Teenage Engineering
OB-4
- DesignerTeenage Engineering
MICHAEL UBBESEN The OB-4 turns an everyday object into a thoughtfully designed piece. Its minimalist proportions and carefully considered details reflect the clarity and restraint Dieter Rams applied in his work for Braun. While it nods to classic design, the OB-4 introduces playful, modern features that feel both current and spark curiosity.
The magic radio
OB-4 is an object of sound design that balances technology and form with sculptural clarity. Its strict rectangular body, offset by the iconic folding handle, reflects Teenage Engineering’s characteristic approach - playful yet precise, with an architectural sense of proportion and detail.
On the surface, it appears as a radio and portable speaker, but beneath the minimal exterior lies a layered interaction. The motorized interface - where the volume knob and tape reel follow the listener’s movements - translates sound into mechanics, creating a dialogue between touch and audio.
Equally considered is its acoustic presence: four bespoke speaker elements and a tuned bass reflex system shape the sound as much as the environment it occupies. Carried on the shoulder, resting on its stand, or placed within a room, OB-4 is less a device than a designed experience - an evolving archive of sound, memory, and gesture.
This openness has also made OB-4 a site for cultural collaboration. Reimagined through the lens of John Lennon’s Mind Games, or reinterpreted in luminous orange with Virgil Abloh’s Off-White™, the object extends beyond audio into music history and fashion - shifting with each encounter, while remaining unmistakably itself.
