(Part 2) Best products from r/diyaudio

Velodyne is good stuff. Certainly well suited for HT applications. Music less so, but will do just fine even still.

I agree that it wouldn't be worth the effort, but still a fun project none the less. Just need to be cognizant of what those woofers are good at and what they aren't. They'll do home theater stuff to a degree, but they're better suited to thumpy music in a car or garage or otherwise non-critical music-listening focused environment.

Funny you mention couch shakers; I fully agree! I actually have a pair of inexpensive Aurasound tactile transducers bolted to my couch in my home theater specifically because my mains (30+ year-old electrostats) are not offering up any "impact", and my subwoofer is on a foam isolation pad, so it doesn't impart vibrations into my raised wooden sub-floored house; because of young children sleeping and WAF and all that...

The best thing you could hope to do to your HT bass or even 2ch HiFi bass in a given listening room is to have two separete/discrete subwoofers strategically placed in the room - even if they are not stellar subwoofers. This will reduce or eliminate "bass modes" in your listening area. That is to say: two subwoofers on your single "LFE" output from your HT AV/R unit. Having bass emanated from two separate sources in your listening area will help to negate these bass modes and provide you with more even distribution throughout your listening area, dramatically improving perceived bass response.

I've built a bunch! Those instructions are fine. Only thing I'd change is I'd use a round speaker terminal cup in step #14, rather than the square one they show in the picture. Something like this in other words. Just because it's easier to cut a round hole -- you can just use a round circle cutting bit in your drill. You can get them for as low as like $2ea on Amazon or elsewhere.

> Do I need an amplifier?

Something like a cheap Lepai is fine.

A "real" amp like this or this or a used home theater amp for $50 from Craigslist will more or less get the full 100% of performance from the Overnight Sensations at higher volumes. A small Class D amp like this is a good compromise IMHO.

All of those amps ought to sound the same at low volumes. For "desktop listening" where you're sitting a few feet away, the Lepai should get plenty loud.

> Do I need a digital to audio converter?

Probably not. With the possible exception of the Lepai, all the amps I linked to have a dual RCA audio input. The typical "red and white audio inputs" you've surely seen in many places. All you need is a basic headphone-to-RCA adapter like this, assuming your music playing thingy has a headphone jack.

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-105597-3-Feet-Premium-Stereo/dp/B0094A1F3S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483958406&sr=8-4&keywords=headphone+to+rca

The process is way less complicated than you think.

You didn't mention which model of those speakers you have, but it looks like they all have 1/4" mono inputs. To use those connections you'll need an 1/8" stereo mini plug to dual mono 1/4" plug cable (e.g. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005HGM1D6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1419459816&sr=8-1&dpPl=1&dpID=31EXSYIMpUL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SX200_QL40)

As for you computer outputs, you'll want to use the headphone or L/R channel jack (typically green and labeled with a headphone symbol). Configure your sound mixer software to output 2 channel stereo. There is also a good chance it will default to stereo output with something connected to the stereo output jack.

This is the best explanation I can give without more details about the specific equipment.

speakers


amp

Not sure about the ohm of the speakers, but what would I gain by using all 4 channels 1 speaker per channel as opposed to my current set up which is outputting 2 speakers on the first 2 channels, I does work and sounds great, but I was just wanting to make sure I get the most out of it.

It's super easy to connect your headphone jack to passive floorstanding speakers - you just need an amplifier like this one or an old garage-sale home theater receiver to boost the signal from line-level to speaker-level.

They make super cheap amplifier boards like this that would probably work perfectly. On the cheaper (read:crappier) ones, their gain is dependent on the input voltage, so using a higher voltage adapter will get you the most range.

You could get a stereo one and just run the single channel through it.

Well yes you can get a t-amp($50) and a small powered sub($130). The next step would truly be better speakers. I am sure those are atrocious.

oh ok sweet. then I could keep a pack charging and a pack on my backpack. I sometimes spend 6 to 8 hours wearing it so its important to either have a long battery life or quick charging/battery swapping. getting the weight down would be awesome.

Are these the batteries you tested as working fine on the lepai?

This is a great company, I have a pair of their older speakers and they sound great.

Speakers: $344.50

http://www.amazon.com/SpeakerCraft-OE5-One-Outdoor-Speaker/dp/B0017LADVW/ref=sr_1_6?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1394418175&sr=1-6&keywords=speakercraft+outdoor

Amplifier: $100

http://www.amazon.com/AudioSource-AMP-100-Stereo-Power-Amplifier/dp/B00026BQJ6/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394418458&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=ausiosource+amp-100

RCA Cable: $10

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-3-5mm-Male-2-Male-Adapter/dp/B004YEBK66/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1394418952&sr=8-13&keywords=rca+cable

Speaker Cable: $10

http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-16-gauge-Speaker-Wire-Feet/dp/B006LW0W5Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394419011&sr=8-1&keywords=speaker+cable

For Wireless music, Bluetooth receiver, $32

http://www.amazon.com/HomeSpot-NFC-enabled-Bluetooth-Receiver-System/dp/B009OBCAW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394419052&sr=8-1&keywords=bluetooth+music+receiver

Total Cost: $496.50

Fan is a Noctua NF-A8 FLX 15.95 on Amazon. Simple as remove the old and install the new; but I do suggest a little hot glue like factory to keep the connector engaged.

​

So the relay turn-on is a little more complicated; Not only did I have to install a high-power relay in the amp, along with a 3.5mm mono jack; but I had to build a small relay box so I could step-up the amperage because the output of the receiver wasn't enough current to power the coil of a relay. So I used a wall 12V adapter, into a small relay; which then triggered off the receiver; then fed power from the wall adapter 12V to the relay. I would say this is not for the beginner DIY as it requires some soldering to build the relay box; wire harness work to install the relay, and some basic electrical knowledge in order to figure out how to hook everything up.

Large Relay - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWXTHIX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Small Relay - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LW15D1M/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_gjIpDbVT0P8AY

i've been looking at this, as well.

difference for me is that i'm planning on running mono amps, since i just want the speakers for background music and not dedicated "sit here and listen" type playback. for that reason i'm opting for single 8" ceiling speakers, for three rooms (bedroom, office, living room). going for single 8" speaker for greater frequency response, and hopefully to stretch my budget and get nicer quality speakers.

i've currently got a pi0w, and i used a mini hdmi to vga w/analog audio out jack as my DAC.

it works perfectly, just selected HDMI as my audio source in Volumio.

sounds great as far as my ears can tell.

with one exception, a loud thump when switching radio stations... i'm not sure yet whether that is a hardware issue or a Volumio issue.

so my plan is two get two more pi0w's and three mono amps.

this mono amp has good reviews : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0FO1JZ/

i haven't tried it yet, but by the specs it should drive my ceiling speakers fine.

my plan is different than yours in that i'm adding a volume pot to each room for local volume control.

not having the ability to just reach over and turn the volume down, may be missed.

So you're only in a 10x10 room, want to have your price toward the $100 mark, and need high level inputs. Why don't you look at these:

• BIC F12 $185 - King of the cheap subs so I had to include it.
  
  
• Martin Logan Dynamo 800 $135 - A Zeos favorite, small in size, and easy on the price.
  
  
• Dayton 800 $110 - you mentioned it...probably the lowest cost sub I would get. If you have more money and space upgrade to the 1000 for about $20 more.
  
  
• Polk PSW111 $150 - I actually like this little guy for your situation. I think this smaller sub sounds so much better than the psw10 that most people are used to.

I like your method for trimming the veneer from the speaker holes, maybe kind of overkill though.

In the past, I've used this bit:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K2G69M

It only needs 1/8" clearance. https://i.imgur.com/BqDFW4i.jpg

As long as you let the router do the work and don't force it against the wood, it works like a charm.

The good news is that everything is already wired for sound, the bad news is that you'll need to buy amp(s) in order to use the speakers. The cable that you're holding up is RCA and is not powerful enough to drive a speaker. You'll need something like a multi-zone amp for 6 channels if you want to use all of the speakers in the house. These are ambient house speakers and not speakers set up for a home theater though right?

An option that might work well if you like Chromecast is to buy two or three pairs of this SMSL SA50 amps with the Chromecast Audio devices. This would also allow you to control multiple zones for music using each Chromecast audio. Each Chromecast Audio connects with each amp using a 3.5mm to RCA cable and then each SMSL amp connects to the gold terminals on the wall using speaker cable.

That would definitely get the job done, but I don't have much experience with kits so I can't really help you there. Simple power amplifiers are pretty simple projects so there might not be many kits available. Also if you do plan on using the LM386 circuit, I forgot to mention you'll need something to build the circuit on. So either a breadboard (https://www.amazon.com/Breadboard-Solderless-Prototype-PCB-Board/dp/B0799ZS5N3/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1541969700&sr=1-9&keywords=prototype+board) or perf board (https://www.amazon.com/ZYAMY-Tinning-Prototype-Development-Universal/dp/B075F2D4B1/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1541969700&sr=1-8&keywords=prototype+board). Breadboards are more for prototyping, while perf boards are for stability.

Flush cutters. This pair and this pair are the industry standard workhorse. Absolutely essential tools.

PanaVise clamps are a must have. This one and this one are my favorites.

A manually operated solder sucker will be an important buy as well.

[Oak Wood 8' x1"x6" 30$]
[4" Midwoofer 1 Dayton Audio TCP115-4 4" 12$] (https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-tcp115-4-4-treated-paper-cone-midbass-woofer-4-ohm--295-415)
[3" Full Range 2 Dayton Audio PC83-4 3" 20$] (https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-pc83-4-3-full-range-poly-cone-driver--295-154)
[1" Softdome Tweeter 2 Dayton Audio ND25FA-4 1" 40$] (https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-nd25fa-4-1-soft-dome-neodymium-tweeter--275-059)
[3" Passive Radiator 2 830878 3-1/2" Passive Radiator 20$] (https://www.parts-express.com/peerless-by-tymphany-830878-3-1-2-passive-radiator--264-1060)
[Crossovers 2 uxcell 2 Pcs 130W 2-Way 15$] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016FBNNCY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1#)
[2.1 100x1 50x2 Amplifer 1 AIYIMA TPA3116D2 25$] (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/AIYIMA-Amplifiers-Audio-Board-TPA3116D2-Amplificador-2-1-Digital-Amplifier-Board-50Wx2-100W-DIY-For-Home/32841707655.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.50204c4dlBRKOI)
[26650 Rechargable Cells 6 26650 Litokala 5000mah 25$] (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2PCS-LiitoKala-26650-50A-5000mah-26650-Li-ion-3-7v-Rechargeable-Battery-for-Flashlight-20A/32790517311.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4demHMaD)
[BMS 24V 1 6S 15A 24V PCB BMS Protection Board 2$] (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1PC-New-Arrival-6S-15A-24V-PCB-BMS-Protection-Board-For-6-Pack-18650-Li-ion/32831085198.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.50204c4dlBRKOI)
[Bluetooth Board 1 Bluetooth w/ mp3 tf fm + controls 4$] (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Bluetooth-Audio-Receiver-board-with-USB-TF-card-decoding-playback-preamp-output/32672569121.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dFmmUhf)
[Boost Controller step-up-down 1 Regulated Step-up-Down Boost controller 3$] (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/LM2596S-DC-DC-LM2577S-Step-Up-Down-Boost-Buck-Voltage-Power-Converter-Module-Non-isolated-Constant/32857565021.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dcRs1mi)
[dc-dc 1w converter 5v 1 1w 5v dc-dc converter for bluetooth module 1$] (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pcs-B0505S-1W-5V-to-5V-converter-DC-DC-power-module-converter-1000VDC-Isolation/32840613546.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.17ae4c4draS0XU)
[dc power jack 1 dc power jack 1$] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1D5GIP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
[3.5mm sound isolator 1 3.5mm sound isolater (filters out ground noise on line in) 10$] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019393MV2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
[power button 1 Lit power button 8$] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KHNLRS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
[Battery Holders 6 Battery Holders 10$] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074H2ZJFD/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

>line conditioner

I found this line conditioner which is ok cheap. Maybe this would be better?

https://www.amazon.com/PDU-Power-Strip-Surge-Protector/dp/B00BQO5G4O/ref=lp_10967061_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1564108537&sr=1-1

For those speakers I would get something like this and find a good 12v power adapter...

I recabled my Grados with one of these by clipping off the 1/4 inch ends and soldering to the drivers in the headphones. There is way more length there than you need which leaves you options and the cable is nice and thick. I used a couple of layers of heat shrink tubing to secure the Y split.

Cool project! You mentioned that you are starting to work on flush mounting speakers. I am not sure what tools you are using for the cutting the holes, but if you do not have a Jasper Jig, I would highly recommend one. I built my last set using it, and it made the project so much easier.

Jasper Jig

Thanks. When you say "beefier," do you mean wattage? Is 50W (like, say, this one https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Audio-Amplifier-Professional-Speakers/dp/B071XQGYRJ/ref=pd_sbs_267_4/134-0212946-4203274?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B071XQGYRJ&pd_rd_r=7a787e98-e4b8-4685-99cf-38525c1e6a86&pd_rd_w=wWQ5i&pd_rd_wg=mLloJ&pf_rd_p=1c11b7ff-9ffb-4ba6-8036-be1b0afa79bb&pf_rd_r=QKBHRD21P6B0S5YPPSSZ&psc=1&refRID=QKBHRD21P6B0S5YPPSSZ ) going to do it for outdoor movies, or should it be 100W?

personaly using this little amp for my OS's and anarchy tapped horn sub and I'm happy with the results i get from this.

https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-TPA3116D2-Amplifier-Independent-Adjustment/dp/B074J9X3P5

These will really help if you start to get into the hobby more:


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00009K77A/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1383050908&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00009K77D/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1383050908&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

DROK TPA3116 is pretty much my go-to amp for small projects.

I run them from laptop chargers (19v 4A or so) or 16.8v via 4s 18650 cells.

I used this one so it'll all fit in the center consol.

You need an amp. Get something simple like this:
Lepai LP-2020TI Texas Instruments TPA3118 Hi-Fi Stereo Audio Mini Amplifier with Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071FJF4FF/

You just need this - https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP159-Stereo-Breakout-10-Feet/dp/B005HGM1D6/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1403569361&sr=1-1&keywords=hosa+3.5+stereo+to+dual+1%2F4

Connect it to both speakers and the jack goes to pc and configure your soundcard to output stereo instead of 5.1 (I am not sure about this part since ive never used 5.1)

Also your speakers will work in single ended mode which is ok if the cables are not too long.

Yeah I has to dig around and look at Amazon answers for more wattage information initially myself. This is what happens when I go the cheapest route initially with rumblers just to test it out.

I'm planning on buying one
AuraSound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker for the final rumbler. But before I drop $50 for it, I'd rather test out a cheaper product first.

You need one of these adapters assuming you have the 3.5mm audio output on your phone https://i.imgur.com/TcFzArq.jpg and then you will have stereo sound.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HosaTech-CMP-159-3-5mm-Stereo-Breakout/dp/B005HGM1D6/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484098174&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Hosa+Stereo+1%2F8%22+TRS+to+Two+Mono+1%2F4%22+TS+Cable%2C+3+Foot%2C+CMP153

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UKKXRC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
lasts for about 2 days of beach lifeguarding from 10-5.

Non-mobile: this

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

Similar to this. Its not great quality though and I've never had a chance to fully test battery life yet but I think it would last at least 4 hours on full volume continuously.

My bad, hosa.

Hosa CMP-159 3.5 mm TRS to Dual 1/4 inch TS Stereo Breakout Cable, 10 feet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HGM1D6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_whYVzLuecrDTZ