Specimen products is the workshop of Ian Schneller, a Chicago-based sculptor-turned-luthier. His site is worth a look if you are interested in unusual guitars and other stringed instruments (like this electic lute), eccentric amplifiers and speakers, or extreme guitar repair. Currently Schneller is collaberating with musician Andrew Bird on Sonic Arboretum, a musical perfomance/installation piece. Here is video of a performance at the Guggenheim in 2010, and a slideshow of the preparations for an upcoming performance at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art.
posted by gamera on Dec 1, 2011 - 9 comments

MIT now owns non-voting majority of Bose thanks to a generous alum. NYT, CNN.
posted by staggernation on Apr 29, 2011 - 68 comments

Troels Gravesen shows how to make your own loudspeakers. via
posted by klangklangston on Mar 30, 2010 - 16 comments

Explore your sense of hearing with LSD... the Leamon Sound Device, that is. The LSD is an extremely interesting audio project that I'd love to be able to listen to. [via]
posted by thebabelfish on Mar 20, 2005 - 15 comments

Gourd Speakers. While listening to my new favorite album, Verve//Remixed, I noticed that the CD jacket features these silly yet remarkably futuristic looking gourd speakers. At $1200 a pair, cuteness has its price, but these are quite possibly the world's most adorable examples of vegetable hi-fi equipment.
posted by arielmeadow on Jun 6, 2002 - 19 comments

Extreme Hi-Fi Buff. "...A further modification to loudspeakers that I found well worthwhile is to fill the cabinet with sulphur hexafluoride gas, SF6, in place of the air..."
posted by Spoon on May 28, 2002 - 18 comments

Turn any flat surface into a speaker. "The Soundbug can be plugged into the headphone socket of, for example, an MP3 player or a Walkman and then fixed by suction to the flat surface — effectively turning a desk or window into a speaker."
posted by o2b on Mar 15, 2002 - 33 comments