Mushrooms continue to impress. We’ve seen them used for leather alternatives, packaging, and even a fruit bowl. And just when you think we’ve reached the limits of mycelium-made products, along comes something like this: a speaker that uses mycelium roots as its interior acoustic insulation.

The speaker is the brainchild of MYCOAUDIO, which designs and manufactures speakers with the aim of finding harmony between nature and audio technology. Open up its R1 speakers and you’ll find a mushroomy center made from reishi mycelium. Why are there mushrooms in this speaker, you might ask. Well, the structure of the mycelium roots is similar to the foam insulation often used inside speakers to help with acoustics. Using this mycelium alternative negates the need for plastic-based foams.

Encasing this root network is a Raku-fired ceramic shell. Raku is a traditional Japanese technique of firing that results in a varied, abstract finish. This gives the speakers an organic, otherworldly look. For the technically minded, the R1 is a 2 way active speaker with a 3” woofer and 1” tweeter.

At Forza gallery in Montreal, EDEN Power Corp presented a series of eight of the MYCOAUDIO R1 speakers in a multi-sensory exhibition. EDEN Power Corp is not a multinational energy provider. Instead, it’s a Montreal based creative and research studio with an eco-conscious collection of lifestyle goods that use recycled cotton, hemp and, you guessed it, mushrooms.

Elevated to works of art, the speakers were set on white pillars in the exhibition space. During the exhibition music from local acts like Cameron Morse, Kroy, Varfalvy, Feu St, Antoine, Amselysen, Boskorgï, Racine, and Trafic des airs played on loop.

In keeping with the theme of connecting with nature, the exhibition was also used as a mindfulness space. Over the weekend, guests were invited to take part in meditation sessions, guided by the teacher Manoj Dias via the sound system.

The idea of meditative audio being passed through a mycelium network before it enters your ears and, hopefully, relaxes you into a more mindful state is surely an example of nature and technology finding harmony. And, it’s yet another example of mycelium’s superb functionality in a world that really needs to stop using plastic.

Get closer to nature with your own pair of R1 speakers on the MYCOAUDIO website.