OLi Home proves again less is more even in speaker design

Speaker technology has not peaked yet as there is more room for improvement. We can probably say technology is at the point where we can just work on innovations, style, software, and design. Of course, customer demand must be met by brands. The prices of the speakers should be more affordable, but for those interested in design, there are still plenty of things to do and explore.

For OLi Home, it aims to improve the audio listening experience by coming up with a speaker that offers excellent sound quality. This is achieved by projecting and directing sound at the right height. The brand’s designer also believes that furniture should be part of the home. Therefore, it designed the OLi speaker to look like a piece of furniture.

Designer: Joshua Han

The OLi Speaker features different materials that can blend and match your home interiors. According to the designer, there’s a combination of wood, fabric, and matte color that can harmonize with other furniture and home surroundings. Joshua Han was the one who first introduced us to the Solo Headset, and the Teledining Table.

Judging from Han’s previous creations, he provides solutions to common problems that others think may seem trivial. The Solo Headset can make capturing videos easier by just wearing the video camera on your head. The Teledining Table is another practical innovation we never knew we’d be needing during the pandemic. As for the OLi Speaker, it solves the problem of trying to figure out where to position your speaker to match your home.

There are other beautifully-designed home speakers in the market today. The OLi Speaker looks great, but it is not overwhelming. It has a clean design, making it minimalist even with colorful options. It looks retro-modern, looking like a lamp, especially with the nostalgic pull switch.

The OLi comes with a simple look–providing less interface and more experience. There are no buttons or displays here because you have to connect a smartphone for the controls. The pull switch is to be used only for power as with lamps or wall and ceiling fans.

The main speaker is oblong-shaped similar to Dyson electric fans. It appears the build is plastic while the speaker area is covered by fabric. Both the stand and pull switch are made from wood. We don’t see any cable, but a hole in the rear could be a port for charging.