Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/692589
148 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC SOMOGYI NOW HEAR THIS! CHICAGO COMPANY YATRA REDEFINES THE SOUND OF SUMMER WITH AN IN-DEMAND NEW LINE OF WIRELESS SPEAKERS. BY J.P. ANDERSON Summer in the Windy City is all about sound— the cheers from volleyball games at North Avenue beach, the squeals of children dousing them- selves at the Crown Fountain—but what Roy "Yogi" Sharda is hoping to hear more than anything this season is the sweet sound of music piped from his company Yatra's Aquatune wireless speakers. "I always feel that life needs a soundtrack," says Sharda, a passionate audiophile who founded the Chicago-based brand in 2014. "Why not us to provide it?" With th e goal of creating a rugged, high-quality product that offers wireless sound quality comparable to major players like Bose and Sonos but at a more reasonable price point, Sharda partnered with experts in audio, product design, packaging, and waterproofing, and the Aquatune was born. "Everything we did we over-engineered," says Sharda of the sleek cylindrical orange-and- black speaker. Having been featured by The Today Show and with multiple partnerships in the works (including with a global watercraft company), Aquatune is set to be available in 10 countries by July 1. Commenting on the work that has brought Yatra this far in just over a year, notes Sharda, "I think that if we continue to chase that level of excellence, success will find us." Sounds like it already has. shopyatra.com . Dustproof, shockproof, and waterproof, Yatra's Aquatune speaker is designed for Chicagoans on the go. SPACE TECH