Stereo amp and speakers on a budget
Apologies to those who have seen my similar post in the Solid State forum.
I'd like some advice on how I can build a stereo power amp and speakers on a tight budget. The speakers will be outdoors (under an eve) so they need to be fairly weather resistant (though they're not likely to get direct rain), and fairly compact (probably around 30cm high and 15-20cm wide). My budget is around $400 Australian, though I can go a little over if necessary.
This will be my first DIY audio project, but I have a reasonable understanding of electronics, and a passable knowledge of audio.
I think that a class A/B solid state amp is the way to go, with around 60-80W per channel. The main listening space consists of a covered decking area around 6x7 meters, plus a further 2 meters on each side (total ~80 square meters). I don't need it very loud - just loud enough for background music at parties with 10-15 people. The style of music will be predominantly rock/pop. To keep the cost and size down, I'm thinking a 2-way speaker would be the best option.
The questions are: - Is it realistic to achieve this with around AU$400?
- How should I split the budget between speakers and amp? 50/50?
- What amp should I build? I've been looking at Elliot's p3a or p101. Are they good options?
- Am I right in thinking 60W is sufficient?
- What drivers should I use for the speakers?
- Where in Australia can I get good speaker drivers?
- Are there any suggestions to how can I make the speakers weather resistant?
Emphasis on parts that are available in Australia, if possible.
Hoping some of you are up to the challenge. :-)
Cheers,
Tim.
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