Ridiculous DIY Bluetooth speaker?

[John James]

Ah, the spirit of AK raises its generous head!

 

[Romeo Wolf]

I haven't seen a lot of negativity. There have been some alternate suggestions based on our collective knowledge and experience in an effort to save him some money and headaches.

It really comes down to goals. It was initially stated at the beginning of this thread that he wanted an awesome sounding portable bluetooth speaker that went as low as possible with high bass output. And that he's on a limited budget. It's clear to most of us that the best way to meet that criteria is to buy something from the store and return it if it doesn't meet his needs.

Now of course we all love a good DIY project, so if the initial criteria has changed, and a learning experience is preferred over a good sounding speaker, that's fine. But Romeo should know what he's getting into and that's what we're trying to do: Provide our collective wisdom to help him make the decisions that will satisfy his goals, whatever they are. He should know that the likely outcomes are this:

1. Bad sounding speaker, but fun project that taught him some lessons along the way
2. Good sounding speaker that he bought at a store and didn't really learn anything
3. Not great, but not terrible speaker that he spent the time to research properly, which still allowed for a fun project and he learned some lessons along the way

I just don't want to see #1. That can be frustrating and might discourage him from taking on future projects. I'm rooting for #3, but #2 is not a bad option at all.

But! For my needs when it comes to buying a pre-built BT Speaker, is very difficult to find in my budget. There's the Teufel Rockster which definitely exceeds my needs, but it is gigantic (just like my speakers, so it likely won't be able to fit in the closet) and it is really heavy, well over 30kg, so it sits on wheels, and it's only available in Germany and Austria. So I'll probably have to pay extra to import it, and it's way too far out of my budget.

Because I may have such a hard time building the damn thing, I think I'll just wait it out and get a sweet-ass camera for much better quality images and definitely take it to Yellowstone. If anyone knows anything about cameras, I would like something that's digital since I wear glasses so I can't even see through just a viewfinder, and takes 1080p images and video, and if there's even that option, 60fps video. There shall be an external microphone input and in obligatory, take maybe infinite video till the battery is out of charge and not just a max of like 25 minutes. I plan to take lots of raw, uncut footage so the battery should last well more than 2-3 hours, and have great zooming capabilities without much grain and resolution loss. I would like WiFi connectivity so I can upload images to my phone, and share them all. Budget is $500. What may be the best deal for me?

 

[John James]

You may want to start another thread.

 

[Romeo Wolf]

So I was looking at crazy huge vintage speakers on Craigslist, and I found a listing of JVC SP-UX7000 ultra micro component speakers. I couldn't hesitate to go back and look at more speakers since they looked damn good and were real cheap; $25 for the pair, but it doesn't look like they have their amplifier. Anyway, they were made in 1998 and were $200 new at Best buy (I never knew that store even existed back then) and now you can buy a pair (and it probably comes with the matching amplifier) for $35-$80. This listing was $25, and it seemed like it was only the pair. So what? They must be high-end. So I looked on YouTube and it appears they are shielded, bass reflex on the rear, and have a single 3" full range driver rated at 4 Ohms, 20W max. I was expecting them to sound decent like my Zenith circle of sound clock radio, but they were much more than decent. They absolutely kicked ass, they went deeper than I honestly expected from a 'normal' 3" driver and provided that JBL kind of bass even though they only had tiny 3" drivers with a rather large ceramic magnet. They had a surprisingly massive soundstage and also ****ing shook the camera for Christ's sake (mind you, I'm non-religious). They blew my mind, and the fact that they were only $25 for the pair on the listing, made me real obsessed with them. And it made me wonder how the hell does somebody list a pair of possibly high end speakers for so cheap, yet flawless? Here's a video if you want to see for yourself: (I haven't bought a pair yet, but definitely for Christmas)

Here's an image of the listing:

 

[Romeo Wolf]

I just bought the pair for $20. The paper dustcaps are pushed in but they shouldn't affect the sound quality and be an easy fix. I hope they work.

 

[Rex81]

Are these intended for your bluetooth speaker build? If so, I think you made a wise choice starting off with finished speakers. That way you're not messing around with designing and building the crossover and cabinets with the hope that they'll actually sound good. Those little guys appear to be well built and are small enough to be portable. You won't ever get room shaking bass out of them, but that was the part of your design criteria that was always going to be the most difficult to achieve. If you have more reasonable expectations of bass quantity, you'll have a more successful build.

I don't mean to plug my own stuff, but I just did something similar that turned out quite well. I just posted a thread on it here: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/in...-console-radio-into-bluetooth-speaker.847724/

All in it will cost you $50 but you'll have everything you need to wire up a 2 channel 50 wpc class D amp with bluetooth onboard.

The amp sounds great, connects to bluetooth as soon as it's switched on, and couldn't be easier to build. All the components plug right into the board, no solder required. The only thing you'll need to solder is the power plug jack. Then just figure out how you're going to package it all up. Maybe fasten the speakers together somehow, build a little box for the amp, mount it behind the speakers, clean up the wiring, and attach a handle to it. Something like that.

You'll end up with a nice sounding, unique, portable bluetooth speaker that you didn't spend months of your time and hundreds of dollars building, but still learned a few things and got to flex some creative muscles along the way.

Just a suggestion.

 

[jazzmans]

I do believe that we have tried to make this point to you, glad you've finally experienced what a well engineered pair of tiny speakers can do.

For the record, I've heard those jvc speakers and they are fantastic for what they are.

 

[Romeo Wolf]

Are these intended for your bluetooth speaker build? If so, I think you made a wise choice starting off with finished speakers. That way you're not messing around with designing and building the crossover and cabinets with the hope that they'll actually sound good. Those little guys appear to be well built and are small enough to be portable. You won't ever get room shaking bass out of them, but that was the part of your design criteria that was always going to be the most difficult to achieve. If you have more reasonable expectations of bass quantity, you'll have a more successful build.

I don't mean to plug my own stuff, but I just did something similar that turned out quite well. I just posted a thread on it here: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/in...-console-radio-into-bluetooth-speaker.847724/
This is so that I hopefully won't have to fiddle with cranking the volume on the sherwood anymore, and add to the miniature portable Electronic theme. Im sure you can stuff the amplifier in your pocket anyway. ouin it will cost you $50 but you'll have everything you need to wire up a 2 channel 50 wpc class D amp with bluetooth onboard.

The amp sounds great, connects to bluetooth as soon as it's switched on, and couldn't be easier to build. All the components plug right into the board, no solder required. The only thing you'll need to solder is the power plug jack. Then just figure out how you're going to package it all up. Maybe fasten the speakers together somehow, build a little box for the amp, mount it behind the speakers, clean up the wiring, and attach a handle to it. Something like that.

You'll end up with a nice sounding, unique, portable bluetooth speaker that you didn't spend months of your time and hundreds of dollars building, but still learned a few things and got to flex some creative muscles along the way.

Just a suggestion.

Ah, I've kinda decided to wait off the build until I can find somebody who's willing to build it, and there's a couple subwoofers I've found to be great performers on the cheap. One's a Tang Band 6.5", and there's a 5.1/4" that actually goes slightly deeper with the correct box dimensions, which I'm leaning towards due to it's compactness, low price and 9mm of Xmax.

As for the JVCs, I'm not really going to use them for the BT speaker. I'm actually going to get a battery powered amplifier for them (yes, that's actually a thing, at least for one I found)
Here is the link to the amplifier that's ahead of it's time: https://www.amazon.com/DIFIIFOL-Bat...QL65&keywords=battery+powered+amplifier&psc=1
I'm buying this just so that I don't have to crank the volume on the sherwood anymore and of course add to the miniature portable Electronic theme.

Elsewhat, I'm getting a Nikon D3400 for Christmas. I just need that quality on the cheap, and it's a good beginner DSLR too.

 

[jazzmans]

https://www.parts-express.com/blast...utm_content=300-7162&utm_campaign=email121418

Blast Box 200 Watt Portable Bluetooth Speaker Kit
Brand:
| Blast Box 200 Watt Portable Bluetooth Speaker Kit > PDP Brand Click | Parts Express | 13" data-ga-action=" | Blast Box 200 Watt Portable Bluetooth Speaker Kit" data-ga-category="PDP">Parts Express
|Part # 300-7162
Portable, powerful, and fun… The easy to assemble Blast Box portable Bluetooth speaker kit allows you to take high output, Hi-Fi sound with you wherever you go. The 2.1 channel design, capable of 200 watt RMS, uses a pair of 3" aluminum cone woofers and 1" titanium tweeters with a single 6-1/2" high excursion subwoofer. This compact package produces crystal clear midrange and highs with incredibly powerful bass response.

List Price$489.96
Regular Price$249.00
You Save20%
ShippingGROUND ONLY
Lifetime Tech SupportFREE
Sale Price
$199.00
Sale Ends 12/16

• High power 5 driver system delivers amazing depth, clarity, detail, and output
• Perfect for picnics, parks, tailgating, yard work or anywhere you want great sound
• Onboard controls allow you to easily customize the sound for any environment
• Designed for excellent off-axis performance, ideal for large open areas
• High quality Baltic birch plywood enclosure is rugged and easy to assemble
• Includes everything needed to build the kit and set-by-step manual makes assembly easy

Courtside, poolside, in the yard, at the beach, on a picnic, etc.…the Blast Box portable Bluetooth speaker has the power to cut through most background noise and gives you the music you crave wherever you want it.

The Blast Box speaker kit is a battery powered portable Bluetooth speaker that gives you the freedom to bring home stereo quality sound with you wherever you go. The powerful 2.1 design delivers high output with excellent off axis response to effectively fill large spaces with amazing sound. The simple on-board controls allow you to tune the sound to fit the environment and even control your media player directly from the Blast Box speaker. A 3" aluminum cone woofer and 1" titanium dome tweeter on each of the stereo channels provide accurate response with incredible detail. For the low end, a 6-1/2" high excursion subwoofer is matched with an 8" passive radiator to deliver natural deep bass response with power and authority.

Outfitted with all Dayton Audio drivers, you can be sure that the Blast Box Speaker is capable of outstanding performance for an unbeatable value. Dayton Audio's ND25TA-4 1" titanium dome tweeter handles the high frequencies. This compact tweeter includes a copper cap and Ferrofluid cooling to ensure low distortion output with high power handling. The DSA90-8 3" Designer Series aluminum cone full-range driver takes care of the midrange and mid-bass response. The powerful low distortion motor and aluminum cone ensure incredible detail and accuracy, making it a great match for the tweeter. For the lowest frequencies, the Blast Box uses a Dayton Audio DCS165-4 6-1/2" Subwoofer matched with a DS215-PR 8" Passive Radiator. With an incredibly powerful motor and high excursion capability this subwoofer has the capability to match the SPL levels of the mid and high frequency drivers all the way down into the lowest frequencies. The passive radiator design allows the enclosure to be incredibly small with extremely low tuning, which keeps excursion under control and allows powerful output to less than 40 Hz. All of this is powered by the TPS3116D2 Class D 2.1 Bluetooth 4.0 Amplifier Board, which is capable of 200 watts RMS of output. Thanks to the available power and excellent set of features, this amplifier makes the Blast Box a potent and flexible portable system.

The enclosure for the Blast Box is designed to be easy to assemble and extremely rugged. Made from 1/2" thick high quality Baltic birch plywood, this box can take a beating and is much more moisture resistant MDF. The panels have all been precision cut with dadoes and rabbets for every piece making assembly a snap. The clean lines and classic look makes finishing simple and leaves plenty of room for customizing allowing you to give the Blast Box whatever look you want.

This kit includes nearly everything you need to build a high end portable Bluetooth speaker in no time flat, including: a knock-down enclosure, drivers, crossover components, amplifier, batteries, wire, hardware, and connectors.

• Power: 2 x 50 watts RMS + 1 x 100 watts RMS
• Tweeter: 2 x ND25TA-4 1" titanium dome tweeter
• Midrange: 2 x DSA90-8 3" aluminum cone full-range
• Subwoofer: 1 x DCS165-4 6-1/2" high excursion subwoofer
• Frequency response: 35 – 20,000 Hz
• Battery time: 8 – 10 hours at moderate volume
• Bluetooth version: 4.0
• Dimensions: 12" H x 16" W x 6" D

​

 

[Romeo Wolf]

https://www.parts-express.com/blast...utm_content=300-7162&utm_campaign=email121418

Blast Box 200 Watt Portable Bluetooth Speaker Kit
Brand:
| Blast Box 200 Watt Portable Bluetooth Speaker Kit > PDP Brand Click | Parts Express | 13" data-ga-action=" | Blast Box 200 Watt Portable Bluetooth Speaker Kit" data-ga-category="PDP">Parts Express
|Part # 300-7162
Portable, powerful, and fun… The easy to assemble Blast Box portable Bluetooth speaker kit allows you to take high output, Hi-Fi sound with you wherever you go. The 2.1 channel design, capable of 200 watt RMS, uses a pair of 3" aluminum cone woofers and 1" titanium tweeters with a single 6-1/2" high excursion subwoofer. This compact package produces crystal clear midrange and highs with incredibly powerful bass response.

List Price$489.96
Regular Price$249.00
You Save20%
ShippingGROUND ONLY
Lifetime Tech SupportFREE
Sale Price
$199.00
Sale Ends 12/16

• High power 5 driver system delivers amazing depth, clarity, detail, and output
• Perfect for picnics, parks, tailgating, yard work or anywhere you want great sound
• Onboard controls allow you to easily customize the sound for any environment
• Designed for excellent off-axis performance, ideal for large open areas
• High quality Baltic birch plywood enclosure is rugged and easy to assemble
• Includes everything needed to build the kit and set-by-step manual makes assembly easy

Courtside, poolside, in the yard, at the beach, on a picnic, etc.…the Blast Box portable Bluetooth speaker has the power to cut through most background noise and gives you the music you crave wherever you want it.

The Blast Box speaker kit is a battery powered portable Bluetooth speaker that gives you the freedom to bring home stereo quality sound with you wherever you go. The powerful 2.1 design delivers high output with excellent off axis response to effectively fill large spaces with amazing sound. The simple on-board controls allow you to tune the sound to fit the environment and even control your media player directly from the Blast Box speaker. A 3" aluminum cone woofer and 1" titanium dome tweeter on each of the stereo channels provide accurate response with incredible detail. For the low end, a 6-1/2" high excursion subwoofer is matched with an 8" passive radiator to deliver natural deep bass response with power and authority.

Outfitted with all Dayton Audio drivers, you can be sure that the Blast Box Speaker is capable of outstanding performance for an unbeatable value. Dayton Audio's ND25TA-4 1" titanium dome tweeter handles the high frequencies. This compact tweeter includes a copper cap and Ferrofluid cooling to ensure low distortion output with high power handling. The DSA90-8 3" Designer Series aluminum cone full-range driver takes care of the midrange and mid-bass response. The powerful low distortion motor and aluminum cone ensure incredible detail and accuracy, making it a great match for the tweeter. For the lowest frequencies, the Blast Box uses a Dayton Audio DCS165-4 6-1/2" Subwoofer matched with a DS215-PR 8" Passive Radiator. With an incredibly powerful motor and high excursion capability this subwoofer has the capability to match the SPL levels of the mid and high frequency drivers all the way down into the lowest frequencies. The passive radiator design allows the enclosure to be incredibly small with extremely low tuning, which keeps excursion under control and allows powerful output to less than 40 Hz. All of this is powered by the TPS3116D2 Class D 2.1 Bluetooth 4.0 Amplifier Board, which is capable of 200 watts RMS of output. Thanks to the available power and excellent set of features, this amplifier makes the Blast Box a potent and flexible portable system.

The enclosure for the Blast Box is designed to be easy to assemble and extremely rugged. Made from 1/2" thick high quality Baltic birch plywood, this box can take a beating and is much more moisture resistant MDF. The panels have all been precision cut with dadoes and rabbets for every piece making assembly a snap. The clean lines and classic look makes finishing simple and leaves plenty of room for customizing allowing you to give the Blast Box whatever look you want.

This kit includes nearly everything you need to build a high end portable Bluetooth speaker in no time flat, including: a knock-down enclosure, drivers, crossover components, amplifier, batteries, wire, hardware, and connectors.

• Power: 2 x 50 watts RMS + 1 x 100 watts RMS
• Tweeter: 2 x ND25TA-4 1" titanium dome tweeter
• Midrange: 2 x DSA90-8 3" aluminum cone full-range
• Subwoofer: 1 x DCS165-4 6-1/2" high excursion subwoofer
• Frequency response: 35 – 20,000 Hz
• Battery time: 8 – 10 hours at moderate volume
• Bluetooth version: 4.0
• Dimensions: 12" H x 16" W x 6" D

​

Wow, ain't that just a perfect genius?

 

[John James]

jazzman is on the ball!

I was just about to suggest that.

 

[Romeo Wolf]

It's been a damn long time since we've banged on this thread here. We can't keep it absent! It shall never perish.

It's been at least a month.

 

[Silentnet]

So... Have you actually done anything?

 

[Romeo Wolf]

I've got an Aiwa Exos-9 which I could use as a project here, and make it perform better.

So...many people suggest not to turn the bass over 3 notches for a long period of time or it will damage the "Subwoofer" unless played at low volumes.

Well, guess what I did...

Yep. I need to replace the woofer. It's not broken, like it's buzzing or anything. It still plays. But I definitely could use something more powerful.

However, since it's Dual voice coil and a 6.5", I'll need something like that. But the catch is that both VCs are 8 ohms, and there's nobody that makes 8 Ohm DVC 6.5" Subwoofers. So I'll have to resort to this; https://www.skaraudio.com/products/evl-65-inch-car-subwoofer

It's dual VC, but the mids are 8 Ohm and this replacement sub is dual 4 ohm. Better, and the Aiwa has a built in EQ, but if that doesn't work...then I guess we'll have to replace the mids and highs. Maybe improve the crappy plastic cabinet and try to reduce the amount of port noise this new woofer will produce. We might have a terribly designed cabinet here.

But it'll be cheaper than building a BT speaker. And even if it drains the power of the main battery, then there's the extended version that can be purchased. Plus, the *terrible* "enclosure" is already there, so I guess this'll be a fun time to really make a cheaply made product really shine. Any ideas and suggestions y'all?

 

[Romeo Wolf]

So... Have you actually done anything?

With the DIY project? No. I haven't even started it. And probably never will. But I could start a project to transform my shitty Aiwa Exos-9 from a crappy underpowered modern day Boombox to the first multimedia portable that can literally fill a room with bass.

 

[imral3]

Well, we are all waiting...

 

[JoeESP9]

With the DIY project? No. I haven't even started it. And probably never will. But I could start a project to transform my shitty Aiwa Exos-9 from a crappy underpowered modern day Boombox to the first multimedia portable that can literally fill a room with bass.

You're not likely to get room filling bass from 6.5" woofers (they are not subwoofers) no matter what you do.

Subwoofers are almost always an 8" or larger speaker in a separate box with its own amplifier.

 

[Grenadeslio]

You're not likely to get room filling bass from 6.5" woofers (they are not subwoofers) no matter what you do.

Subwoofers are almost always an 8" or larger speaker in a separate box with its own amplifier.

Except when they're Bazooka Tubes, had two passives in my Z71 behind the seats with Rockford as power, oh ya stereo Bazookas.

 

[JoeESP9]

Oh brother! Since I have no interest in car stereo other than what comes standard I have no knowledge. In any case I've always been underwhelmed by the sound of car stereo gear.

I will be attending the Phila. Auto Show which starts on 2/2.

 

[Grenadeslio]

Oh brother! Since I have no interest in car stereo other than what comes standard I have no knowledge. In any case I've always been underwhelmed by the sound of car stereo gear.

I will be attending the Phila. Auto Show which starts on 2/2.

Think of it as a variation of the bucket sub but with proper engineering. They also come powered and in different sizes, the 6" I believe has a 250watt amplifier lol. No reason they couldn't be put to good use in the home environment as well.

Before the Z71 I started with just one in a small Toyota 4X4, upped the ante to two, huge improvement in bass response and imaging, I could always locate the single sub.