All-in-one - T-amp with mp3 player together in one enclosure

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After ordering two TA2024 amps, I have another crazy idea. I want to put the amps into a nice black aluminum enclosure, build front panel with custom controls and .... add stripped mp3 player. With custom front panel, I should be able to salvage the LCD display and buttons. The mp3 player I want to use is this one:

Coby MP3 Player

It looks like the display is fairly nice and all the buttons are in one row. That simplifies things. I know that sound is probably not going to be great but this will be for a bedroom system that is not going to play at high volumes.

I was thinking of using salvaged CD player from computer CD-ROM drive but they are too big. I think slim laptop drives do not have headphones out.

What do you guys think? Anybody done it before and can provide some guidance?

Thanks.
 
Well, I guess it's not a bad idea per se. How are you planning to attach the MP3 player guts? Epoxy? Are you going to rewire the buttons to bigger ones, to use on the case? How are you going to "feed" it data?

The MP3 player probably has an EL backlight, and some switching power supplies. If you can figure out what voltage it runs on, you can get rid of the switching supplies and reduce the background noise level. Replacing the EL backlight with some LEDs will reduce noise as well.
 
I do not have this player yet so I do not know how am I going to attach it. Probably by epoxy to the front panel so the screen is visible. I will try to detach the buttons and if that's not possible then I will have to come up with new ones and wire them to the unit.

This player has 1 or 2GB built in memory. I will load music onto it and create a USB socket in the back of the amp so I can connect it to the computer and load/change music selection.

As to the power supply, I figured that if it runs on 1.5V battery, I could get voltage converter from 12V to 1.5V and just connect it to the player. I am sort of noob when it comes to electronics so replacing EL backlight is way beyond my abilities. I would have to stick with whatever the player has now.

Thanks.
 
I think you're on the right track. The Coby unit would look good kind of half-submerged into the control panel, where you can let all its parts and pieces function normally.

Shouldn't be a problem moving the USB port. Keep the wres short and be sure to shield them. Search for adjustable voltage regulator, and you should come up with info on how to make a simple circuit to drop the 12v down to 1.5. Simple little 3-leg packages that you just add a couple of caps and some resistors. Easy.

Tear it up!

--Buckapound
 
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