Hello! I’m Akarsh, the founder & CEO of Dio, and I’m very excited to announce today that our simple, affordable, connected multi-room speaker finally has a launch date: February 2022! You can now reserve your speakers for $1 using the reserve button on the website header.
To keep you up to date until February, I’ll be sending out an email newsletter every 2 weeks with updates and sneak previews of our product. I’ll be posting a lot of the content from those newsletters in this blog as well, but sign up for the email list to be the first to see the latest updates on Dio while also getting special deals to pre-order the product.
Tl;dr of this blog post (skip ahead to read):
- Who am I? What is Dio?
- Introducing the Dio Node! (Includes images, features, and pricing)
- Kickstarter & Pre-Order Details
Who am I? What is Dio?
Before getting into the product, I’d like to introduce myself and this company. Dio is not a big, venture-backed corporation, but has been a passion project of mine for the past 2+ years. I started Dio because I ran into a pretty basic issue in my life: I wanted to listen to my audio while moving around my house, but switching between Bluetooth speakers just didn’t cut it while plugging in earphones all day long in my own home was pretty annoying. When I looked into multi-room speaker options, it was clear that all the options on the market catered toward music-loving homeowners with a much higher income level than my apartment-dwelling, podcast-listening self. So I thought to myself, why can’t I just make a simpler and more affordable multi-room speaker product for casual, everyday listeners like me?
That started the years-long journey that brought me to creating the Dio Node, and while I’ve had help from friends and family along the way, Dio is still a small business I am continuing to bootstrap by myself. My goal isn’t to make a lot of money with this company, but to make affordable multi-room speakers so that the everyday listener can have their dance parties, kitchen karaoke, podcasts, and audiobooks anywhere and everywhere at once. I appreciate all the interest and support for Dio you’ve shown and hope to make it worth your while!
Introducing the Dio Node!
Over the past year, I’ve been hard at work getting all the pieces together to make this product a reality. I finalized our product design, got all the necessary licenses, and found a fantastic manufacturer. I’m now finally ready to unveil the details of the Dio Node: the world’s most affordable Airplay multi-room speaker!
Here’s a little sneak preview of what the Dio Node will look like. The goal was to make these speakers simple, inviting, and yet unassuming – you can put these guys everywhere in your home without worrying about it clashing with your decor or cramping your style. We’re not here to make a statement in your home, we’re here to give you the convenience of listening everywhere with no additional hassle.
- Size: 4″ x 4″ x 1.5″
- Color: Dark grey housing, light grey grill
- Buttons: Volume Up, Volume Down, Pause/Play/WiFi Setup
- Connection: Apple Airplay 2 (built in to your Apple device)
- Microphones: 0!
- Requirements: WiFi, Apple device, power outlet
How to Use - Apple AirPlay Explained
Using Dio is even easier than using Bluetooth speakers because we use a technology built right into your devices: Apple AirPlay 2. If you’ve never used AirPlay, I’ve put together this 4-step guide to using AirPlay on your Apple device. And don’t worry, just like Bluetooth, AirPlay can play any audio you can access from your device, not just the audio from Apple apps.
Cross Compatibility - Use Dio Node with other multi-room speakers!
And to sweeten the pie just a little bit, Dio Node can actually be played together with other Airplay 2 speakers. Already got some Sonos speakers at home? No problem! Got another audio setup? I’ve put together a list of all Airplay 2 speakers by price so you can see what else works with Dio.
Pricing - $239 for a 3-pack (but read on for deals!)
The Dio Node will retail at $89.95 for a single speaker or a discounted $239 for a 3-pack, making it the most affordable Airplay 2-based multi-room speaker on the market while still functioning at a much higher level of reliability, usability, and sound quality than a budget Bluetooth speaker, Nest Home Mini, or Echo Dot.
With all that said, when we first launch our Kickstarter I’ll be giving all of you early access to reserve Dio Nodes for an even more discounted price. If you reserve a Dio Node on the header button above beforehand, you’ll get an even more exclusive deal when pre-orders open up 🙂
Kickstarter & Pre-Order Details
And on that note, let’s talk pre-orders! Our Kickstarter campaign will be launching on February 1, 2022, where you will be able to pre-order your speakers. I’m expecting the speakers to actually be shipped to you a month or two later, so it’ll be a pretty quick turnaround. We’ll be using the Kickstarter pre-orders to be able to place our first order of inventory with our manufacturer, so getting your Kickstarter orders in will really help us get to the finish line while giving you first access to the speakers.
But wait, Akarsh, what am I supposed to do until February?
If you’re looking for things to do while we tie up all the bells and whistles of the Dio Node, you can…
- Reserve Dio Nodes on with the button above $1
- Jam out to our Spotify playlist
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or even LinkedIn if that’s your jam
- Check out the product page of our website to see more cool pics of our product
- Find a new audiobook (I recommend anything from Brandon Sanderson if you’re into fantasy fiction)
- Tell all your friends about Dio 🙂