Iky Audio

What it is iPod speaker made out of PVC pipes
Who he is Eric Nelson has been toying with electronics for as long as he can remember. “It’s been a hobby since I knew how to pick up a screwdriver,” he says. As a young man, Nelson, 39, would take apart his family’s TV and VCR and then put them together again. And he has fond memories of visiting the small audio stores that used to be on Clark Street near Diversey with his dad. So in 2009, when Nelson, a graphic designer during the day, wanted some cool speakers for his iPod, he just made them himself.
What he makes Nelson started out making typical wooden box speakers but had problems cutting holes in the wood. “They would never be perfectly round,” he says. “It was kind of a pain in the ass.” He solved that problem by making speakers out of glossy, painted PVC pipes. The speakers aren’t only functional but also have playful, cool designs. The Red Lobester speakers (pictured, $200), for instance, are named because Nelson thought they kind of looked like lobsters. The Black Mambas speakers sort of resemble a snake. He brought his work to Decibel Audio in Wicker Park, which picked up a couple on consignment. Nelson has since started an Etsy page (Iky Audio, after a childhood nickname—Iky Magoo—that has stuck), where the speakers have been noticed and written about all over the blogosphere.
What he makes Decibel Audio (1429 N Milwaukee Ave, 773-862-6700), Transistor (5045 N Clark St, 773-414-1749) and his sites.

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