Looking for a great conversation-starting party piece, with just a hint of the maniacal? If so, you may be interested in the Fireside Audiobox: a beautifully handcrafted wooden Bluetooth speaker, which just so happens to shoot out dancing flames in time to your tunes.
“I have a background in physics, I listen to music all the time, and like a lot of people I have a bit of a fascination with fire,” creator Tyrone Hazen told Digital Trends. “So I decided to put all three together and make what I think is the world’s first desktop Ruben’s Tube.”
A Ruben’s Tube, for those unfamiliar with it, is a standing wave flame tube used to demonstrate the relationship between sound waves and sound pressure. In other words, something that fits perfectly as a neat gimmick for a unique speaker.
The road to the Fireside Audiobox started back in 2013, when Hazen discovered the “maker” movement. Granted access to a fabrication shop, he couldn’t decide which machine he wanted to learn first, so came up with a project that would force him to learn all of them. “It was a bit like immersive language learning, with the idea that if I had a reason to learn all of this stuff it would really sink in,” he said.
While the idea of adding propane to your music-listening experience sounds, well, a bit dangerous, Hazen pointed out that it’s a whole lot safer and more controlled than it may seem. “The flames are about the same size as a birthday candle, so you’ll want to take the kind of care in your home that you would if you were lighting a candle,” he said. “You don’t want to put it under an overhanging shelf, for instance. But it’s got a shut-off mechanism so if it gets knocked over by a dog running through the house, the gas will shut itself off. It’s a flame — be smart about it.”
With ten days left on his Kickstarter campaign, Hazen is close to hitting his $35,000 goal. If you want to help him — and pick up an incredibly cool music-pumping accessory in the process — consider making a pledge. Right now, the best option is the Early Bird special which will set you back $349.
After that, you just need some bass-heavy music, a can of propane, and preferably a social gathering of some sort to show it off.
