Dahkota Varela
I’m a multimedia artist and hardware designer working with visual culture, 3D prototyping and sculptural approaches to design.
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About
© 2025
Intent
The speakers, in their current form, were designed specifically as medium-sized PA speakers for an 800 sq ft gallery/event space in downtown Los Angeles. Their use cases range from live music to casual listening, with overall build size being one of my main constraints. The design centers on two high-efficiency drivers, which provide sensitive and precise playback capable of high SPL despite the compact footprint.
Clear and accurate frequency reproduction was a deliberate design goal. My choices in driver selection and enclosure tuning were informed by numerous detailed acoustic simulations. When deciding where to bias the system, I leaned toward an ultra-sterile high-frequency response and a distinctly present low-mid emphasis, resulting in a raw, exposed character.
While the speakers work well for casual listening, a dedicated subwoofer is recommended for live settings. The 65 Hz roll-off hands low-frequency content to the subwoofer, relieving the woofer of subharmonic stress and allowing for greater clarity and higher SPL headroom overall.
The speakers, in their current form, were designed specifically as medium-sized PA speakers for an 800 sq ft gallery/event space in downtown Los Angeles. Their use cases range from live music to casual listening, with overall build size being one of my main constraints. The design centers on two high-efficiency drivers, which provide sensitive and precise playback capable of high SPL despite the compact footprint.
Clear and accurate frequency reproduction was a deliberate design goal. My choices in driver selection and enclosure tuning were informed by numerous detailed acoustic simulations. When deciding where to bias the system, I leaned toward an ultra-sterile high-frequency response and a distinctly present low-mid emphasis, resulting in a raw, exposed character.
While the speakers work well for casual listening, a dedicated subwoofer is recommended for live settings. The 65 Hz roll-off hands low-frequency content to the subwoofer, relieving the woofer of subharmonic stress and allowing for greater clarity and higher SPL headroom overall.