In brief: 150 W RMS amplifier · active cooling · splash-resistant · protected ventilation duct · portable form factor
For several years I've been building reinforced, splash-resistant speakers, designed to be carried and used outdoors — in conditions far harsher than a living room.
The 150 W RMS amplifier is far more efficient when properly cooled, but that wasn't the case here: it ran far too hot inside the sealed enclosure. Since the speaker had to stay splash-resistant, simply opening the case to the open air wasn't an option.
A sealed ventilation duct, with a compact internal path and a sealed fan built into the middle. The whole thing fits the available volume down to the centimeter — but the amplifier finally runs at a reasonable temperature, even during extended use.
A compact, rugged, powerful and splash-resistant speaker. The project revolves around a very concrete integration problem: making power and audio quality, thermals, water resistance, mechanics and bulk coexist in an object that's actually usable.