This Homemade Retro-Style Speaker Is Completely Wireless

Old radio designs

When thinking back to the age before the advent of digital transistor-driven radios, the radio sets of the early 20th century were large and typically made from nicely finished wood, a large dial for selecting the station, and a central speaker. Thinking back to this design language, psuedonymous maker 'Exposed Wire' was able to take some of the key elements and transform them into a modernized music player.

A more modern approach

Although he kept the rounded body, flat face plate, and dial, everything else about this DIY audio player would be reimagined. Most obviously, the invention of microelectronics meant this radio could be shrunk down into a footprint no larger than one's palm. Second, instead of powering everything from a wall outlet, this design would incorporate a rechargeable battery. Last of all, Exposed Wire forewent the radio route in favor of a Bluetooth speaker since most music is played from our phones rather than a central broadcast station.

Creating the enclosure and face plate

The idea initially took shape in Fusion 360 where Exposed Wire built a 3D model of how this player would look and be assembled. Everything from the top cover, bottom plate, and a variety of holders and dials were printed, leaving just the face plate. To create this part without the use of a CNC machine, additional jigs were created to hold the part in-place while he took multiple passes with both a drill press and a router table. The result was a smooth and stained birch face plate that could hearken back to how radio sets used to appear.

Required electronic components

Unlike other projects which require complicated programming and circuitry in order to function, the task of playing music over Bluetooth has largely been solved thanks to a wide variety of pre-made modules. In this case, Exposed Wire selected a relatively inexpensive Bluetooth decoder module that could be powered with a 5V source. Both the amplifier and Bluetooth module were connected to a USB-C charging circuit that can handle charging a 3.7V Li-ion cell, boosting its voltage to 5V, and receiving incoming power. To allow for volume adjustments and switching the unit on or off, a potentiometer and pushbutton switch were soldered to the amplifier and charging circuit, respectively.

Assembly and testing

Once the electronics had been soldered together, Exposed Wire moved onto the last steps of gluing in the speaker, overlaying a protective 3D-printed mesh, and screwing in each of the remaining components. The result was a clean, retro-themed Bluetooth music player that could go anywhere while also leaving a lasting impression. To read more about this project, you can check out Exposed Wire's write-up here.