Srrcustom Audio: Bespoke handcrafted speakers
Srrcustom Audio has made a mark in the local market with their high-quality, custom made speakers
Srrcustom Audio is a brand built on passion and soul. The shop provides the local market with custom made, yet high-quality speakers. It originally began as a passion project for the owner and slowly grew as consumers realised the potential of the owner's craftsmanship.
Saniar Rahman Rahul is 46 years old with a background in printing technology. Rahman has now distinguished himself as a one-person custom speaker operation.
Up until 1994, he was an instrument maker. Saniar did not get into the bespoke speaker game for the money; he has enough of that from his high powered day job at Grey as its creative supervisor since 1995.
Saniar is a measured, soft-spoken and introspective man. Back in 2019 he began demoing his speakers in a side-by-side comparison with big names such as JBL and Sony. Srrcustom Audio was winning every demo session. Since its founding, he has personally handmade 24 pairs of speakers and sold them with price tags ranging from Tk40,000 to Tk115,000.
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Saniar has been making musical instruments such as guitars and tablas in his rooftop workshop for as long as he can remember. He divides his time diligently between his day job and his passion.
Srrcustom Audio's journey began one day as Saniar was surfing social media during his downtime. He came across several Facebook groups where DIY enthusiasts among budding engineers and craftsmen alike share knowledge and encouragement in equal measure.
These Facebook groups put him in reach of audio engineering, and his grasp of craftsmanship took him the rest of the way. His first foray into bespoke speakers was for his own sake, and he was simply researching to make the best Bluetooth speaker he could for himself. When he posted his first prototype for feedback on one of these groups, the response was phenomenal and lucrative.
Most of the materials and parts are sourced directly from China. Some of the more specialised parts are sourced from Germany, the UK and the USA. Srrcustoms Audio sets are beating the competition through their keen ear for acoustic science, something Saniar intuitively builds for the type of domicile spaces prevalent in our country. The aesthetic designs are also understated and tasteful. In a market saturated with LED lights and an over-emphasis on bass, SRR aims for the 7.1 sound experience regardless of what model you commission from him.
"In my younger days, I used to prefer high bass outputs," admits Saniar. "But in more recent years, I have moved towards soft, instrumental music, so these days my only aims are quality and clarity."
None of his models are beset by the pitfalls of mass production. He asks each customer their preferences and tailors the speakers for them. He even candidly recounts when a commission in progress was not up to his standard, so he scrapped it and restarted from scratch. He has even tried hiring others to do his commissions for him, but their work invariably failed to live up to the mark and wound up being scrapped. His dedication to maintaining quality clearly indicates that his work cannot be copied or iterated upon without a proper apprenticeship.
His latest project, which also has been his most ambitious one, is a three-way speaker system. The 240-watt German crossover speakers are handmade with a leather finish. The frequency range starts from 21 Hz to 30 kHz.
Audiophiles interested in his work would much rather pick his design over that of a reputed brand; this speaks volumes to his artistry and the appreciation he is receiving from all quarters. If a direct comparison were made in terms of speaker technology, it is the speaker versions of In-Ear Monitors with Dual (or more drivers). The soundscape envelops the listener, channels are spaced apart enough for clarity, yet the mix retains its stolid composure. Higher volume levels do not result in forced compression like most other speakers.
According to Saniar, his apex achievement was when a budding enthusiast from one of the previous Facebook groups claimed that his 'guru' Saniar was the one who gave him the courage to try his hand at making a speaker. "The kid did some great work and truly outdid what I was seeing from my other peers. That really moved me. It is still my favourite moment from this little side project."
Srrcustom Audio is inundated with requests and messages for commissions. Most of his patrons do not even tell him what they want; they simply ask what he is willing to part with.
If colour is how we decorate space, then music is how we decorate time. If you are willing to gift yourself the best aural experience from a true and lifelong artisan of the craft, you simply cannot do better than buying a bespoke speaker system from Srrcustom Audio, readily reachable on their Facebook page, Srrcustom Audio.
Where to find: https://www.facebook.com/SrrcustomAudio
Price range: Approximately Tk40,000 to Tk115,000 but it will vary depending on customisation orders.
