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Sound System for the Shop

3K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  devann 
#1 ·
Sound System for the Shop

I have been reworking my shop lately. A large part of it was just cleaning out crap that was no longer used. Part of that crap was the sound system. It was an old FM tuner, record and cassette player someone had thrown out years ago. Quite frankly, it wasn't much good and I wasn't sorry to see it go.

Then, earlier this summer, I found myself working in the shop and realized that I had missed a show on NPR that I wanted to listen to. As I thought about it, I realized that I missed music in the shop, too. It was time to add a sound system to the shop.

First the speakers. I had picked up a set of Baby Advent II's at a garaqge sale for $5. These are bookshelf speakers that were fairly high-end in their day (mid-1980's, $200 a pair). But playing these speakers on my main stereo revealed a few problems. They had a broad, neutral tone balance but the midrange sounded muffled and the high end lacked the clarity and "sparkle" I have come to expect from modern tweeters. If the bass response went down to 100 Hz it wasn't evident listening to them. One of the speakers had a problem common with 30-year old speakers:
Audio equipment Gadget Gas Wood Technology


The foam surround on the woofer had deteriorated and torn - the woofers were basically shot. I could have reconed the woofers but the sound quality just wasn't there. I liked the speaker boxes, however, so I decided a driver upgrade was in order.

I started with a speaker system design from the Web - the PeeDei design by Lonesaguaro. This speaker was designed for a sealed enclosure close to the volume available in the Baby Advents and the drivers were still available. Here is a comparison between the original drivers and the new drivers (new drivers on the right):
Light Black Camera lens Camera accessory Cameras & optics


Product Camera accessory Cameras & optics Audio equipment Material property


Obviously some mods to the box are necessary to fit the new drivers. The existing tweeter hole was too large so I filled it for later drilling to the proper size and the woofer hole was too small so I enlarged it.
Black Wood Audio equipment Gas Loudspeaker


And did I say "sealed enclosure"? Not any more! The previous owner had drilled holes in the backs to hang them on the wall. I drilled them to a larger size and filled them with dowels to seal the enclosures.
Brown Wood Rectangle Natural material Hardwood


After mounting the crossover networks and drivers, here is the final result:
Public address system Sound box Audio equipment Material property Gas


On to the amplifier… I have been toying with class D audio amplfiers based on the TriPath chipset. The Sure board-only design at $35-$40 offers amazing bang for the buck. Coupled with a 24V, 6A power supply they will supply 50W per channel to 8 ohm loads.

So I started by mounting the board and power supply to a base:
Wood Composite material Gas Engineering Machine


Circuit component Passive circuit component Hardware programmer Electronic component Computer hardware


Times have changed since they made the old system I threw out. The last thing I wanted in a new system was the need to run across the shop to change volume or change out tapes or CDs. Hell, I don't even own any CDs anymore - everything is streamed from computer disk or memory. Bluetooth audio receiver modules are available now for less than $20. The one I bought is a bare board intended to run from 5V provided by a USB connector and provides audio out on a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The Sure amplifier module has a 5V supply for the chipset and screw terminals for audio input so I cut the connectors off of the cables supplied with the Bluetooth module to wire directly to the amplifier:
Wood Office ruler Hardwood Wire Desk


Electrical wiring Wood Cable Wire Electrical supply


Here is everything wired up for testing on my workbench:
Circuit component Hardware programmer Passive circuit component Audio equipment Electrical wiring


It sounded fabulous! So it was time to finish up the case:
Rectangle Wood Hardwood Plywood Box


Hood Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Rectangle


Circuit component Electrical wiring Hardware programmer Audio equipment Electronic instrument


Circuit component Passive circuit component Audio equipment Electrical wiring Computer hardware


Gas Gadget Audio equipment Cable Wire


Automotive radiator part Wood Audio equipment Gas Automotive exterior


This is working very well in the shop. As soon as I turn on the amplifier the Bluetooth module automatically syncs up to my phone. The phone itself acts as a remote control and allows me to control volume, play from music playlists, stream radio from the Internet, listen to podcasts or whatever!

Here is a picture of the completed system running on my assembly table:
Wood Rectangle Material property Composite material Electronic device


What do you think?
 

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#2 ·
Sound System for the Shop

I have been reworking my shop lately. A large part of it was just cleaning out crap that was no longer used. Part of that crap was the sound system. It was an old FM tuner, record and cassette player someone had thrown out years ago. Quite frankly, it wasn't much good and I wasn't sorry to see it go.

Then, earlier this summer, I found myself working in the shop and realized that I had missed a show on NPR that I wanted to listen to. As I thought about it, I realized that I missed music in the shop, too. It was time to add a sound system to the shop.

First the speakers. I had picked up a set of Baby Advent II's at a garaqge sale for $5. These are bookshelf speakers that were fairly high-end in their day (mid-1980's, $200 a pair). But playing these speakers on my main stereo revealed a few problems. They had a broad, neutral tone balance but the midrange sounded muffled and the high end lacked the clarity and "sparkle" I have come to expect from modern tweeters. If the bass response went down to 100 Hz it wasn't evident listening to them. One of the speakers had a problem common with 30-year old speakers:
Audio equipment Gadget Gas Wood Technology


The foam surround on the woofer had deteriorated and torn - the woofers were basically shot. I could have reconed the woofers but the sound quality just wasn't there. I liked the speaker boxes, however, so I decided a driver upgrade was in order.

I started with a speaker system design from the Web - the PeeDei design by Lonesaguaro. This speaker was designed for a sealed enclosure close to the volume available in the Baby Advents and the drivers were still available. Here is a comparison between the original drivers and the new drivers (new drivers on the right):
Light Black Camera lens Camera accessory Cameras & optics


Product Camera accessory Cameras & optics Audio equipment Material property


Obviously some mods to the box are necessary to fit the new drivers. The existing tweeter hole was too large so I filled it for later drilling to the proper size and the woofer hole was too small so I enlarged it.
Black Wood Audio equipment Gas Loudspeaker


And did I say "sealed enclosure"? Not any more! The previous owner had drilled holes in the backs to hang them on the wall. I drilled them to a larger size and filled them with dowels to seal the enclosures.
Brown Wood Rectangle Natural material Hardwood


After mounting the crossover networks and drivers, here is the final result:
Public address system Sound box Audio equipment Material property Gas


On to the amplifier… I have been toying with class D audio amplfiers based on the TriPath chipset. The Sure board-only design at $35-$40 offers amazing bang for the buck. Coupled with a 24V, 6A power supply they will supply 50W per channel to 8 ohm loads.

So I started by mounting the board and power supply to a base:
Wood Composite material Gas Engineering Machine


Circuit component Passive circuit component Hardware programmer Electronic component Computer hardware


Times have changed since they made the old system I threw out. The last thing I wanted in a new system was the need to run across the shop to change volume or change out tapes or CDs. Hell, I don't even own any CDs anymore - everything is streamed from computer disk or memory. Bluetooth audio receiver modules are available now for less than $20. The one I bought is a bare board intended to run from 5V provided by a USB connector and provides audio out on a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The Sure amplifier module has a 5V supply for the chipset and screw terminals for audio input so I cut the connectors off of the cables supplied with the Bluetooth module to wire directly to the amplifier:
Wood Office ruler Hardwood Wire Desk


Electrical wiring Wood Cable Wire Electrical supply


Here is everything wired up for testing on my workbench:
Circuit component Hardware programmer Passive circuit component Audio equipment Electrical wiring


It sounded fabulous! So it was time to finish up the case:
Rectangle Wood Hardwood Plywood Box


Hood Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Rectangle


Circuit component Electrical wiring Hardware programmer Audio equipment Electronic instrument


Circuit component Passive circuit component Audio equipment Electrical wiring Computer hardware


Gas Gadget Audio equipment Cable Wire


Automotive radiator part Wood Audio equipment Gas Automotive exterior


This is working very well in the shop. As soon as I turn on the amplifier the Bluetooth module automatically syncs up to my phone. The phone itself acts as a remote control and allows me to control volume, play from music playlists, stream radio from the Internet, listen to podcasts or whatever!

Here is a picture of the completed system running on my assembly table:
Wood Rectangle Material property Composite material Electronic device


What do you think?
Looks good, bet it sounds likewise!

I have a similar problem in my shop, older audio component system and have been meaning to revive it as well. I love the idea of controlling it via Bluetooth, so your solution might work here as well.

Thanks!
Dale
 

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#3 ·
Sound System for the Shop

I have been reworking my shop lately. A large part of it was just cleaning out crap that was no longer used. Part of that crap was the sound system. It was an old FM tuner, record and cassette player someone had thrown out years ago. Quite frankly, it wasn't much good and I wasn't sorry to see it go.

Then, earlier this summer, I found myself working in the shop and realized that I had missed a show on NPR that I wanted to listen to. As I thought about it, I realized that I missed music in the shop, too. It was time to add a sound system to the shop.

First the speakers. I had picked up a set of Baby Advent II's at a garaqge sale for $5. These are bookshelf speakers that were fairly high-end in their day (mid-1980's, $200 a pair). But playing these speakers on my main stereo revealed a few problems. They had a broad, neutral tone balance but the midrange sounded muffled and the high end lacked the clarity and "sparkle" I have come to expect from modern tweeters. If the bass response went down to 100 Hz it wasn't evident listening to them. One of the speakers had a problem common with 30-year old speakers:
Audio equipment Gadget Gas Wood Technology


The foam surround on the woofer had deteriorated and torn - the woofers were basically shot. I could have reconed the woofers but the sound quality just wasn't there. I liked the speaker boxes, however, so I decided a driver upgrade was in order.

I started with a speaker system design from the Web - the PeeDei design by Lonesaguaro. This speaker was designed for a sealed enclosure close to the volume available in the Baby Advents and the drivers were still available. Here is a comparison between the original drivers and the new drivers (new drivers on the right):
Light Black Camera lens Camera accessory Cameras & optics


Product Camera accessory Cameras & optics Audio equipment Material property


Obviously some mods to the box are necessary to fit the new drivers. The existing tweeter hole was too large so I filled it for later drilling to the proper size and the woofer hole was too small so I enlarged it.
Black Wood Audio equipment Gas Loudspeaker


And did I say "sealed enclosure"? Not any more! The previous owner had drilled holes in the backs to hang them on the wall. I drilled them to a larger size and filled them with dowels to seal the enclosures.
Brown Wood Rectangle Natural material Hardwood


After mounting the crossover networks and drivers, here is the final result:
Public address system Sound box Audio equipment Material property Gas


On to the amplifier… I have been toying with class D audio amplfiers based on the TriPath chipset. The Sure board-only design at $35-$40 offers amazing bang for the buck. Coupled with a 24V, 6A power supply they will supply 50W per channel to 8 ohm loads.

So I started by mounting the board and power supply to a base:
Wood Composite material Gas Engineering Machine


Circuit component Passive circuit component Hardware programmer Electronic component Computer hardware


Times have changed since they made the old system I threw out. The last thing I wanted in a new system was the need to run across the shop to change volume or change out tapes or CDs. Hell, I don't even own any CDs anymore - everything is streamed from computer disk or memory. Bluetooth audio receiver modules are available now for less than $20. The one I bought is a bare board intended to run from 5V provided by a USB connector and provides audio out on a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The Sure amplifier module has a 5V supply for the chipset and screw terminals for audio input so I cut the connectors off of the cables supplied with the Bluetooth module to wire directly to the amplifier:
Wood Office ruler Hardwood Wire Desk


Electrical wiring Wood Cable Wire Electrical supply


Here is everything wired up for testing on my workbench:
Circuit component Hardware programmer Passive circuit component Audio equipment Electrical wiring


It sounded fabulous! So it was time to finish up the case:
Rectangle Wood Hardwood Plywood Box


Hood Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Rectangle


Circuit component Electrical wiring Hardware programmer Audio equipment Electronic instrument


Circuit component Passive circuit component Audio equipment Electrical wiring Computer hardware


Gas Gadget Audio equipment Cable Wire


Automotive radiator part Wood Audio equipment Gas Automotive exterior


This is working very well in the shop. As soon as I turn on the amplifier the Bluetooth module automatically syncs up to my phone. The phone itself acts as a remote control and allows me to control volume, play from music playlists, stream radio from the Internet, listen to podcasts or whatever!

Here is a picture of the completed system running on my assembly table:
Wood Rectangle Material property Composite material Electronic device


What do you think?
Well, I think I should show the setup to my sons, who are the current (no pun intended) electrical experts.

As I have similar equipment which is in a old rumpus DVD entertainment room, now a timber store doing nothing as all the "kids" have left so it would be an ideal candidate for doing the same Bluetooth conversion and again become active.

Good post well explained and good supporting photos.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Sound System for the Shop

I have been reworking my shop lately. A large part of it was just cleaning out crap that was no longer used. Part of that crap was the sound system. It was an old FM tuner, record and cassette player someone had thrown out years ago. Quite frankly, it wasn't much good and I wasn't sorry to see it go.

Then, earlier this summer, I found myself working in the shop and realized that I had missed a show on NPR that I wanted to listen to. As I thought about it, I realized that I missed music in the shop, too. It was time to add a sound system to the shop.

First the speakers. I had picked up a set of Baby Advent II's at a garaqge sale for $5. These are bookshelf speakers that were fairly high-end in their day (mid-1980's, $200 a pair). But playing these speakers on my main stereo revealed a few problems. They had a broad, neutral tone balance but the midrange sounded muffled and the high end lacked the clarity and "sparkle" I have come to expect from modern tweeters. If the bass response went down to 100 Hz it wasn't evident listening to them. One of the speakers had a problem common with 30-year old speakers:
Audio equipment Gadget Gas Wood Technology


The foam surround on the woofer had deteriorated and torn - the woofers were basically shot. I could have reconed the woofers but the sound quality just wasn't there. I liked the speaker boxes, however, so I decided a driver upgrade was in order.

I started with a speaker system design from the Web - the PeeDei design by Lonesaguaro. This speaker was designed for a sealed enclosure close to the volume available in the Baby Advents and the drivers were still available. Here is a comparison between the original drivers and the new drivers (new drivers on the right):
Light Black Camera lens Camera accessory Cameras & optics


Product Camera accessory Cameras & optics Audio equipment Material property


Obviously some mods to the box are necessary to fit the new drivers. The existing tweeter hole was too large so I filled it for later drilling to the proper size and the woofer hole was too small so I enlarged it.
Black Wood Audio equipment Gas Loudspeaker


And did I say "sealed enclosure"? Not any more! The previous owner had drilled holes in the backs to hang them on the wall. I drilled them to a larger size and filled them with dowels to seal the enclosures.
Brown Wood Rectangle Natural material Hardwood


After mounting the crossover networks and drivers, here is the final result:
Public address system Sound box Audio equipment Material property Gas


On to the amplifier… I have been toying with class D audio amplfiers based on the TriPath chipset. The Sure board-only design at $35-$40 offers amazing bang for the buck. Coupled with a 24V, 6A power supply they will supply 50W per channel to 8 ohm loads.

So I started by mounting the board and power supply to a base:
Wood Composite material Gas Engineering Machine


Circuit component Passive circuit component Hardware programmer Electronic component Computer hardware


Times have changed since they made the old system I threw out. The last thing I wanted in a new system was the need to run across the shop to change volume or change out tapes or CDs. Hell, I don't even own any CDs anymore - everything is streamed from computer disk or memory. Bluetooth audio receiver modules are available now for less than $20. The one I bought is a bare board intended to run from 5V provided by a USB connector and provides audio out on a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The Sure amplifier module has a 5V supply for the chipset and screw terminals for audio input so I cut the connectors off of the cables supplied with the Bluetooth module to wire directly to the amplifier:
Wood Office ruler Hardwood Wire Desk


Electrical wiring Wood Cable Wire Electrical supply


Here is everything wired up for testing on my workbench:
Circuit component Hardware programmer Passive circuit component Audio equipment Electrical wiring


It sounded fabulous! So it was time to finish up the case:
Rectangle Wood Hardwood Plywood Box


Hood Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Rectangle


Circuit component Electrical wiring Hardware programmer Audio equipment Electronic instrument


Circuit component Passive circuit component Audio equipment Electrical wiring Computer hardware


Gas Gadget Audio equipment Cable Wire


Automotive radiator part Wood Audio equipment Gas Automotive exterior


This is working very well in the shop. As soon as I turn on the amplifier the Bluetooth module automatically syncs up to my phone. The phone itself acts as a remote control and allows me to control volume, play from music playlists, stream radio from the Internet, listen to podcasts or whatever!

Here is a picture of the completed system running on my assembly table:
Wood Rectangle Material property Composite material Electronic device


What do you think?
I like how compact your system is. I bet it has a killer sound. Tunes in the shop is a must, tunes at work too.

I just finished up a system for myself. I chose to go about mine in a similar fashion that you used, Bluetooth module, using a phone has my music source. My speaker situation is a little different, I purchased powered computer speakers to use. I actually built mine several months ago to use at work (I build stores and commercial properties.) and in the shop. It also has become a favorite music source at some of my friends parties. I like using it on the back porch too. I put mine on wheels so it can be rolled about has one unit, even has a place for a laptop. Will try to post it soon.
 

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