stereo systems: getting both channels to sound balanced from any position in a room. Conventional systems require users sit in a specific location (“the sweet spot”) perfectly positioned between two speakers. But the Art.Engine’s proprietary digital signal management technology expands the sweet spot, providing accurate stereo imaging to any location in a room or cabin.
Eliminating the need for two speakers and wiring liberates owners — and decorators and custom installers — in their placement of the Art.Engine, creating new options for uncluttered audio installations in elegant interiors.
DWV + Ferrari: Perfect Partners
The Art.Engine also excels in audio fundamentals. The tower houses a bi-amplified, stereo system with twin integrated line-source loudspeakers, amplifiers, DSP signal management, and a wireless digital receiver. It includes, in each of its two channels, eight three-inch DWV carbon fiber, high-performance low-to-midrange woofers, and one 1.1-inch ScanSpeak soft-dome tweeter with a Neodymium motor. All the drivers are magnetically shielded.
All 16 of the hand-assembled woofers are individually tested prior to approval, just as every other component must meet exacting performance parameters. Once approved, the drivers are matched as a group to provide the truest, most consistent sound possible. The group is then mated to a pair of dome tweeters by ScanSpeak of Denmark, respected worldwide as the leader in dome tweeter technology.
Also included in the system are four 200-Watt discrete digital amplifier modules. RCA jacks mounted on the side handle any wired analog inputs. Discreet LEDs on the front and sides indicate the system’s power and wireless receiving status. The Ferrari-inspired paint finish, protected by a clear coat, is available in Rosso Corsa red, Argento Nurburgring silver, Grigio Silverstone grey, and Nero black, with custom Ferrari colors available on request.
Why Only 1,000?
DWV has limited production of the Art.Engine to 1,000 units as a guarantee of its exclusivity. The Art.Engine’s uniqueness will increase the pleasure of its possession and performance by audio connoisseurs, automobile aficionados and collectors.
Following the practice employed in the production of limited-edition GT cars, DWV has carefully monitored every stage of Art.Engine production. To maximize the future value of each Art.Engine, and the value of its owner’s investment, detailed photographs and data from each Art.Engine have been collected and registered for future reference and authentication. To further guarantee authenticity, each Art.Engine is individually numbered using official Ferrari holographic markers, which are recorded as part of the audit procedure.
Each Art.Engine is given a multi-stage inspection and performance-tested prior to authentication and registration. Once each Art.Engine has passed all assembly, performance, and visual detail inspections, a unique Certificate of Authenticity is produced, signed and presented to the new Art.Engine owner.
Even as a Ferrari collectible, the Art.Engine is unlike any other. A true commemorative tribute to Ferrari, it’s the most unique Ferrari-licensed product ever designed and manufactured from start to finish exclusively for Ferrari. There is nothing off-the-shelf about it.
The Ferrari Art.Engine is available through select Ferrari dealers and fine audio resellers for a suggested price of $20,000 in the U.S. Contact DWV.com for a dealer in your area.
About DWV
David Wiener Ventures is a design and innovation studio that creates some of the world’s most exclusive and prestigious products. DWV products exhibit extraordinary, uncompromised performance, styling, materials and craftsmanship. The company is relentless in its pursuit of superior products and groundbreaking technologies.
Founded to create advanced vehicles, products, furniture and fashion, DWV prides itself on a unique operational model, based on experience with Formula One teams, that inspires its staff to optimize performance, style, operations, image and success.
DWV has worked with many of the world’s great brands, including Ferrari, the U.S. Ski Team, Columbia, Cannondale, Ben & Jerry’s, Nike, Ganassi IndyCar, Hollywood, TWR, Old Navy, Bloomingdales and many others. DWV programs have also been sponsored by such highly regarded companies as Adidas, Campagnolo, AMF, DuPont, Fischer, Salomon, Revo, and Vuarnet. In addition, DWV’s work has been featured in major media worldwide, as well as on a PBS-TV documentary about David Wiener.
DWV’s Park City, Utah, design facility and Salt Lake City-based Technology Center exhibit DWV’s culture with Ferrari and other F1 cars on display.
For further technical information and availability, contact Bryan Stanton jbs@jbstanton.com or visit www.dwvArtEngine.com.
