- #HGCREATORS
- #HGEXPLORE
- #HGVOICES
- #HGSHOP
- CAREERS
- ABOUT US
- CONTACT US
Commercialization is a double-edged sword — profits come with a lack of originality. Fuelled by his passion for music and the lack of quality, non-plastic speakers led to the creation of Sonic Architect, a venture by Sahil Thappa. “Since my childhood, I’ve come across different acoustic systems; radios, casette players, walkmans, discmans, CD players, micro hi-fi systems, portable speakers and bluetooth speakers. They gave me a chance to escape to an alternate dimension but throughout all my years of using various audio systems, I felt like they were lacking soul. Working with my own hands with a material like wood, was like giving life to these soundscape creators,” he tell us, when asked what led to the making of the first soundsystem.
As an industrial designer, Sahil was already conditioned to working with material like wood and electrical components. Yet, putting together a system by himself wasn’t all that easy as local parts didn’t satisfy his standards of sound quality. After putting in a good six months of research and sourcing the needed components, he got down to building his own system. “The Gilmore (a type of speaker) was one of the first systems I made back in January 2016. I’ve tested all the speakers by giving them to friends to use for a period of six to seven months. Only then do I go ahead with it,” Sahil says.
The smallest speaker starts at the price of INR 4000 and the largest speaker that he has worked on till date, has cost him INR 45,000. “A lot of people don’t appreciate handmade items and question the price. When you see the amount of hours spent on an item, you’ll understand why. I’m not trying to compete with a JBL or Bose — they’re in an entirely different market. If you really like the speaker, you’ll buy it,” says Sahil, defending his passion. All his speakers are made to order as the components are expensive and sourced from Germany, China, and USA. He does source quite a bit locally, from Ahmedabad or Hyderabad. In fact, most of the wood is sourced right from Ahmedabad, unless people ask for a specific wood such as walnut wood (a more expensive option), which he sources from Jammu.
If you’re interested in ordering yourself a speaker, you can always reach out to Sahil via Instagram or email, for an order. Normally, a speaker will take about four to five days to make but if parts need to be sourced, it could potentially take up to a month. In the future, he’s planning on making a few more speakers to sell at stores in Goa and Ahmedabad. For those whose finances are a little tight or willing to put their DIY skills to the test, Sahil has put up guides that show you how to make your very own speakers!
You can follow Sahil’s work as the Sonic Architect on his blog and Instagram. For a look at his other work, visit his personal blog or personal Instagram. To send in an order, email Sahil on the following email addresses: thappa.sahil@gmail.com or ekprayog@gmail.com.
If you liked this article, we suggest you read:
