DIY acoustic speakers, drawings and instructions. DIY sound system. What is hi-fi

Today I will tell you, dear Durkovites, how to make something with your own hands that costs a lot of money in the store. That is, a good speaker system. I remember once posting here about the S-30, and from that moment I started making my own speaker like this from scratch.

Let me start with the fact that when I found this pair of S-30s in a barn at the dacha, I was almost stupefied - not only are they different (one is s-30B, the other is S-30A), but one of them also has a broken body. The second one did not have a filter inside; someone had already removed it before me. There was no point in doing restyling - they are too different, and I didn’t know how to restore the half-rotten body. And why, when you can remake 2 identical ones. The woofers, GDN-25, are in perfect condition, but it’s better to install new tweeters. Well, let's begin.
Part one. Columns.

I didn’t think about the material for a long time - the walls were from some kind of Soviet sideboard (16 mm chipboard), and with holes. We fill the holes with pva dowels. Next we cut to size. Oh yes, the most important thing is the size. I took approximately the same dimensions as the original S-30, only slightly changed the shape. But the bass reflex had to be calculated in SpeakerShop. I took it with a margin of 50 mm. We twist the body with self-tapping screws, this is still a fitting.

We disassemble, apply glue, and assemble. We glue glazing beads into the corners for added strength:






Now we dampen everything with linoleum, the furry side inward:






We collect completely.








Now that everything is working for us and there is no whistling anywhere, we can putty.




Well, now the most tedious and dusty part - sanding...


After a couple of hours, you get something smooth and velvety. Can be pasted over. At first I wanted black self-adhesive to look like wood, but in our, sorry, mukhosransk there was none. But how nice it is to have friends in other cities! In a month I will of course have it, but for now I’ll have to cover it with what I have. something like this:








In order not to mess around with the style of the front panel, we make a black acoustic grill. (It’s better to make it from acoustic fabric, but if your budget is tight, you can get by with women’s black tights; you can’t tell them apart by appearance. The most important thing is to ask your girlfriend/friend/mother for permission to take these same tights. Sometimes they cost many times more than the acoustic fabric itself , so be careful ;))










It turns out no worse than purchased ones, it seems to me:




While I was making the amplifier (more on that later), they brought me some self-adhesive tape. My joy knew no bounds!





And now the most important thing - don’t skimp on connectors! I first bought Chinese ones for 15 rubles, and was very disappointed. They make very unpleasant sounds at low frequencies, so don’t do anything with them. Therefore, I bought some branded ones, with gold-plated contacts. Believe me, this greatly affects the sound. The extra 300 rubles are worth it.


Now we install the tweeter. I bought car speakers, I couldn’t find normal ones from us, I picked out the speakers themselves from the case, and placed them in a hollowed-out recess using PVA-based putty.


Well, and most importantly, because... I had to remove the domes on the woofers due to their rattling, so I made new ones with my initials :)

Needless to say, the sound turned out to be no worse than branded speakers of famous audiophile trends.

Part two. Amplifier.
The speakers turned out just like the original, 30 watts each - 25 watts LF and 5 watts HF (although according to the documents it is written that these tweeters are 60 watts each, but it’s more expensive for the Chinese to believe themselves. The sound is no more than 5 watts) At first I had an amplifier - I assembled a year ago from an AT power supply and a TDA1558Q mikruhi. But firstly, there are only 44 watts, and secondly, this mikruha pulls out the bass rather weakly. I didn’t think about choosing a microcircuit for a long time - TDA 8560Q. Similar to the previous one, only the output is up to 80 W, + the signal quality is higher and there is less distortion. I immediately warn beginners - it’s better not to assemble anything on the 8560, it’s very capricious. But if your hands grow from the right place, you will get a wonderful amplifier. While assembling mine, I burned two of them. And they cost about 150 rubles apiece, which is money I feel sorry for, so I have honed my stock of obscene language well. The case will be made of one-sided foil fiberglass. Convenient, lightweight, and does not conduct current where it is not needed. It is also a wonderful mass, screen and antenna (if you connect a phone with a radio receiver)


We mark, cut with a jigsaw, drill the necessary holes:

I couldn’t resist and tried on future connectors :)


We sand the solder joints and tin.


We heat the tinned areas with a soldering iron and everything sets wonderfully:




Now we putty all the cracks and joints with auto putty. A day later we safely sand and polish.






Let's try the filling:




Everything works, you can paint it. We paint it with glossy black paint, after which we sand down the defects.




And now the main highlight is the aluminum inserts. A parody of expensive amplifiers, it’s like protective steel corners. We cut it out of a 3mm sheet of luminium, bend it to the shape of the front panel, add a texture with sandpaper, and screw it in with hex bolts (that’s bolts, this is also part of the design). Looks Cute:


We remove all the props and take out the filling. We paint normally:




The result is this small wonderful case:

Now about the filling. Microwave Tda8560 on a radiator from a 300th celeron, a transformer (which is at least 40 years old, but produces about 15A and 12V), a diode bridge of about 12A and 3 capacitors: 4700 µF, 2200 µF and 0.47 µF connected in parallel. Two condensers at the signal inputs of the mikruhi, 0.05 microfarads each (also Soviet, much better than the Chinese ones), and an input dual variable resistor of 50 kOhm. Cooler (left over from the computer power supply, at first it was this one) 2 and blue LEDs from below. That’s the whole circuit .






And so that the 2-kilogram transformer does not warp the body, we strengthen it with two corners and a steel plate at the base, on which everything is actually attached.


Now we make the bottom from the same PCB and the legs from a nickel-plated furniture tube:

Looks good next to my system unit, the same blue backlight (in the photo, unfortunately, the computer is turned off):

Part three. The final.

Now everything is assembled and works great. In total it took me about three months. And I’ll say right away that here are only a third of the photographs, the rest show what went wrong with me, after all, this is my first project with such precision and such high-quality elaboration of every detail.

P.S. I’m in 10th grade, and this is supposedly my project for the regional technology Olympiad, at which, by the way, I took first place 3 days ago.

Happy modding! Sincerely yours, Viktor Sarbaev.

Dedicated to those who have free time

We open a popular magazine about good sound and look with pleasure at the elegant images (if not the image) of acoustic systems, and there is something to look at. Powerful towers bristle with speakers in all directions, shine with their varnished sides, crush the parquet with sharp spikes and generally evoke a feeling of deep respect. The only downside they seem to have is, of course, the price. A completely logical question arises: what if you make a copy of a monster yourself? Buying a speaker is not difficult, assembling the housing, even if it is not so beautiful, also, the coils and capacitors can be domestic, carefully soldering 3 parts is a task for a 10th grade school student.

Considering the number of ready-made modules that Ebay offers, making a good amplifier is not much more difficult. What’s not there: switching, speaker protection, A-AB-D class boards, volume controls for every taste, beautiful cases made specifically for audio, handles, legs and transformers - just know, connect. In the next article we will definitely tell you how to assemble your own amplifier, which will not be inferior to most “branded” samples costing up to 60-70 thousand rubles.

You may come across unfamiliar words later in the text. Fortunately, an unknown audiophile came to our aid and left link to your personal archive of information on acoustics and amplifiers, there really is ALL and even more, we strongly recommend that you read it.

What to make it from? Plywood, MDF, chipboard, plastic, solid wood.

The world has seen many strange acoustic structures, for example, made of concrete or cinder block. Still, the above-mentioned wood-based lumber remains the most “in demand”. Let's try to understand which one is “more correct”. The basic rule is - regardless of the material chosen, do not skimp on its quality, that is, price.

First comes the king of modern Hi-Fi and Hi-End industry - MDF, The vast majority of speakers, both expensive and cheap, are made from it. The reason is simple - low cost, ease of processing and finishing, including options with ready-made veneer, and the absence of bright resonances. With proper design, optimal results are guaranteed. We recommend it for use, nothing more to say.

Plastic- the concept is very loose, its “authority” is significantly undermined by cheap Chinese counterfeits, although it has no fewer advantages than any other material. We are passing by the problem of the inaccessible opportunity for an amateur to cast his own blanks from the desired material.

A good material for making an acoustic system enclosure can be Chipboard. Perhaps its main drawback is the many problems with finishing, no matter what you decide: paint, veneer or upholstery. Chipboard has a huge advantage: if you need to do it quickly and very cheaply, you can use a factory-made laminated chipboard (LDSP). In this case, it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve high aesthetics, but the price and speed will leave all other contenders far behind. If we compare the resonant properties of materials in terms of suitability for speakers, chipboard takes first place, although the difference compared to MDF is small.

Capricious, but invariably desired by “seasoned audiophiles” madam plywood. There are several types of plywood - birch, coniferous, alder, laminated. Why capricious? Any plywood “leads”, that is, when the sheet dries, it changes its geometry, and chips often appear when sawing. It is also not the easiest material to finish if you want to get a “dull” matte color without visible edges, texture, or edges. The reason for enduring this torment is quite controversial: according to “experienced” people, only plywood gives that very living breath that chipboard and MDF “kill”. What I most incomprehensible is the desire to make a body out of “living” plywood and “kill” it with layers of putty, primer, paint, varnish in an attempt to hide the “terrible” joints with veins (layers of plywood), which look at their owner with silent reproach day and night . Options for special impregnation, at least with the same “Danish oil”, are much preferable; these dark “stripes” on the edges of the body are not so scary...

What kind of poverty is this chipboard-MDF? Maybe straight from solid oak, but thicker!? Don't rush to insert the speaker into the first hollow you see. Contrary to expectations array valuable wood does not enrich the sound in proportion to the money invested; moreover, it even requires additional damping compared to cheaper materials. Although its undoubted advantages are the ease of finishing: if the acoustics are assembled carefully, bringing it to a nice eco-look will not be difficult. Instead of increasing the thickness, it is recommended to add (glue) another sheet of less resonant material on the back side, for example, the same MDF, to make a “sandwich”. The most successful option for using the array is in shield-type acoustics, where a beautiful and heavy front panel is required.

Exotic. Often the choice is determined by what is at hand. Just as a bird can masterfully weave all kinds of garbage into its nest, so a music lover drags everything that is in bad shape. You can find on the Internet ideas embodied in plumbing pipes, artificial stone, papier-mâché, cases and cases for musical instruments, primitive building materials, IKEA products, etc., etc.

Where should I put the speaker?

The main task of acoustic design can be formulated in simple language approximately like this: to maximally separate the vibrations emitted by the front side of the speaker diffuser from the same anti-phase vibrations emitted by the rear side of the diffuser. From the point of view of the textbook, the ideal acoustic design is considered to be an infinite screen, such an incredibly huge shield in which the speaker is installed. It’s clear that the words “incredibly huge” do not apply to our home or our salary, so engineers began to look for a way to “minimize” this screen with minimal negative consequences for the sound. This is how all the variety of options turned out, some have gained the most widespread fame on the Internet, and we will consider them in this article.

Just a speaker or housing without housing

It’s hard to imagine that there is such a type of “acoustics”, but, scrolling through the feed of photos on Pinterest on the topic of audio, I increasingly come across clusters of 12-inch speakers that are assembled together without any design and clearly represent a complete unit. Probably, the author’s intention is permeated with the following logic: any housing spoils the sound, an acoustic short circuit is better than wooden shackles, but in order to have at least some kind of “low”, you need to take speakers with the maximum cone area for which you can only afford enough money. If this is your path - no comments.

Shield and “broadband”

They say that those who have tried the tube, full-range speaker and open design will never return to the traditional, transistor-rubber lifestyle. Describing the properties of a shield is not a rewarding task; all the necessary information is in the archive, and for the laziest - on YouTube, where they explain in detail what kind of animal it is and what it is eaten with, for example:

The biggest advantage of this design is its ease of manufacture. You need a sheet of your favorite material and a jigsaw. The most important criterion that will influence the final sound quality is the cost of the installed dynamic head. The 4a32 speaker has gained unabated popular fame, even such grandees as fostex, sonido, supravox, sica or the visaton B200 itself are left far behind. The saying “size matters” is the best mathematical formula for a shield (the bigger the better). Next come variations of the shield, for example, a shield with folded side walls, a shield in which the low-frequency module is made in the form of a box with a bass reflex, etc. The signature feature of the sound is an “airy” sound with a minimum of resonances, and at the same time a relatively high sound pressure.

PAS – acoustic resistance panel

What if you try to cross a shield and a closed box? You will get a box with a back wall in which many holes are made. The number of holes, their total area in combination with the volume of the box will determine the degree of damping (resistance), the level of low frequencies (the fewer “holes” - the more bass, but also the more “mumbling”). The quantity is selected experimentally, according to taste.

Linear array of emitters, group emitter (GI)

In fact, this subtype of acoustics concerns more the speakers than the design of the cabinet itself. I think you’ve already seen speakers, each of which consists of a large number of identical small, small speakers, or not very small ones, as your budget and living space allow:

According to the electrical diagram, the heads are connected in series, that is, the “plus” of the previous one is connected to the “minus” of the next one, it is possible to combine a series-parallel connection. The number of speakers, in fact, is also limited only by money; common sense, as a rule, by this moment disappears without a trace. Don’t think anything bad about me, I tried such a perversion, I even liked it, if possible, I strongly recommend assembling a similar structure for yourself, at least for the sake of interest. Again, the budget for this outrage is not very large; as a rule, domestic speakers in good condition are used, 5gdsh, 8gdsh, 4gd-8e, etc.

Acoustic design - the same shield or closed box, preferably of a tricky shape, for example triangular. One of the problems to be faced is the high total resistance; not every amplifier will reveal the potential of the “array”. Serial samples produced at the factory have more complex solutions; speakers are often assembled into clever modules, and filters are added.

Bass reflex,bassreflexport, Helmholtz resonator, also known as a box with a “pipe”

Here it is - the most popular acoustic design option. The most favorable price/result ratio becomes widespread; our case is no exception to this rule. For those who haven’t downloaded the archive of an unknown audiophile, we’ll explain it in layman’s terms. There is a certain volume of air in the bass reflex pipe, which depends on its length; it is also “connected” with the air contained inside the speaker. With successful adjustment of the pipe length (let's not dive into theory right away), it is possible to achieve more confident reproduction of low frequencies than just in a closed box. To put it even simpler, with a bass reflex you get deep bass. For a more in-depth understanding, here is a video from a channel we already love:

Although this type of acoustics is popular, it is far from easy to manufacture; one thing leads to another. Speakers that are suitable for this design are called “compression”, most often have a rubber surround and a frequency band that requires the installation of a high-frequency link, tweeter or tweeter, that is, an electric filter is added. The choice of the optimal housing volume, its geometry, and precise adjustment of the pipe length are of great importance and do not always correspond to the calculated values. The situation is made easier by the presence of a mass of projects on the Internet, where the authors have already gone through the thorny path and offer step-by-step instructions with a detailed description of what, how, and what to do. However, there are always enthusiasts who are not satisfied with what is “ready-made” and have the tenacity to go their own way. The disadvantages of the bass reflex are “mumbling” and “crushed middle”. The first is solved by careful selection of the shape, diameter, material and length of the pipe; the second is by adding a separate mid-frequency section. The right path to three-way acoustics.

Reverse hornTQWP and other labyrinths of fate

What people haven’t come up with to complicate the path of vibrations coming from the back of the speaker... Perhaps the company that distinguished itself most of all was B&W with its Nautilus, at least erect a monument to this mutant sea shell. But these are grandees, and all we, ordinary audiophiles, can do is remember our nightmares and place boards with nails inside the rectangular box so that this vile sound doesn’t seem enough. Seriously though, there are speakers for which the “bass reflex” type design does not suit, and the shield does not provide the desired amount of bass, and the sight of the subwoofer makes something clench in your stomach. Then a reverse horn or a more complex option - a labyrinth - comes to the rescue. For those who are interested in how it works, we wish you pleasant viewing.

Someone may object: a reverse horn is not exactly a labyrinth, we can partly agree, but what is more reliable is that it is closer to labyrinths than a classic horn:

It reminds me of an old gramophone. As you can guess from the name, a reverse horn or labyrinth is far from the simplest type of acoustic design; it requires a good understanding of the theory, accurate calculations, or at least compliance with factory recommendations. For example, large manufacturers of wideband speakers, as a rule, provide a couple of variants of housing drawings in the documentation for their speakers.

Onken, closed box (CB), horn, passive radiator and others

Our narrative follows in the footsteps of popular popularity, and this is a rather narrow list. A closed box almost always mumbles, it’s difficult to find a speaker for the onken, the horn is large in size, difficult to manufacture and calculate, the passive radiator works well, but for some reason it has not taken root in amateur designs. You can probably find several more rare types or subtypes of design that are not mentioned here, but what can you do, you can’t cover everything.

Damping, "stuffing", "plug"

The cases are ready, what to do with them next? That's right, damping. Damping can be divided into two types: vibration absorption and sound absorption. Automotive materials, mastics and special sheets with an adhesive layer are well suited for vibration absorption, the latter being preferable. With sound absorption there is confusion and swaying, some people like felt, others like wool, batting, padding polyester, etc. The answer is quite simple - for different effects, depending on the type of housing and the frequency that you want to suppress, the choice of material will depend. Filling the case with sound-absorbing material increases its virtual volume, however, in my opinion, it is impossible to determine a universal norm.

Setting up a crossover (crossover filter)

You decided to make multi-band acoustics. Is a measuring microphone necessary? If this is a one-time project, then no, it is not necessary, it is enough to have a test selection of tracks and some experience to understand which sound can be called more correct. You’ll just have to go through the details of the passive filter longer, listen and compare, but in the end the result will be exactly what your ears and the room need. The situation is a little easier with active crossovers. Previously, you had to make them yourself, etching and routing boards, soldering, a very tedious process, especially if the circuit has a decent slope of cut and adjustment, for three-way acoustics it’s just a wild thing. Fortunately, today you just need to go to ebay and choose an option that suits your budget, whether you want it on op-amps or on DSP. You can smoothly adjust the frequency, and sometimes the slope of the cutoff (in especially rare cases, the phase), even every day.

The final

Sometimes it seems to me that the situation in the audio world is reminiscent of the legend of the Tower of Babel. Once upon a time, in distant times, when Van Den Hul's foot had not yet set foot on the ground, people built together one set of home stereos. Large, large speakers, an equally large amplifier, and thick, thick cables stretched to them. Someone from above saw this and was horrified - what a joke, if only they had read some books... Severe punishment befell the unlucky audiophiles, since then they have been arguing until they are hoarse, but they still cannot agree on how to make amplifier speakers, so everyone makes their own , how can.

Acoustic speakers

The sound quality in the car directly depends on the location of the speakers. In addition, the resonance of the housings is also important in this matter.
Therefore, the body of the speaker used in this case must be made of a material that has sufficient resonance. As a result of this, the most suitable option would be to create speakers yourself.
You can learn how to make acoustic speakers yourself from our article. The information will help you learn not only how to make speakers yourself, but also how to assemble a real speaker system.

Creating Column Conditions

First of all, you need to find out what size the column will be. To do this, you need to decide on its location.
Most often, the speaker is installed in the trunk, since there is enough space for it to have enough space. In addition, a kind of resonance is also created in the luggage compartment, so the music sounds a little different here.
You can also install the speakers near the rear window, but here they will have to be more compact in size, since massive speakers may not fit here.

Note. However, this again depends on the position of the speaker: standing or lying down.

Dimensions

To find out the size of the speaker box:

• Decide on its location.
• Determine how much space can be allocated for installation.
• Measure the size of the allocated area.

Note: 30 cm in length is sufficient for a speaker in the luggage compartment. But speakers installed behind the rear seat should not be more than 15 cm.

Material selection

• Chipboard. By the way, this material can be found much easier than others, since it is often found on sale. In addition, its price is quite affordable.
  The advantage of this material is that it has quite a large output, so the sound of the speakers will not be distorted. This material is also the lightest, so the structure will not be too heavy.
• Hard rubber (ebonite). The products come out pretty good, but the sound will be a little muffled. And finding rectangular pieces of ebonite on sale is not so easy.
  In addition, the product may have an unpleasant odor. The most important advantage: ebonite is difficult to ignite, so the speaker housing will not burn out in the event of a short circuit.

• Wood. Wood from any tree will do.
  In this case, it is better to give preference to oak or pine, since with their help you can create a good resonance. Another advantage of the material is its attractive appearance.

Note: this product can even be painted, so it will turn out very beautiful.

Creating a Corpus

The body can be made in any convenient way.
The most suitable option is the following:

• Using a hacksaw, cut out parts from the material.
• Select the parts to which the speakers will be attached. Round holes should be made in their central part.

Note: The diameter of the hole must match the diameter of the bottom of the speaker.

• It is also necessary to cut out small rings that will be attached to the bottom of the holes made (so that the speaker is securely fixed). The shape of these rings should resemble a plate without a bottom.
• Glue the rings to the parts.
• Around the rings in the parts, make more holes in the shape of a triangle with rounded corners.

Note: this is necessary so that the sound penetrates into the housing, and does not just go out.

• For the inside of the case, small partitions should also be made (their length should correspond to the length of the case itself). With their help the bass reflex will be held.
• Make small ports through which the terminals will be secured.

Column assembly

To assemble all the parts into one whole, you should:

• Connect the body parts using glue or self-tapping screws: rectangular parts on the sides, the bottom part, and also the part with a hole on top.
• Fill the inside of the column with synthetic down.
• Place the speaker in the intended place.

Note: The speaker wiring can be removed through any hole that is conveniently created.

• Paint the frame with varnish. This way it will have a finished appearance.

Note: it is not necessary to use varnish for painting. Black paint may be useful for this. And some details can be done in a different color altogether.

Creating a speaker system

The sound system does not always indicate the presence of speakers.
Here's how to create a sound system in your car:

• Make podiums from foam. For this:
• Make a template from cardboard. Attach it to the place where the podium should be.
• Using the template, cut out the base for the podium. For this purpose, ordinary plywood and reinforcement can be useful.
• The base consists of two rings. In this case, the diameter of the first ring must correspond to the diameter of the protective mesh. But the diameter of the second is the diameter of the column.
• The rings must be connected to each other using self-tapping screws.
• Cut six blocks to create a slope. Glue all the parts together.
• Pour polyurethane foam into the frame and leave it there until it dries.
• You will get a more interesting option if you use small pieces of different types of trees instead of plywood. In this case, you should select dry pieces of wood that do not have cracks. Everything on top should be thoroughly varnished to make the structure more reliable. For greater efficiency, everything can be secured using two slats.
• Mount the speakers into the sockets and install the podiums.

Thus, you can create acoustic speakers (see) right at home and with your own hands. The price of such pleasure will not be high, since you will only need to spend money on purchasing the material.
And in general, you can use any old speakers. The main thing is that they work and are in good condition.
Of course, before starting this process, it is worth reviewing various photos and videos on this topic. The instructions will also be useful.

There are many sound systems on today's market for acoustic equipment - they can be of different types, power and design; you can choose speakers to suit every taste and every need. However, purchased speakers are not always the ideal option. Many people want to try making acoustic devices with their own hands - from the realization that this is not a product from a Chinese factory, but something created on their own, the speakers will even begin to subjectively sound better.

Of course, buying speakers is much easier and probably cheaper. But building your own speakers isn't that difficult. The complexity of the process depends on several factors:

• What speakers do you need? Whether you want to assemble a full-fledged multi-channel system or a simple stereo pair, they should be powerful or not, broadband or multiband. First of all, the complexity of the calculations depends on all this, and then the complexity of the assembly.
• Number of parts available. The scale of the project can be different - someone assembles only the housing and buys the electrical parts ready-made, while others even make the control chip (crossover) and amplifier themselves. The only thing that is purchased in all cases is dynamic emitters, since it is almost impossible to assemble them outside the factory.
• Experience and skills. The main thing you need to have is straight hands, capable of doing woodworking at a decent level, since in the case of assembling speakers with your own hands, the final quality of the speaker system depends on the quality of the housing.

If you are sure that you are ready to assemble the speakers yourself, you need to prepare the tools and materials, and you can get started. Let's leave aside the question of what type of final speaker system will be - it doesn't matter, the general principles of assembly are similar regardless of whether small front speakers or a huge and powerful 5.1 system are being assembled. In principle, only the volume of work and the number of calculations will differ.

Speaker design

Before you start making acoustic devices with your own hands, you need to figure out what they can be made of and in what form. First of all, you should find out what the speaker body can be like.

The quality of the cabinet plays a huge role in giving the sound purity and volume. If the box is assembled with gross design errors, the consequences can be very different - from a simple deterioration in sound quality (for example, it will be too muffled) to complete inoperability of the speaker. Don’t worry ahead of time - having calculated everything exactly, everything will work out in a very decent time. If there are any flaws, it is unlikely that they can be identified with the naked ear. It is also worth remembering that when working with wood, a decimeter of error is not an error, so minor errors are quite forgivable.

The first thing you need to choose is the shape of the future columns. It can be almost anything, but for independent work it is best to choose a traditional rectangular shape. If you plan to manufacture not a broadband speaker, but a subwoofer, then the shape should be cubic. Please also note that when making a low-frequency speaker, the most accurate calculations of the volume of the speaker, as well as the bass reflex, are required, otherwise the bass will not be reproduced with sufficient quality, which will negate the purpose of the work.

Column sizes may also vary. If a large set of speakers will be used - up to three midrange speakers, one high-frequency tweeter and a low-frequency subwoofer - the speaker, of course, must be tall. At the same time, it can be narrow - the volume is quite enough for high-quality sound. In general, there is a lot to be said about calculating volume - but all the particularly accurate calculations are of little use if you do not have ears that can detect the slightest deviations in the amplitude of the sound from a perfectly straight line. So it’s enough to roughly calculate the required volume based on the diameter and power of the dynamic emitter. If the speaker is multi-way, the subwoofer is used as the basis.

One of the most important points is the correct choice of material. The walls of the speaker housing can be made of different types of material, the main thing is that it meets three requirements:

• rigidity - so that the walls do not bend under the influence of vibration of the speakers;
• ease;
• affordable price.

Medium-density particleboard, or MDF, is best. Solid wood is not suitable because it is too flexible and creates a resonance effect. In addition, the column is not an absolutely static object - during operation, vibrations and similar movements that are invisible to the naked eye always occur in it, which is why unpressed wood dries out relatively quickly and becomes unusable. One of the few types of wood that can be used to make a DIY speaker is ebony, or ebony, which is the hardest of all types of wood and also polishes perfectly. However, ebony is very expensive, so in most cases it will not be suitable - after all, one of the goals of independent work is cost-effectiveness.

Another possible material option is multi-layer plywood. It is easy to process, and after assembling the body, it can be finished with any decor - for example, natural veneer. Its only drawback is that it is not the highest rigidity, so for greater structural strength, you will have to additionally cut out ribs that will be placed inside the box.

In addition to the materials described, it is possible to use GVL or DSP - they themselves have good sound insulation properties, which allows you to save somewhat on protective material. However, they are heavy and very difficult to process. It is not recommended to use plastic at all - we will leave polymers to factory manufacturers. Thus, it is best to opt for chipboard, especially laminated chipboard - it has better properties and looks good, imitating almost any material - for example, ebony.

As a result, the column should have the following qualities:

• Smooth amplitude-frequency response - this parameter reflects the sound quality, since it represents the difference between the received electrical signal and the sound waves produced. It is to obtain an ideal frequency response that all efforts should be directed when making a homemade speaker. The quality of the frequency response is influenced by many factors - the correct location of the speaker parts inside the housing, the quality of the materials used, and even the environment.
• Decent efficiency. Since in dynamics the electrical signal is converted into mechanical movements of the diffuser - vibrations of its membrane, which create sound - the efficiency is always very low. You need to try to raise it as high as possible. The correct selection of parts can help with this.
• Subjective sound quality - the speaker should be pleasant to listen to, because it will not be a device for measuring sound characteristics that will be used, but you yourself.
• Nice design - the more attractive the speaker looks, the more pleasant it will be to use.

Having fully prepared for work and having drawn up an approximate design of the column, you can begin making the column with your own hands.

Acoustic device technology

One of the main principles to be followed when working is accuracy. You need to take all measurements as carefully as possible before you start cutting out the parts, and before attaching them you need to try everything on to each other.

The stages of column manufacturing are as follows:

1. The walls of the future building are drawn on prepared chipboard sheets. On the walls you need to mark places for installing speakers - the holes should be round and ideally fit the size of the emitters, so that in the end there are no gaps.
2. The details are cut out. If the board is varnished, it is better to saw it with the finished side up so as not to damage the decorative coating.
3. How to fasten the walls of the column? You can use two methods: either use glue or epoxy resin, or simply screw it together with screws. In the first case, you need to do everything very carefully so that the column does not become warped. To press the glued parts together, you can use a vice system. You also need to carefully fasten the walls with thin screws so that they fit in at a perfectly right angle.
4. The case must be sealed, therefore, if the joints of the walls are not tight enough, the cracks must be filled with felt soaked in glue. If the back panel is removable, you need to stick a polymer or rubber seal along its edge.
5. If the box is closed, instead of upholstering the walls with sound insulation, cotton wool or foam rubber can be filled directly, filling the entire volume of the speaker. The main thing is that it does not come into contact with the rear surface of the diffuser. In addition, a channel must be formed from the emitter to the bass reflex.
6. It is not necessary to calculate the length of the bass reflex - it is perfectly selected experimentally. The diameter is easy to calculate - for example, for a speaker with a diameter of more than 100 mm, a pipe 5 cm wide is perfect. The length is determined as follows - two homemade cardboard tubes are taken and inserted into each other, and then placed in the hole intended for the bass reflex. Then the column must be turned on and the tubes must be moved relative to each other until the air flow from the hole becomes most active.
7. Once the case is assembled, all that remains is to place the speakers and amplifier in it. The emitters are connected either in series or in parallel, depending on the required characteristics of the speaker.

If you follow the technology, you will undoubtedly get a very high-quality speaker.

Making your own speakers: video

Greetings to Datagor readers! I want to tell you about creating an acoustic system using 3D printing technology. Using a 3D printer, I was able to build an unusual acoustic system in the shape of a ball, as well as solve a number of additional problems that arise when making acoustics.
I would like to note that I am not at all advocating the use of plastic as the main material for building speakers.

Ever since my student days I had a dream - to make speakers in the shape of balls. But the methods available to me at that time for creating a custom-shaped case did not inspire me in any way. And now, many years later, I got a 3D printer.

Now here is my translation of Troels Gravesen’s article about “the world’s worst dome tweeter Philips AD 0160.” I think he didn’t come across Soviet, or even many modern tweeters.
Most likely, few people have this particular tweeter (tweeter, not to be confused with Twitter), but Troels’ research will be useful for home-made people to evaluate the quality and proper use of tweeters.

Best regards, Sergei

I'll show you with a real example what you can do with old speakers, namely their drivers, to get improved sound.