Hasta La Ideas

Although vinyl acolytes swear by the unmistakable warmth of analog media, there’s no denying the advantages of the mp3 or its cousins: Between the ease of distribution, sheer convenience of having thousands of available at one’s fingertips and availability of playback devices, the digital format is now the norm (resurgence in record sales—500% since 2007—duly noted). But the audio source is only half of the story: what good is a fancy turntable or lossless FLAC file if the audio equipment doesn’t live up to the fidelity of the media?

Ever since custom equalizer and gain settings were introduced to consumer audio in the 70’s, an array of knobs and faders has been the standard interface for audio equipment. Casey Lin’s “Timbre Speaker” respresents a rather more interactive listening experience, allowing the user to manipulate the sound quality by moving physical objects on the surface of an unassuming transductive receiver.

Timbre Speaker trims the essence of a speaker down to the very bare minimum, allowing the inherent qualities of the materials to become the centerpiece of the design. All superfluous detail is stripped away, leaving only the necessary audio and power ports at the rear, and combined power and volume dial. Wood and glass were selected for their favourable acoustic qualities which enhances the audio experience of the user. The Black American Walnut wood adds a warmth to the tone, while the addition of the glass vessels bring a more reverberant characteristic to the music.

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