You’ve probably never seen speakers the like of Decibelist’s.
At least I never have. These bespoke speakers, designed right here in Singapore, feature some of the most unique designs visually. There are some that resemble art frames, while one is quite literally an upcycled Suntori Hibiki 12 Japanese whisky box.
Of course, these unique designs all still work as speakers, making them functional art pieces.
And behind all these unique creations by Decibelist is its founder, Brian Ho.
Meet the engineer
Trained as a computer engineer, Brian’s career spans over multiple disciplines and industries. This includes software development, technical consultancy, marketing and advertising, and most recently, photography.
Specifically, Brian has been shooting wedding photography. Even more specifically, he has been shooting wedding photography with old-school analogue film for the past 15 years.
He does this through The Galeria, which he runs alongside Decibelist.
“One may say juggling two businesses is a tough act, but I would say I’m fortunate enough to be able to run two businesses that I’m madly passionate about,” he told Vulcan Post.
High fidelity (Hi-fi) and music have been long-time interests of Brian. It started out as a hobby but has turned into a lifelong passion as well as a business.
Decibelist didn’t start off as a business right from the start, though. Rather, it was an experiment where Brian was trying to reimagine the concept of music and art.
“How do we create speakers that are distinctively unique, aesthetically captivating, and yet sonically pleasing?” he wondered.
This mission statement is why Decibelist calls its speakers the Art Speakers—it’s a musical experience that embodies both art and music.
“It wasn’t so much to fill in existing market gaps but more of a way of reimagining music and creating a fresh concept and perspective of what music speakers haven’t been but can be,” he explained. “In some ways, we are creating a new concept.”
Not about the tech
But to clarify, Decibelist isn’t a tech company, nor does Brian aspire for it to be one.
“We don’t see ourselves as tech inventors but more as integrators,” he said. The tech used in the speakers isn’t new technology, but whatever’s already out there.
What they do instead is integrate art, technology, and music to form a unique musical experience.
“The years of being an avid audiophile gave me the technical know-how and the experience I had in a wide-ranging set of industries gave me the diverse perspective,” Brian shared.
Inspiration for his art speakers can come from anywhere, from conversations and everyday objects to books and films. Even dreams and imaginations can be turned into reality.
“We just need to be perceptive of things around us,” he mused. “The simplest things can very well turn into the greatest inspiration.”
Extending beyond that initial inspiration, though, more practical thoughts need to come in. Is the idea even possible? Do they have the required expertise to make it possible? If not, where can they find people who have the necessary expertise?
Understanding that he can’t possibly do everything himself to the calibre it needs to be done, Brian is a strong believer in collaborations and bringing artisans together.
That’s why many of Decibelist’s art speakers are works of collaboration with artisans who boast a diverse set of inspiration, expertise, and specialisation.
“To date, we’ve worked with artists, architects, interior designers, fashion labels, graphic designers, illustrators, landscapists, sustainable champions, wood crafters, and more. Each of them brings a unique perspective to how we reimagine music speakers,” Brian shared.
For example, the Botanique is a collaboration with a moss art designer to create what Brian believes might be the world’s first botanic-inspired speaker made from real plants.
There’s also the Post-Modernism piece, a collaboration with an architect to design a speaker that resembles more like a building than a speaker.
Pushing the envelope, Decibelist has also put out a speaker made out of upcycled cassette tapes and even used chopsticks.
A delicate balancing act
While aesthetics is a key component of Decibelist’s speakers, the product must still be functional.
“How do we achieve aesthetic and sound perfection? Is that even possible?” Brian mused. “At what point do we sacrifice sound perfection for a little aesthetic artistry?”
These are questions he deals with regularly as a speaker designer who is challenging conventional norms. The answer boils down to constant trial and error.
Brian shared that providing both aesthetic and sound perfection requires a delicate balancing act. While the ultimate goal is to achieve both aesthetic and musical perfection, the end result almost always involves a compromise.
At the very least, though, the speaker must be musically pleasing. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of designing speakers in the first place.
The whole design process can take from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on the complexity and intricacy of the project.
Most Decibelist speakers are made-to-order and custom-built, reflecting the owner’s unique personality. Occasionally, they do carry seasonal ready-made speakers, but many are limited-edition pieces.
A one-man operation
At the moment, Decibelist is a one-man operation by Brian, though he regularly collaborates with other artisans.
“While it’s hard to say for certain what the future holds, it’s likely Decibelist will remain a niche and small design firm that will continuously reimagine music speakers in distinctively unique ways,” the engineer shared.
He hopes to establish Decibelist as a to-go brand when people are looking for uniquely distinctive music speakers that aren’t like any speakers out there.
From there, he wishes to expand the idea of reimagining speakers to different concepts and fields.
“Can we reimagine lights and sound perhaps? Can we reimagine living spaces? Can we reimagine communal spaces?” he wondered. “What’s more likely is an amalgamation of these different reimaginations and the opportunities are endless…if we dare to dream.”
Looking at the scope of work he’s already done throughout his career and with Decibelist alone, I dare say that he does and will.
- Learn more about Decibelist here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Singaporean startups here.
Featured Image Credit: Decibelist