What is the most important requirement for a good speaker? It should sound good, of course! No matter how beautiful a speaker is, it will remain just a useless decoration if it doesn’t sound well. That statement, however, almost sounds like (no pun intended) you have to choose one or the other, sounding good or looking good, when designing a speaker.
That may have been true in the distant past, but speakers today have stepped up to the challenge of satisfying not only audiophiles but design-savvy customers as well. We’ve seen it in speakers designed as actual home decorations, as well as in speakers that carry a peculiar charm, like this portable speaker that has the makings of a modern art object.
Designer: Audio Pro x Mikael Jepson
Speakers today come in all shapes and sizes to make an appeal to different people’s aesthetic tastes. A traditional box, however, is still the most space-efficient form for cramming hardware components, but it need not be as boring or lifeless as the speakers of old. In fact, just adding a tasteful splash of color can go a long way in bringing a design to life.
The Audio Pro T3+ Jepson edition is an example of that kind of design thinking. In terms of composition, it’s pretty much just a regular box with a carrying handle and minimal embellishments. Its defining trait is its playful use of colors. No blacks, silvers, or browns here, but patches of purple, green, and blue. Definitely not the hues you’d expect from professional audio equipment.
The speaker isn’t just all looks, though, as it bears the pedigree of the Audio Pro T3+ itself. It’s also a Bluetooth speaker with a rechargeable battery promising 12 to 13 hours of use, allowing you to bring your tunes anywhere and spark interest with its playful character.
Set against a plain white canvas that makes hues pop out more, the Audio Pro T3+ Jepson demonstrates how a simple addition of color can drastically change the mood of a product, from somber professional equipment to a cheerful companion. It doesn’t take too much work, but it does require some creative thinking and going against the flow to design an object that has an even bigger and more memorable impact without sacrificing functionality.
