Passive Speaker

Passive Speaker Design

The Problem:

I was using a mobile phone that had speakers at the right back of the body. This meant that to listen to music, I would have to place my phone face down. This also meant that if I did place it face up, the sound became muffled and unclear. Something had to be done.

The Design

I explored a variety of cheap options online and resolved to make a passive speaker which would only direct the sound towards the sides of the phone while allowing me to still use the phone screen.

The Quirks

Two outlets on either side of the speaker allowed for stereo sound. The inlet at the right back allowed the phone's speakers to directly output to the speakers acoustic tube.

The curved rear created an acoustic echo chamber while enabling the phone to rest at a 70 degree incline to the floor.

The flat front was kept thin to reduce the weight while the rear was made solid to add some weight to the speaker, making it more tactile and handy.

The Making

I made several CAD models and eventually settled for this one. I 3D printed the model, making sure to create a hollow structure that would be optimised for the bottom-up approach to printing. Once printed, I removed the webbing base and sanded the edges for a clean, polished look. The speaker felt smooth and durable, with the plastic acting as an acoustically conductive material.

Side Profile of the Speaker.

An Evaluation

This speaker solved a very specific problem. It made no changes to volume, minor changes to clarity and minor changes to the stereo sound.

The speaker was effective as a dock, allowing me to play music while using the screen. Its design was tactile, handy and intuitive. Speaking to others who used this, I found that this was a simple solution to a minor problem, but a problem nonetheless.

What I learnt from this project was iterative design, where I had to make multiple modifications to achieve the best design. I learnt market research and applied ergonomics to make this design functional and aesthetic.