Audiophile

Hi-Fi

Hi-Fi by Logan Dixon

Sound transmission has come a long way since Edison first achieved it. Early recordings and advances in the 30’s gave way to high fidelity acoustics in the 50’s replete with amplifiers and loud speakers. Next came stereophonic sound, and some amazing developments in modern times, but none quite like this Hi-Fi speaker. Back when I lived in New York, I acquired, for a song, a set of enormous Pioneer cabinet speakers that sounded incredible. I gave them away for a song as well when I moved to Houston, but I still miss those speakers. Now I have something to remind me of them, even if I can’t get my streaming service to connect … yet.

this speaker rocks

It's quite touching to be introducing this puzzling speaker to the world. Back in 2019 I noticed a few lovely handcrafted boxes on Etsy. Beyond the exotic hardwoods and fine detail accents, what caught my attention was that they were advertised as “puzzle boxes”. I recall reaching out to the maker, asking if they were at all complex or just had a simple opening, because they looked fairly standard. The reply was that they were “pretty simple”, although “9 out of 10 people couldn’t open them” …. I bought a few, and was impressed with how tricky they were, not simple or standard at all. One had a ridiculously obscure internal layout hiding mischievously inside, all the while looking rather innocuous externally. It was called “The Abyss”. A few months later, the same shop listed another box, with an eye-catching mosaic patterned lid, named “Where’s My Hammer?”. At that point I knew that the maker, Dee Dixon, was going to be quite popular in the puzzle box community.

in Utah it’s a native speaker

It turns out that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Dee’s son, Logan Dixon, has created his first production level puzzle box, and it’s impressive. Logan is “a bit of an outdoor kinda guy. Biking and hiking in the mountains and that sorta stuff. He doesn’t do much social media. Mysterious puzzle designer that nobody knows anything about,” according to Dee, who also usually prefers to let his puzzles do the talking. Logan, who used to work as a stone fabrication programmer, now helps Dee with puzzle production and plans to continue making his own designs. Logan shared some information about his debut creation. “A lot of people used to have bookshelf speakers (some still do) so people can relate. I like music and just thought it would make an interesting puzzle. I wanted to make it look like it belongs on a shelf. I also wanted to stay true to what older speakers looked like and incorporate their features into the design. I worked on and off for over a year and went through several prototypes before it started coming together.”

you’ll need to adjust the impedance amplifier

Logan’s lengthy design process certainly paid off. His woodworking skill is on display in the sturdy speaker cabinet which houses the puzzle, and his 3D printing skills are equally on display (or not on display …) in what is a really cool mixed media design. The wood exterior gives the piece an elevated look and feel, very familiar in a Dixon box, and houses the inner components which together capture the theme perfectly. There is also a lot more packed in here than you might imagine, with multiple steps and layers to discover before finding the final on-theme prize. I was getting nowhere with this challenging puzzle so turned to a few early testers of the design (whom Dee often relies on) for their thoughts on the puzzle as well, and maybe for a little hint!

so good it Hertz

From Kyle Waszak: “Hi Fi came at me like a surprise! Thinking it was another one of Dee’s awesome puzzle creations but from more of a printed platform. I was suddenly hit with a curveball when Dee communicated “Its not my puzzle or design”. What had I just stumbled across? Hi Fi starts off as what looks like an old school speaker. As I dug into its secrets and mechanisms I found it becoming a very well themed puzzle. There were one or two steps that had me stumped for more time than I would like to admit, but after solving those and getting to the end it was an amazing puzzling experience. Finding out this was a first design by the designer also killed any motivation to try and design my own SD based puzzle because I don’t think it would ever turn out to be as good as this. This puzzle shows if you put your heart into a design it can turn out to be something amazing. With the final version of the puzzle everyone is in for a Hi Fi treat!”

And from Josh Reynolds: “I also had the privilege of getting to test out this cool puzzle box! I really dig the old school stereo speaker theme. There's some really clever and unique mechs involved that fit the theme very well and are quite fun and satisfying. Took me around an hour or so to solve it, hit a few walls along the way and had some great and surprising aha moments. For this to be [the designer’s] debut I was beyond impressed. Keep an eye and ear out for more info sometime soon, this is definitely one you don't want to miss out on!” After finally solving the puzzle myself, I can enthusiastically agree with these very skilled solvers. Hi-Fi has innovative moves and mechanisms that are novel and fun to discover. It’s also marvelous that you can eventually see how everything ingeniously works. The theme is extremely well integrated and adds to the enjoyment, and the use of mixed media works really well. Do yourself a favor and clear some space on your bookshelf for this speaker.

Loudspeaker by Harry Craddock

Here's a toast to the Hi-Fi, courtesy of legendary barman Harry Craddock, who helmed London’s oldest cocktail bar (which is still one of the poshest), the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in the 1930’s. Craddock’s famous collection, the Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930, remains a personal favorite and is a regular source for libation inspiration. His classic “Jabberwocky” cocktail was the foundation for an entire series of drinks I once created along the Alice in Wonderland theme.

get loud

We are sampling a different drink this time, one that turns up the volume with a double frequency of base spirit, using both cognac and gin as anchors. The cocktail is a gin variation on the Sidecar, another vintage classic. Craddock describes the drink in his book with these words: “This it is that gives to Radio Announcers their peculiar enunciation. Three of them will produce oscillation, and after five it is possible to reach the osculation stage.” Wink wink. Here’s to loud music and puzzle box passion – cheers!

rock out with this pair

Loudspeaker by Harry Craddock

25 ml London Dry gin

25 ml cognac

12 ½ ml Cointreau

12 ½ ml lemon

5 ml sugar syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe. Express a lemon peel and use as garnish.

rock on …