Angelic Sound One (2): There is a Problem

“If you spend enough time on a problem, you will solve it.”

This advice from Bruce Grundy, a respected professor at the University of Melbourne, has stayed with me over the years. Bruce, now retired, shared this wisdom during my struggles with the complex world of financial derivatives - Futures and Options. His words became a guiding principle, helping me tackle not only academic challenges but also broader obstacles in life. To me, it all boils down to grit - or, in another word, doggedness - when facing a difficult problem.

With that mindset, I embarked on a research journey to solve my speaker challenge. Along the way, I considered many options.

The DIY Dilemma

At one point, I fell into the trap of ‘dangers of ignorance’ believing I could pursue the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) path. However, I soon realized that speaker-making is both a science and an art. It demands countless hours of trial-and-error experimentation to ensure all components work in harmony. The sheer number of variables is overwhelming, and mistakes can be both frequent and costly.  In addition, I just don’t have all the necessary equipment to objectively measure performance.

Even as an engineer, I had to admit that the DIY route was not practical. Speaker-making is a specialized craft that takes years to master, and I decided it was wise to abandon the idea of going it alone.

Lessons from Partnership Success Stories

Instead, I turned to successful examples of partnership for inspiration. One story that stood out was Boeing’s development of the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing outsourced ~70% of the aircraft’s development to its network of suppliers, including the critical wings, which were designed and manufactured by Mitsubishi in Japan. These wings were then transported by specially designed planes to the U.S. for assembly. 

This story gave me a new perspective: like Boeing (and many others), I could focus on defining requirements and designing the speakers outline myself, while outsourcing the actual engineering and manufacturing to experts.

However, like Boeing (that incurred significant delays of the 787 Dreamliner launch), I knew I had to mitigate the risks of outsourcing and create the conditions for success.

The Good News and the Bad News

So far, my journey has brought both encouraging and challenging revelations:

Good News

High-quality speaker driver units are readily available. Renowned brands like Eton (German), Accuton (German), BlieSMa (German), Scan-Speak (Danish), Seas (Norwegian) and Morel (Israeli) produce exceptional drivers. These components are used by leading speaker manufacturers to create products worth $100,000 or more. Better still, many of these drivers are reasonably priced, making them accessible for my project.

Bad News

Australia's talent pool for crafting custom audiophile-grade speakers is limited, with a small number of skilled artisans scattered across states like New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania. While some of these craftsmen have developed their own unique designs and brands, none currently have the capacity, expertise, or focus to specialize in fully customized speakers. That said, I deeply admire these local craftsmen and their efforts to drive innovation in Australia, and I hold great respect for their work.

Looking Beyond

This means I need to expand my search beyond local options to find the right speaker craftsman. The question now is: where can I find the talent willing to collaborate on a bespoke, high-performance speaker project?

The journey continues.

Photo courtesy of Eton, Accuton, BlieSMa, Scanspeak, Seas & Morel