The COVID-19 pandemic, the October 7 attacks and successive wars have shaken many businesses in Israel. Industrial designer Dan Saroussi nearly saw his own venture falter as he began his fifth stint of military reserve duty in just two and a half years.
Luckily, he has managed to carve out a niche that continues to attract attention even when he is away from the studio he founded.
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Dan Saroussi. “I designed the first speaker while on reserve duty, inside a tent”
(Photo: Dalit Merenfeld)
Saroussi, 34, a graduate of the Holon Institute of Technology, is married and lives in Tel Aviv. He created the brand SOOS, which produces distinctive speakers designed to stand out rather than blend into a space, counter to the prevailing trend of hiding sound systems.
The name builds on an earlier venture. “I started a brand called SOON that sold flowers and 3D-printed vases,” Sarousi says. “The new name continues that idea.”
Selling design on Wolt
“When I finished my degree, COVID broke out and I found myself building bicycles from tubes,” he says, referring to techniques he learned in London for his final project. “I suddenly had time and a chance to apply what I’d learned in the real world.”
At the same time, a friend suggested opening a pop-up flower shop using peonies grown by his father. “We called it SOON, and it took off,” Saroussi says. “Then I had the idea to 3D-print vases for the flowers grown by my friend’s father, using a printer I had as a student. That’s how it turned into a business focused entirely on printed objects. It was one of the first non-food products sold on the Wolt delivery platform.
Production quickly scaled from a single printer to more than 30 machines running around the clock in a studio in Tel Aviv. The team expanded from vases into lighting fixtures, candlesticks, mirrors, side tables and decorative pieces for homes and commercial spaces.
“We collaborated with major brands and rode that wave until the war in October 2023,” Saroussi says. “I was called up, and that forced me to pause and reassess everything.”
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They printed vases for flowers grown by a friend’s father. Saroussi at the entrance to SOOS
(Photo: Dalit Merenfeld)
At that moment, an unexpected request arrived from Galleria Europa, a popular event venue on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv. “They asked me to design speakers,” he says. “I approached it like any design project. The concept looked great on paper, but when I tried to build it, I realized it couldn’t be produced using standard methods.”
That challenge pushed him to develop his own manufacturing technology using advanced 3D printing. “It solved the problem and opened new possibilities in form, acoustics, engineering and user experience,” he explains. Prices range from about $1,900 to nearly $11,000.
From vases to speakers
Recognizing the potential, Saroussi shifted his focus entirely to speakers. “It brought me back to something I’ve always loved, music and sound,” he says.
The speakers, now used in private homes, restaurants and clubs, often remind viewers of familiar Israeli reality TV show imagery. But Saroussi says the real inspiration came from his military role. “I designed the first speaker while on reserve duty, sitting in a tent,” he says. “As an artillery soldier, I work with shells. When I look at the design now, that’s what I see.”
What materials do you use?
“I realized I needed a printer that didn’t exist,” Saroussi says. “The machines I had were limited in speed and materials. I worked with a Spanish engineer and we built a new printer from scratch. Thanks to it, I can precisely control the materials, shapes, colors and size. Working with a factory I found in Israel, we developed several types of materials, some made of 100% plastic and others combining aluminum, cardboard, wood and polymers.
"That allowed us to create unique forms that are different from what you usually see in speakers. They also deliver very high acoustic performance. The materials are strong and durable, suitable for outdoor use, clubs, homes or direct sun exposure.”
Do you have these speakers in your own home?
“Of course,” he says. “Everything I make comes from something I want for myself, whether it’s the bicycles, the chairs or the speakers. Speakers are sold in pairs for home use, while larger spaces require additional units for sound distribution.
“Right now, we’re the only brand in the world built entirely around this 3D-printing technology we developed. You can’t achieve these results with any other printer.”
To date, Saroussi and his partner have collaborated with well-known artists both in Israel and abroad. About a year ago, they expanded internationally, and their speakers are now sold in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Paris.
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Speakers stand out in any space rather than blending in, defying the prevailing trend
(Photo: Ziv Toledano)
The studio is based in the Noga district of Jaffa, where visitors can experience the brand as a design piece and hear the distinctive sound produced by the speakers.
Do people request custom, personalized designs tailored to their taste?
“All the time,” he says. “Someone even asked for a design covered in fur. I don’t do custom requests. I stick to my own design language, no matter how much money is offered.
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He sees artillery shells and designs speakers inspired by their shape
(Photo: Ziv Toledano)
“What’s unique is that in the past, people thought you could only make similar things out of wood, and we proved otherwise. We really stepped outside the box and added a new dimension to the listening experience.
The most beautiful part of this idea is taking speakers off the wall. They used to be hidden up high in a corner, and now they move to the center, as an art piece and a statement piece in the middle of the living room.
I’m drawn to the 1960s and 1970s, and that strongly influences my design. We’re working on a core collection with three products at three price points. I believe you have to be extremely good at what you do, especially in an industry like speakers, and stay focused.
"I still work on furniture, lighting and bicycles, but this is the main focus right now. Sound and music have been a passion since childhood, and when I connected those passions, I felt the magic. That’s the moment every designer wants to reach, turning what you love into your work and waking up excited every day.”