DIY: Building a little BoomBox project

[NickK]

Carpeted





Just listening to them - the sides are still simply held together by being next to the other speaker.

First impression is that there is less "speaker in the box sound" which is good. The bass is tighter and it seems to have cleaned up the clarity a notch or two. There's definitely a clearer kick drum.

Next steps:
1. switch the speaker cable to the QED cable I planned to use (the issue is that it's too stiff.
2. put a hole in the top for the speaker cable.
3. put a little filler in the router scar
4. take the drivers out and wood glue the side on.
5. make the top section for the components.
6. give them a proper sanding.

 

[NickK]

So the the boxes are now fully glued - there's some cosmetic work needed but I was impatient to listen to the difference.
In addition, the cable has now been replaced with the final cable, routed through the top where the board will sit. You can just see the SMPS power filter next to it.



Sound is decent, lacking in bass compared to the quarter wave setup I'm used to as speakers but the the sound works. Next up is to make the top box for all the components which I've started today.

 

[NickK]

So a little delay in this - back story is i’ve been moving about 8 tons of soil and breaking up concrete which has inflamed carpel tunnel and strains on my wrists. So trying to hold a sander or router is painful.

Todo:
DONE cut and route screen hole, volume, power and USB connector holes.
* glue speakers together (the box is to be one chunk)
DONE glue top pieces to make the top box
* secure the top piece - i may use wood screws so i can access the top electronics.
* soft corner route the box edges
* sand the crap out of box and top together.
* order some small/thin HDMI and usb cables (i may make the USB cables)
* secure the components in the top and fold the speaker cable - the new stuff is less flexible.

so i’m going to try to get it finished over the next two weeks.

EDIT - I think I'll also make front plate which has pins+magnets to keep in place to protect the speaker cones.

 

[NickK]

Have to ask, why all the messing around with software?

Why not just wire up a CD transport to a hardware DAC to an amp and skip all that faffing about?

Cool project though!

My faff-free audio for the dining room is a B&W A7 with an Echo Dot, although it pains me a little to waste the audio quality of the B&W on the ropey Echo DAC....

The software option provides a few additional options:
* sound equalisation - if the build needed a little more bass or to take the shine off the treble, I can do that
* digital streamed internet radio channels including the French 80s pop etc
* audio from apple devices streamed - from tablet or iPhone.
* works off 19Vdc so it can be sat in a bathroom.