Dominated by companies such as Sony, Sennheiser, and Bose, which leverage technology to make ever-smaller components, the global audio equipment market is expected to grow to an estimated $28.5 billion by the end of this year. On the flip side, there are proudly D.I.Y. audio designers like Devon Turnbull, who with his brand Ojas creates high-end sound systems from his basement and a studio near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. By hand-building speakers that resemble sculptural takes on the office water cooler, Turnbull has amassed a global following of serious audiophiles. At the end of 2019, his custom audio solutions for the Brooklyn club-café Public Records caught the ear of En One’s Masayuki Nishimoto. He sent Turnbull a WhatsApp message—“I love what you’re doing with sound”—followed by an invitation to Tokyo. Turnbull left the next day.