Hi,
I have built a little setup by placing a speaker cone inside a glass vase and it amplifies the sounds really nicely. This is then connected to a mini-jack to get a signal from mp3 player etc.
However I would really like to get just a little bit more volume from the system and I am wondering if I could achieve this by buying a better suited speaker. The speaker I am using is a really old one from a HiFi and the specs are 4ohm, 5watt and the size is 4inch.
Could anybody advise me on buying a new speaker cone that would give me better volume for this?
Also I am planning on using a small audio amp powered from a 3.3v source to boost it a little. How would this effect the speaker selection? Should I go for low wattage speakers?
Thanks so much
I have built a little setup by placing a speaker cone inside a glass vase and it amplifies the sounds really nicely. This is then connected to a mini-jack to get a signal from mp3 player etc.
However I would really like to get just a little bit more volume from the system and I am wondering if I could achieve this by buying a better suited speaker. The speaker I am using is a really old one from a HiFi and the specs are 4ohm, 5watt and the size is 4inch.
Could anybody advise me on buying a new speaker cone that would give me better volume for this?
Also I am planning on using a small audio amp powered from a 3.3v source to boost it a little. How would this effect the speaker selection? Should I go for low wattage speakers?
Thanks so much
Last edited:
I got a surprising amount of sound out of a pair of cheap surface-mount 4 ohm car speakers that I bought in Austria after I got tired of just using headphones in my hotel room. Wire up some alligator clips to a 3.5 mm jack and try out various speakers in stores. Try asking at car audio shops if they have any "pulls" you can have - the factory speakers that were removed when installing aftermarket speakers.
However, an amplifier would be a vast improvement. You can pick up a TA2024 amp board on eBay for under $10 shipped, then power it from a 12V adapter (3 to 5 amps; you can sometimes find those at thrift stores, or just order one from eBay). If you'd prefer an amp with a case, under $20 will get you one in a shiny box with knobs, ready to go. Those amps do about 10 real watts per channel, which is the same as "high power" car head unit. For comparison, an '80s portable tape player might only have had 1/10 of a watt (100 mW) power amps.
Once you have "real" power to play with, the best speakers for the money will probably be the vintage name-brand stereo speakers that occasionally show up at thrift stores and yard sales for the price of a couple of hamburgers. Or, check local classifieds and pawn shops for popular mini-monitors like Paradigm Atom, PSB Alpha, NHT Zero, etc. Just beware of woofers with foam surrounds, which often become brittle from "foam rot". The surrounds can be replaced, but repair kits will cost from $5 to $40, so I'd only bother if the speakers are really good or really cheap.
However, an amplifier would be a vast improvement. You can pick up a TA2024 amp board on eBay for under $10 shipped, then power it from a 12V adapter (3 to 5 amps; you can sometimes find those at thrift stores, or just order one from eBay). If you'd prefer an amp with a case, under $20 will get you one in a shiny box with knobs, ready to go. Those amps do about 10 real watts per channel, which is the same as "high power" car head unit. For comparison, an '80s portable tape player might only have had 1/10 of a watt (100 mW) power amps.
Once you have "real" power to play with, the best speakers for the money will probably be the vintage name-brand stereo speakers that occasionally show up at thrift stores and yard sales for the price of a couple of hamburgers. Or, check local classifieds and pawn shops for popular mini-monitors like Paradigm Atom, PSB Alpha, NHT Zero, etc. Just beware of woofers with foam surrounds, which often become brittle from "foam rot". The surrounds can be replaced, but repair kits will cost from $5 to $40, so I'd only bother if the speakers are really good or really cheap.
Great advice thanks dangus!
I was actually looking at the TA2024 board so I will pick one of those up.
Do you remember the wattage of the car speakers you used were? The lowest watt car speakers I can find are 80watt. Do you think I will still get some volume from these when used purely with the lineout. I would really like to keep the option of using without any external power.
I was actually looking at the TA2024 board so I will pick one of those up.
Do you remember the wattage of the car speakers you used were? The lowest watt car speakers I can find are 80watt. Do you think I will still get some volume from these when used purely with the lineout. I would really like to keep the option of using without any external power.
Actually found a pair of 60watt, what do you think? Or am I better off with these 10yr old 5watt speakers?
Just to explain again. I want the system to be able to be used passively (using only the lineout of the ipod going straight to the speakers) and then when a power supply is connected and a switch is flicked the signal is amplified by the TA2024.
Just to explain again. I want the system to be able to be used passively (using only the lineout of the ipod going straight to the speakers) and then when a power supply is connected and a switch is flicked the signal is amplified by the TA2024.
Lower power rated speakers are a better bet. IIRC the Austrian speakers were rated at no more than 15 watts. Try the sort of cheap nasty plastic box speakers that are found in thrift stores which originally came with small cheap home stereo systems. It may be possible to improve them by packing the enclosure with pillow stuffing. Watch out for abandoned CRT TVs of name brand quality... I suspect the speakers in those could be tolerable if put in better boxes. (I salvaged a couple, but ended up leaving them behind in a move before I got around to using them.)
I just tried hooking up a Kenwood 4x6 speaker to a CD Walkman and a thumbdrive MP3 player. Using the MP3 player, it is audible, but not very loud. The Walkman has more power: I'd expect that two speakers driven in stereo (and in boxes) would produce a useful amount of sound. The speaker is a Kenwood KFC-4675C, rated 60W peak power, 4 ohms, 2.9 ounce magnet. Polypropylene cone, polyamide tweeter (more cone than dome). Website says sensitivity is 90 dB/1W 1m, RMS rating 20W.
So, based on this not very exhaustive test, I have some doubts as to whether an MP3 player will deliver a useful amount of power.
I just tried hooking up a Kenwood 4x6 speaker to a CD Walkman and a thumbdrive MP3 player. Using the MP3 player, it is audible, but not very loud. The Walkman has more power: I'd expect that two speakers driven in stereo (and in boxes) would produce a useful amount of sound. The speaker is a Kenwood KFC-4675C, rated 60W peak power, 4 ohms, 2.9 ounce magnet. Polypropylene cone, polyamide tweeter (more cone than dome). Website says sensitivity is 90 dB/1W 1m, RMS rating 20W.
So, based on this not very exhaustive test, I have some doubts as to whether an MP3 player will deliver a useful amount of power.
Last edited:
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.