Silver Audio and Sound Equipment Design · 2024
Musegg Individual Fitted Sound System
- A' Design Award 2024 Silver Winner in Audio and Sound Equipment Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Loutd
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 35,251
- Verification code B8592410C0 · Verify this award
About Musegg Individual Fitted Sound System
Musegg redefines premium audio by creating a balance between art, audio perception, and sustainability. Its sleek, minimalist exterior revolves around an elliptical cross-section based on the golden ratio. Seamlessly integrating into modern spaces, the design enhances acoustic properties. Its audio design principle prioritizes adaptability over perfection, allowing for remote-fitted acoustics to optimize individual sound experiences. The sustainable design provides instant tool-free electronic upgrades and thereby extends the lifespan of mechanical and electromechanical components.
Within the contemporary landscape of audio equipment design, Jürgen Seidler's Musegg Individual Fitted Sound System emerges as a distinguished exemplar of the synthesis between acoustic engineering and sculptural form-making. The work participates in a rich tradition of designers who have sought to elevate utilitarian objects into aesthetic statements worthy of contemplation, recalling the pioneering efforts of mid-century practitioners who first imagined audio equipment as furniture-scale sculpture. The ovoid enclosure demonstrates remarkable formal sophistication, its elongated elliptical profile achieving visual buoyancy while the matte charcoal surface treatment lends gravitas and material presence. Technical achievement manifests in the seamless integration of the acoustic aperture, where the textile mesh sits recessed within a precisely machined rim, creating layered depth that invites close examination. The tripod support system reveals considered engineering, its bent tubular elements providing stable triangulated geometry while maintaining visual lightness that allows the main form to appear almost weightless. Chromatic restraint proves essential to the design's success, with the carefully calibrated grey-to-black transitions establishing hierarchical relationships between components while creating unified visual coherence. The work appears to explore questions of how sound-producing objects might inhabit domestic space with the presence of sculpture while retaining functional integrity, suggesting that technological objects need not compromise aesthetic ambition. References to organic forms, perhaps seed pods, cocoons, or marine organisms, invite consideration of natural acoustics and the biological origins of hearing itself. The Musegg system ultimately proposes that the act of listening deserves physical artifacts of beauty, that the space between speaker and ear constitutes sacred ground worthy of thoughtful design intervention. Viewers might consider how the form's vertical orientation and aperture positioning would shape their own relationship to sound within an intimate listening environment.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Musegg's industrial design centers around an elliptical cross-section developed using the golden ratio. It positively influences acoustic properties while seamlessly integrating into modern spaces. It connects with widely used IoT and streaming services, allowing for remote-fitting acoustics to achieve the desired sound. A unique feature globally! The value preservation concept extends the lifespan of mechanical and electromechanical components, enabling instant tool-free electronic upgrades.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 24kHz
Sound Pressure Level: 108dB
Services: Airplay 2, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Airable - radio index & podcasts, UPNP/DLNA, Horooc Self Fitting, Horooc remote fitting
Inputs: eARC, Line In, Digital input
Width: 41cm
Height: 114cm
Depth: 61cm
Packaging: 3,5kg reusable flightcase - Tags
- Design Speaker, High-End, One-Click, Horooc, Musegg, individually fitted, smart home experience
- Production Technology
- For manufacturing the enclosure, we combine thermoplastics as a material with the structural design of a composite sandwich buildup. This allows us to set stiffness and damping as needed, making manufacturing more efficient than for wooden housings. We exclusively use recycled thermoplastic materials, steel, and aluminum for manufacturing to ensure that everything can be recycled. In addition to a local operating system, a cloud system was developed as an interface between the user and the company for remote-fitting acoustics.
- Design Challenge
- 1. A manufacturing process for the enclosure had to be developed in which 8 thermoplastic parts can be seamlessly and flawlessly assembled to a monocoque, and easily coated with an ultra-matte finish, what makes silhouette even appear slimmer.
2. A process of remote interaction between user and audio specialist with synchronous data transfer was developed. While collecting the customer's needs, the specialist can view user data, analyze it, and create an acoustic fitting, which the user can set at the device on-site. - Project Duration
- The project started in Graz, Austria, in September 2018. The design and MVP were presented in 2019. In 2021, electronic modules coupling "one.click" were developed. By 2022, the operating system, cloud application, and mobile applications had been developed to a stage where they could be demonstrated to the public. The level of industrialization allowed for the production of Series 0. In 2023, units from Series 1 were delivered in our reusable packaging. In 2024, Series 2 was produced using a new scaled production process.
- Operation Flow
- Musegg is delivered in a reusable flight case. Unzip, screw on stands, put in place, and connect to peripherals. In 6 minutes, you're done. After measurement and remote-fitting acoustics, Musegg seamlessly integrates into first-party platforms like Apple Home, Spotify, or Tidal. Measurement equipment and flight cases are collected for reuse. In case of a hardware upgrade, the old electronics module is returned to the factory and replaced by the newest version. Individual settings are restored from a cloud.
- Research
- The center of our audio design philosophy is the human being and hearing characteristics. Hearing ability changes with age, and our habits and experiences shape our perception of sound. Everyone perceives music differently and has unique preferences. Even the environment in which we listen significantly affects the playback. Building a perfect speaker is not possible. Instead, a sound core that allows the greatest possible degree of freedom for personal customization is the best solution to cater to user needs.
- Inspiration
- While Bluetooth speakers today offer excellent industrial design, usability, connectivity, and good sound at an affordable price, premium HiFi, also known as high-end, still clings to its towers of gear. One function per device as it was 30 years ago. This market observation inspired us to adapt premium HiFi for a new generation. It should offer good design without taking up much space, be easily accessible for trial, audio-fitted to the user, and seamlessly integrate into users' rapidly evolving environment.
- Image Credits
- https://www.loutd.com/
- Patents
- Patented. AT525078A4. Jürgen Seider. 2022. AT.
Registered Design. 007562186-0001. Jürgen Seidler. 2020. EN
Colors of Musegg Individual Fitted Sound System
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G0E1 ShopDesign Interview about Musegg Individual Fitted Sound System
There are many products in consumer electronics, especially for loudspeakers. The main goal while making Musegg was to transform the understanding of value as it's understood now—like the value of gold, the value of real estate, or the value of a house—into a new understanding of value. Value as a function that delivers something to me.
It's a combination of life integration and artwork. For me, integrating into a customer's life means prioritizing functionality and upgradability throughout the product's lifetime. The principle of design following function creates good, functional designs. We wanted to shift this paradigm by potential future functionality as part of the present function. This is what led to our modular design.
We are just starting to market the product. We are also working on ensuring that the smaller version of our latest product, Musegg, will feature a 360-degree lighting system. This will undoubtedly elevate the product to the next level, but it also presents some significant challenges with light management, maintenance, and industrialization. The learning curve is quite steep at the moment.
We started 5 years ago with requirements engineering and artwork. The artwork took us around 2 months. After finishing the first prototype and receiving much feedback, we redesigned the hardware and software architecture, which also had massive impacts on the artwork. There were some slight reworks in the architecture due to improvements identified while building up Series 0. So, overall, we spent more or less four years working on Musegg.
Some of my equipment broke down, and I wasn't able to repair it, so I had to start researching how to replace it. I found that there is no product that meets my expectations in both audio quality and design simultaneously. While Bluetooth speakers offer excellent industrial design, usability, connectivity, and decent sound at an affordable price, premium HiFi, also known as high-end, still adheres to its traditional setup of multiple separate components. One function per device, just as it was 30 years ago. This market observation inspired us to reimagine premium HiFi for a new generation. It should offer excellent design without occupying much space, be easily accessible for trial, be customized to the user's audio preferences, and seamlessly integrate into users' rapidly evolving environments.
We produce it ourselves with the help of some great partners. We are just beginning with the marketing and are still looking for good partners for this.
Alongside the breakdown of my own beloved equipment, which had served well for decades, there was a realization from a past project I did for the brand Carboton, where I designed a speaker enclosure from fiber-reinforced composites. This particular design was too polarizing; it mainly attracted men. This opened up a discussion, leading to the requirement for the design to be more inclusive and not to polarize.
To pick just one, Marcel Breuer inspired us with his timelessly modern furniture designs.
Our product is tailored for the design-savvy music lover. We have developed a digital product that focuses not only on quality and performance but also on sustainability and resource conservation.
There are two main points of differentiation that are unique worldwide. The first is our understanding of sustainability, realized through a modular concept that we communicate as allowing for value-retaining consumer electronics. This approach enables users to replace rapidly developing electronics by simply swapping out one module for another, without requiring any technical knowledge.
The second is an ultra-personalization through a remote service where the device is customized to the customer's needs. Our audio design philosophy centers on the human being and their individual hearing characteristics. Our habits and experiences shape our perception of sound. Therefore, everyone perceives music differently and has unique preferences. The environment in which we listen significantly affects the playback. Our individual fitting service, guided by an audio specialist, analyzes your room acoustics and creates a fitting tailored to your preferences, regardless of where you are in the world.
The second is an ultra-personalization through a remote service where the device is customized to the customer's needs. Our audio design philosophy centers on the human being and their individual hearing characteristics. Our habits and experiences shape our perception of sound. Therefore, everyone perceives music differently and has unique preferences. The environment in which we listen significantly affects the playback. Our individual fitting service, guided by an audio specialist, analyzes your room acoustics and creates a fitting tailored to your preferences, regardless of where you are in the world.
The name came up naturally. After struggling for months to find an appropriate name, we showed it to the public, and everyone referred to it as an egg. Being a sound system meant to play music, the name "music-egg" or "musegg" was given.
It's definitely the personalization service as part of our audio design, which is completely new to the industry and could offer a fresh perspective to an industry that is currently struggling to find a new direction.
As soon as we began industrialization, we partnered with experts who contributed their knowledge to help us develop the necessary details.
Technology plays a major role in musegg. The development of connected streaming services like Spotify Connect and TIDAL Connect made our development possible. The advancements in industrial computers and operating systems enabled the kind of sound processing we implement like the devices ability to be really (not just EQs) fitted to a unique user.
Shaping something the size of a barrel in a fresh and captivating manner posed a significant challenge. After countless design drafts, the elliptical design emerged, with proportions balanced by the golden ratio. From a mechanical and acoustic design perspective, this shape has great advantages, which we knew from theory and proved with extensive FEM analyses. This led to an enclosure architecture with an unprecedented weight-to-stiffness ratio, reducing the material used and enabling easy shipping.
Developing a manufacturing process for the enclosure, where 8 thermoplastic parts can be seamlessly and flawlessly assembled into a monocoque and easily coated with an ultra-matte finish, making the silhouette appear even slimmer.
Creating a process for remote interaction between the user and an audio specialist with synchronous data transfer. While collecting the customer's needs, the specialist can view user data, analyze it, and create an acoustic fitting, which the user can set up on-site.
Creating a process for remote interaction between the user and an audio specialist with synchronous data transfer. While collecting the customer's needs, the specialist can view user data, analyze it, and create an acoustic fitting, which the user can set up on-site.
I'm not a designer as you might think. I'm more of a crossover between a data-driven engineer and an industrial designer. So it “happened.” First, I was just curious and uploaded some photos without extensive descriptions for preliminary judging and nearly forgot that I did. Some weeks before closing, I received an email with an invitation to attend. It wasn’t an automated one but contained some personal words, which gave me the confidence to participate.
We learned that artwork and concepts are good, but functional and life-integrating design is much more. A design concept is the beginning, leading to various disciplines like mechanical engineering, hardware engineering, software engineering, logistics, quality, and more. We learned that classical project management makes no sense for such large projects. It is much more effective to have these disciplines work in parallel and make small agile iterative progress.