This is my project I did, done while I was in college and on a budget. As such I had little tools and workspace but given the means I think it came out well. I hope to continue to expand and grow this project because it was a lot of fun. For starters this project uses a set of 8in Alesis full range speakers and two 4in tweeters (from the previous full range). I harvested these from old bookshelf speakers. The box I designed and built myself out of particle board. For the amp I used a car amp and then to be able to get media to stream I used a Up2Stream Pro V3 - Multiroom Wireless Receiver Board (No Amp) I then built it in such a way that it actually uses an ATV battery, providing at minimum 10 hours of use before needing a recharge.
The idea I had behind this was to get it so the speaker was not just a speaker for in the house, but more importantly one that could be used on the go. I realize this is significantly larger than typical portable speakers, but eventually I will build smaller.
For the two full range drivers I ported using cardboard tubing, and then proved insulation in each speaker chamber. This came about after some trial and error and just playing around with what sounded better and reduced interference.
For the wiring like previously stated I used a car amp that allowed me to separate into left and right channel and also full range and high range. This amp was the second choice of amp I made because I had issues with several amp boards being overloaded due to wiring issues. The Arylic board I used I have done things with their products in the past and liked how I would get several input options: from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to aux line in. In order to make this board work I used a voltage converter to reduce from standard ATV battery 12V to 5V. I encountered a number of problems from there, one of which was some feedback coming through the ground. I found a ground loop Isolator significantly reduced this problem to the point it is only noticeable at very high volumes.
On the box I did go for the black because I was hoping for a piano black finish, but due to time constraints and poor working areas, I did not get the high gloss mirror finish I was hoping for, but it still turned out okay. I have been using this build for over a year now and have had a blast. At first, I heavily used the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features of the Arylic board, but now that I am in a more permanent space, I have linked this speaker via auxiliary cable with another arylic product to provide a more immersive sound in all points of the room. I use it with music, movies, and TV. Also since the original build with an ATV battery I have pulled it out and used a 12v power supply and have it constantly plugged in. That being said I left the wiring in place if I so desire to have the battery again, but I just found it annoying having it die after a week of home theater use middle of a movie. What do you think? What ideas do you have?
