DIY Boombox

[happyb]

I want to try and build a decent sounding boombox style stereo that I could plug an iPod into. I basically am thinking about building a reasonable sized box and plugging in a few speakers along with the guts from small amp or t-amp. I saw the Podzuma PartsExpress, but am not too fond of the drivers used...

If I was to build a single MTM center channel speaker and run an amp bridged to mono would this work since the drivers would be so close anyway - or would it sound poor? Any other ideas? Thanks.

 

[holdent]

How about building the Podzuma but switch out the drivers for better ones such as the Dayton RS125? You could pair them with the inexpensive Dayton ND20FB rear mount tweeter. You'd have to modify the crossover and check the port length. But you should end up with a much better sounding system.

 

[Buckapound]

There are a couple of threads about some awesome boomboxes.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=113073

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=101552

If you plan on running it on battery power, you should definitely think about using a class D amp, as they are 80%+ efficient, and they sound good. Tripath chips up to 10-15 watts/channel run on a single 12v power supply, obviously ideal for battery power. Look at the 41hz Amp 6 kit as a place to start. There are some cheap Tripath circuit boards on eBay as well, but they may take some modding to sound their best.

You can't bridge most of the Tripath amps, but you can easily build in a line-level filter to pump up the bass a little, should you feel the need.

Keep us informed.

--Buckapound

 

[tedlevit]

speaker separation

consider speaker separation,
depending on your intended listing environment it may be worth the extra work to have right and left cabinets that you can then place a few meters apart. You may have less overall SPL but the stereo imaging is vastly improved.
Consider also the eq, q, and crossover requirements of your intended listing environment, there are some real differences between tuning for an indoor and an outdoor space, I don't know what they are but there big. (Would love to hear from the genius collective on this!)
I my self am cobbling together a crude 2.1 system with two class d amps (just si t-amps but I'm lusting after the the 41hz amp 9 for my next version).
I've one amp for a R&L and an other amp into an automotive under the seat "mini sub" as a center channel

good luck
keep us posted
we like pictures

 

[Saturnus]

*points to sig*