I have heard multiple people state that car speakers would not make a good portable boom box. Why? If the sensitivity is high (91), and the amp can handle 4ohms, why not? Wouldn't the construction of car speakers (rubber) make them last longer when moved around so much (like on a boat/beach)?
I'd tend to agree that the durability quotient of higher quality mobile speakers, particularly those ruggedized for marine or outdoor applications could have lots of advantages.
However, most car speakers will tend to be engineered to operate in small enclosed volumes - even a full sized SUV is still not that many cubic feet of effective space - and when playing in open air bass response might suffer compared to say small PA, or specialized "weather resistant" marine drivers
Yes, any multiway car or marine speaker (coaxial or separates) should come with appropriate XO networks - sometimes cheap components are glued directly to the frames - the better quality systems, and certainly all separates will have the components isolated in their own enclosures
However, most car speakers will tend to be engineered to operate in small enclosed volumes - even a full sized SUV is still not that many cubic feet of effective space - and when playing in open air bass response might suffer compared to say small PA, or specialized "weather resistant" marine drivers
Yes, any multiway car or marine speaker (coaxial or separates) should come with appropriate XO networks - sometimes cheap components are glued directly to the frames - the better quality systems, and certainly all separates will have the components isolated in their own enclosures
Last edited:
Read: the listening environment.
Sometimes the enclosure - read: speaker box, needed for a 6x9 to perform well in, is large like the trunk of a car so the bass in a small enclosure of a boombox might compromise that.
They should work well as a quasi open baffle speakers since doors and trunks are never air tight. 92db at 1 watt, those are getting hard to find. Seems speaker manufactures are making more inefficient speakers while the rest of the work is make more efficient everything else. Bass will suffer as like the post above me says, no trunk.
"car speakers" are generally intended as ib, and sealed enclosures only hamper their output. i can say that 6x9's would make for a huge, power-hungry boom box. you'll generally find them in something like an 87db range for a decent one, but you will also find they have a higher mass to handle the power, wider gap to account for elemental sag, and contrary to what you may believe, are intended to be shielded from the elements, aside from ambient temperature and moisture extreme fluctuation. this is not to say that you cannot find a nice driver, just that you are just as, or more likely to find a good driver elsewhere. if you look inside a decent sounding boom box, you will see wourk of efficiency everywhere. common to see 1.5watt drivers getting 1-1.25watts rms, or 10 watt drivers in some more powerful boxes. same type of thing you may observe with stock car speakers vs after-market. in their range, the lower power speaker really walks over the higher power speaker (typically), but the higher power speaker can drive way above that, and sound much better. this is all speaking typically, and there are some exceptions, but you would likely shell-out big for them. many higher-end drivers are being built with tight gaps, high count, or advanced design wind, neo-motors, etc, and they can be real efficient. realistically, i would look at the jbl gto, or infinity reference 4", or 4x6" drivers. i can attest they perform well, and real efficient, and be prepared to feed between 10 and 40-60 watts rms to the thing, depending how loud you want. i can tell you i have also had good luck running a delco6.5 on an enclosure about 8x8x2.5 with a weighted, flexible rear baffle. been going a few years up at work, where we have to wear ear plugs.
My Nikkai 6 x 9 speakers were quite efficient and only £20 a set. Definitely more efficient than the front speakers (though they were ~4 Ohm).
I disagree that the trunk cover is the best possible box for them. It's not usually the best possible box for anything.
You could probably upgrade using a vented enclosure tuned to 50 or 60Hz and about 0.3 - 0.5 cubic feet (enclosure size is a fairly wild guess, if you're lucky enough to have thiele small parameters, use them). If you can cut bass below about 50Hz, all the better. You might want to tune higher, I think the Boominator uses about 80Hz, but then you may be better off with PA drivers.
Judging solely from a Halfords wall, the Vibe 6 x 9s seem quite efficient and have a nicer sound (probably a superior crossover network, budget speakers often have a substandard crossover) but are more expensive than the Nikkais.
I disagree that the trunk cover is the best possible box for them. It's not usually the best possible box for anything.
You could probably upgrade using a vented enclosure tuned to 50 or 60Hz and about 0.3 - 0.5 cubic feet (enclosure size is a fairly wild guess, if you're lucky enough to have thiele small parameters, use them). If you can cut bass below about 50Hz, all the better. You might want to tune higher, I think the Boominator uses about 80Hz, but then you may be better off with PA drivers.
Judging solely from a Halfords wall, the Vibe 6 x 9s seem quite efficient and have a nicer sound (probably a superior crossover network, budget speakers often have a substandard crossover) but are more expensive than the Nikkais.
although it may not measure well (will mount one on a cardboard baffle soon), a Boss BRS 6x9 sounded good with no baffle running off my modest HT receiver - they can be found for around $12 or less shipped. I'm not sure which amplifiers like that load. They will function fine subjectively I think without any tweeter and an open back or leaky box could be used.
they have a polycone and a plastic whizzer - - what's a good portable amp to drive nominal 4 ohm loads with some gusto?
here's dcr and qts of one
they have a polycone and a plastic whizzer - - what's a good portable amp to drive nominal 4 ohm loads with some gusto?
here's dcr and qts of one
I am planning on using the kicker CS series speakers. A friend of a friend is a kicker dealer and I can get them for about 40% off. I was wanting to build three different boom boxes, a large one with the CS693, medium one with the CS65, and a smaller one with the CS4. (NOTE: i am talking about the CS, not the CSS. The CS have a built in tweeter)
Click on the specification tab:
CS Series | KICKER
Click on the specification tab:
CS Series | KICKER
If you're still struggling for ideas, I've concocted the following enclosure for 6 x 9s. Externals are 1/4 inch birch ply, internals (ports and braces) are 1/8 inch birch ply. Line the insides with open cell foam about 1/2" thick. Tuning frequency is about 50Hz. Box volume is an educated guess at around 15 litres. The design allows you to play with port area, length and volume to a certain extent though you'll need to work out your own part sizes.
Use a 4th order filter somewhere in the upper 40s for best performance. You can probably find circuit schematics to build your own after the pre-amp stage.
You can add a baffle backer if you want to recess mount the speaker, though it might interfere with grille attachment.
I constructed a mini 5 litre 65Hz version for a Kenwood KFC 1350s whizzer cone 'coaxial' and it sounded quite good but a bit 'boomy' as I needed more sound deadener.
If you're not sure how it all fits together, ask me.
If you really need a cut sheet
Recommended assembly order is to start aligning the baffle with one of the wide sides.
Then attach a narrow side
Then the other wide side
Glue two of the ports in place
Add the final narrow side
Glue in the final two ports
Shunt in the reinforcement
Add the two back braces
Add foam to the back and rear chambers, leaving space around the ports and holes to help air circulate.
Glue on the back. If you have some long clamps, they are good for holding the back in place while it dries.
Add the front braces
Add foam to the front chamber.
If the 6 x 9s have no foam rubber gasket you can use a ring of 1/16" closed cell construction foam rubber to seal.
Add speaker connectors of your choice.
Use PL expanding glue if you can get it as it is the easiest glue to make air tight. (Good old Bill Fitzmaurice style).
Best results are when you be patient and wait for the glue to dry!
Use good ply not flaky crap that B&Q has the audacity to charge £20 a sheet for even 1/4 inch!
I haven't built this enclosure yet as I've run out of wood but it'll have to be tested on my budget Nikkai 6 x 9s at some point!
Oops I forgot, the back braces should be 4 inches from the sides (3 inches between brace centers) and so they sit between the 6 holes on the reinforcement. Holes in the back braces are centred 2" from the edges. You may not really need holes in the braces but extra circulation of air can't hurt.
Use a 4th order filter somewhere in the upper 40s for best performance. You can probably find circuit schematics to build your own after the pre-amp stage.
You can add a baffle backer if you want to recess mount the speaker, though it might interfere with grille attachment.
I constructed a mini 5 litre 65Hz version for a Kenwood KFC 1350s whizzer cone 'coaxial' and it sounded quite good but a bit 'boomy' as I needed more sound deadener.
If you're not sure how it all fits together, ask me.
If you really need a cut sheet
Recommended assembly order is to start aligning the baffle with one of the wide sides.
Then attach a narrow side
Then the other wide side
Glue two of the ports in place
Add the final narrow side
Glue in the final two ports
Shunt in the reinforcement
Add the two back braces
Add foam to the back and rear chambers, leaving space around the ports and holes to help air circulate.
Glue on the back. If you have some long clamps, they are good for holding the back in place while it dries.
Add the front braces
Add foam to the front chamber.
If the 6 x 9s have no foam rubber gasket you can use a ring of 1/16" closed cell construction foam rubber to seal.
Add speaker connectors of your choice.
Use PL expanding glue if you can get it as it is the easiest glue to make air tight. (Good old Bill Fitzmaurice style).
Best results are when you be patient and wait for the glue to dry!
Use good ply not flaky crap that B&Q has the audacity to charge £20 a sheet for even 1/4 inch!
I haven't built this enclosure yet as I've run out of wood but it'll have to be tested on my budget Nikkai 6 x 9s at some point!
Oops I forgot, the back braces should be 4 inches from the sides (3 inches between brace centers) and so they sit between the 6 holes on the reinforcement. Holes in the back braces are centred 2" from the edges. You may not really need holes in the braces but extra circulation of air can't hurt.
Attachments
Last edited:
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.