When Sci-Fi Meets Hi-Fi: The Inspiration Behind the GravaStar

GravaStar was formed in 2018, with its Mars Bluetooth speaker, a unique device designed to look like a strong, mecha warrior, launched a year later. But its audio products are more likely to transport you to a futuristic, cyberpunk world in 2088.

In this world, imaginative technology advancements are plentiful, making it the perfect setting for GravaStar’s audio products which see functionality fused with creativity. But how did the decision to fuse sci-fi with hi-fi emerge?

When you first look at GravaStar speakers, you’ll instantly notice the unique, industrial design that’s reminiscent of something from a science fiction movie, and that’s exactly where the inspiration stems from.

GravaStar founders, Yong and Nancy Ahn, are both self-proclaimed sci-fi buffs, taking ideas from the films they watched as children. These include old classics such as Gundam, Transformers and Star Wars, as well as video games like StarCraft. But while nostalgia may have heavily influenced the brand, GravaStar deals more in the hyper-modern.

Basing its brand on the keywords, mecha, metal and technology, GravaStar takes everyday, functional audio products, such as speakers, and flips them on their head through a unique design approach.

“I like to design things like metallic mecha shapes, and I have always wanted to transform the scenes and products in daily life into the mecha sci-fi look,” Yong says.

The result is a range of products – or characters – that come to life as soon as soon as you connect your device, and the booming sound fills the room.

With a heavy focus on entwining technology and futuristic designs, GravaStar’s process had to allow for the most advanced sound available.

“Industrial design requires a combination of rational thinking and artistic design. I needed to combine the sound principle of the speaker to create more and more interesting mecha shapes as much as possible,” says founder Yong.

But how does GravaStar ensure its sound quality is the best it can be?

“In our team, we also have experienced audiophiles to help us to make the sound quality better.” Yong says. “Catered for the audiophiles, the built-in GravaStar’s proprietary DSP audio algorithms promises to deliver deep bass, accurate mid-range, crisp high, and equal-loudness contour. The technology produces high clarity and punchy bass even at low volume allowing you to hear and feel everything.”

For GravaStar, the name symbolises a sci-fi planet, rife with futuristic characters, each with their own personality. GravaStar products and characters may tell a story, but what that story exactly is entirely up to you.

"Everyone has their own understanding, and a different way of looking at things. We hope to let everyone participate in the story creation of GravaStar." Yong says. "Everyone can create a variety of rich paintings based on the products we have developed, and use accessories to set up the scenes to make this virtual planet more fun and creative."

The ultimate goal of GravaStar is to alter the way we perceive the world, by taking the familiar and turning it into the unfamiliar.

As Yong states: "we hope that everyone can look at the world differently, and discover beauty. Even for our more well-established products, there’s always a different way to look at it."

While GravaStar tells a fictional tale seemingly years from now, its designs ultimately leave the message that perhaps the future is not as far away as it seems.

Ready to join the world of GravaStar? Take a look at our range of speakers and earbuds.