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Glas + is working on a project for a design Bluetooth speaker “BLUE FOREST Speaker” that combines Tsugaru Vidro and Aomori Hiba at GREEN FUNDING. The price is 65,780 yen per unit (original list price), but you can purchase it at a discounted price such as 36,170 yen, which is 45% off.

Engadget

Yes, I’m going to try a Bluetooth speaker this time, but it’s a slightly unusual product. Something like fashionable glass on the speaker …?

This product has a glass called “Tsugaru Vidro”, a traditional craft of Aomori, on the speaker. Furthermore, the wood used for the speaker part is also the wood “Aomori Hiba wood” from Aomori prefecture. It’s a product that integrates traditional crafts and speakers, and although it looks good, its sound quality is a concern.

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▲ From the left, TOWADA Orange, TSUGARU White, and OIRASE Green’s Tsugaru Vidro. All are delicate shades. The speaker is powered by the included adapter.
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Vidro is bigger than I expected. It’s about the size of a platter that comes out at home, and it’s a little heavy at 0.8 kg. It’s so transparent that you can see through your fingers, and it looks thin, but it’s pretty solid when you bring it. Be careful when handling it because it is glass.

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And the speaker unit. The exterior of the speaker is made of “Aomori Hiba wood”. It is elegant and tasty that you can see the grain of wood slightly. It weighs 0.35 kg. Together with the Vidro, it weighs about 1 kg. It’s surprisingly light when combined.

The golden protrusion is the power and volume control button. Turn the knob to the right and click to turn on the power. There may be such a structure, but when unplugging the adapter, be sure to turn off the power before unplugging. The speaker may hurt with a popping sound. It’s scary just to imagine ….. (I have experience in the past. I am traumatized.)

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There is a Bluetooth connection button on the bottom of the speaker unit. It feels like pairing by pressing and holding here, but it is very difficult to use it at this position ….. I thought, but according to the manufacturer, this is being improved. It would be great if you could have specifications such as starting pairing as soon as you turn on the power. Let’s expect improvement here.

Now that the functionality is over, let’s turn on the power next. Put the Vidro on the speaker and turn on the power …..

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First of all, I tried shooting in a bright room, but at this point it creates a pretty good atmosphere. The light is reflected by the irregular wavy pattern of the vidro, making the vidro look even more beautiful. The round light of the speaker may be the secret that makes it look beautiful again.

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This time I tried to darken the room. This time, I will challenge with white squid. How is it, isn’t it pretty? If you have it, you will want to brag about it. White has a fantastic pattern like being in the clouds.

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I tried to shoot a little far. The brightness of “BLUE FOREST Speaker” changes depending on the volume. The photo is taken at maximum brightness.

I wonder if there is a white biidoro, it’s solid and bright. It was bright enough to be called indirect lighting. The writer’s uncomfortable room (6-7 tatami mats) is a moody space …

Yes, and what is worrisome is the sound quality. Yes, this product is a speaker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkjHfnCmooI

In terms of sound quality, the range was narrow and it was hard to say that it was clear, and the sound quality gave a slightly old-fashioned impression. I got the impression that the bass was slightly squeezed and the corners of the bass were removed. I think that classical and modern J-POP sounds a little weak. You may not be good at music that you should listen to in high resolution.

On the other hand, it goes great with lo-fi music, especially with instruments. Sampling music featuring lo-fi sound quality is also played in this video. The light that sways with the sound is beautiful, and the bass that is not too strong with moderate corners is comfortable to listen to all the time. It’s different from what you hear on a radio cassette player, and the sound is refreshing overall, so the sound image is easy to feel.

In order to adapt to various genres of music, it may be necessary to improve the resolution of the sound quality, but I personally felt that it would be interesting to have a sound quality that is slightly better than lo-fi. I definitely want to expect future improvements.

After that, I thought it would be better if there were more strengths and weaknesses in the fluctuation of light according to the sound. It doesn’t look like intense music, but I thought it would be even better if the light shook with a little more sharpness even in a loose song.

As mentioned above, it was a product that was already perfect for interior and lighting as well as appearance, and I felt that there was room for improvement in sound quality. We will continue to improve it, and I am looking forward to seeing what kind of evolution it will make.

This “BLUE FOREST Speaker” is not currently on sale to the general public and is being crowdfunded at GREEN FUNDING. The price is 65,780 yen per unit (original list price), but you can purchase it at a discounted price such as 36,170 yen, which is 45% off. If you are interested, please check it out.

Engadget

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