NAMM 2025: Speaker manufacturer Celestion has released the Peacekeeper, a new loudspeaker designed to let players find their amp’s “sweet spot” at lower volumes.
Tube amps shine brightest when pushed hard, often excelling at ear-piercing volumes, but are shadows of their selves when the volume knob is rolled back. For players averse to headphone jamming, the Peacekeeper offers a valuable alternative that will keep their neighbors happy, too.
“The Peacekeeper disrupts the conventional limitation of great amplifiers,” Celestion says, “with its unique dual voice coil design.”
Its in-built attenuating technology works to “significantly reduce output sensitivity,” so amps can be driven hard, without the volume blaring out of the speaker cones rising in tandem.
Moreover, tone is said to be achieved “organically through the natural operation of the loudspeaker,” without any extraneous tonal coloring, while its standard 12” sizing and 8Ω impedance – with a maximum power rating of 50W – means it is compatible with a fairly wide range of amplifiers.
“Until today, many guitar players have been limited by the volume constraints of their environment, whether it’s avoiding disturbing someone else in their household, or keeping the peace with neighbors,” says Nigel Wood, managing director at Celestion. “The Peacekeeper empowers guitarists to unlock the true sonic potential of their amplifiers without worrying about the volume.”
Notably, Celestion talks of “modest,” and “manageable,” volumes which is a fairly vague parameter, but the concept is intriguing and could provide a worthy solution to an age-old issue.
The 50-watt limitation does rule out a decent chunk of the amp market, but the arrival of the Peacekeeper represents a fresh approach to an old headache.
The rise of amp modelers and headphone amps has previously offered one such alternative and it’s increasingly commonplace for modern tube amps to offer built-in attenuation, but Celestion is now coming to the aid of those who don’t want to ditch their beloved vintage noise-makers.
What’s more, while we’ve not yet confirmed the price, it seems highly likely that the Peacekeeper will offer a less costly – albeit less flexible – alternative to the home or studio player than a traditional loadbox.
When it comes to loadboxes, for instance, even the relatively affordable offerings such as the recently announced Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander Core come in at $699.99, whereas a good quality speaker tends to cost a half or a quarter of that amount.
Visit Celestion for more.
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