Aside from
desktop PCs — which are easy to replace and upgrade parts in that individual
rigs begin to resemble the Ship of Theseus — most of our modern gadgets are
fixed devices. What you buy is what you’ll be using until you decide to get a
new model.
Decibel is an Indiegogo project from The Module
Project that claims to be “the last speaker you'll ever buy.” It’s designed to
be completely modular, allowing for users to easily upgrade, replace, and
recycle individual parts as time goes on. The entire device can be disassembled
using a standard Allen wrench, and everything from the battery to the drivers
to electronic control board can be swapped out.
Decibel sports some impressive specs for a Bluetooth speaker: up to
24 hours of battery life, wireless and USB-C charging, aptX audio, and an
entirely aluminum chassis.
The modularity of the system only works
if The Module Project actually stays in business and supports the Decibel with
new parts. The system quickly becomes pointless if the company goes out of
business and there aren’t any parts to upgrade over a person’s lifetime. Adding
to that uncertainty is that The Module Project is a new company that’s
crowdfunding the Decibel as its first product.
The Decibel is available to back on Indiegogo now at
an early-bird price of US$ 195, with an estimated December release date.
