OJAS x Klipsch kO-R1 speaker

in 2024 i said if i’m going to have a dumbass midlife crisis, it better sound and look somewhat uniquely interesting. but when i looked for unfugly speakers, what hadn’t changed was how audio companies still market their stuff for retiree business dads or like engineer nerds.

fucking gross dude! yes that’s how i identify but don’t show me that..that’s condescending as hell.

art around the room and the sound coming out that thing should be the main focus.

i geeked on audiophile headphones in my 20s and i wanted to keep my burntout senses as far away from that incremental subjective moneypit to fussy hell of a world as possible. had considered going the diy route, but was avoidant of another project. i had seen and heard Devon Turnbull / OJAS speakers at a bunch of clubs and bars, like Public Records in NYC, plus his listening rooms at the SF MOMA and 180 Studios in London. they were always nice experiences and tied to big moments in mine or my friends’ lives.

love that industrial horn element on the top of the box. piano and vocals sound great coming out of it. the dream would be to have one of his OJAS x NNNN audio systems in any custom color. that thing would look bold as hell in any already obscene place.

the amp had to have low-fuss tube warmth while being critter resistant (it’s out) and have no tackyass tech or button placements that make no fucking sense. also surprisingly hard to find. do you know how many audio companies have crap type or were acquired and cheapened? jesus h christ. and then an optional modular wireless connector that’s tucked behind the amp cause it looks like every other fucking streaming box with tech lights. that’s just if it’s a pain to connect via amp or if i notice bluetooth sounding bad. but it’s fine, convenience is p important too.

was mildly smart and frugal bout such a ridiculous purchase. i got a hearing test lol. did some funny sound checks on my busy street and wasn’t worried about volume. listened to the speakers with my actual dad who gave me a cute playlist to test speakers with. bought used to save monies and dodge trump’s stupidass tariffs. def recommend buying any audio stuff used for obviou$ rea$on$, but also the experience of buying and meeting other music lovers who are selfless with their passion. i’ve met so many cool dads of other people and gotten so much free extras and knowledge dropped on me. underrated!