Parts Express

[pmc]

I ordered a catalog to be included with a recent order for some arcade related stuff.

Wow! I read every page. Now I got an itch to build a subwoofer. Like I need a new hobby.  Anyone build any of that stuff? How's the sound?

My home system is all B&W and Denon. Not audiophile, but it's not mass-market brands either. I've always wanted to get a Sunfire or similar sub but never plunked down the $1000 for the boom. Is it realistic to be able to kit build something that's reasonably high end quality?

Certainly, for the arcade cabinet I'll consider building something if I don't get over to Circuit City this week and pick up that $10 Creative Labs 2.1 system.

-pmc

[Random24]

A guy I work with built a set of linear array speakers with 18 of these and a couple of tweeters.  He figures that all the electronics including the speakes, the capacitors, and the resistors he spent about $20 per speaker and they BLOW AWAY his $200 a piece JBL speakers.

[Luckydevil]

Please post more info on the linear array setup using those speakers! Sounds like a very cool project and I'm having trouble finding any info on the net about making a setup like that. Thanks.

[pmc]

It's hard not to resist the urge to go and play around with that given $0.87 per tweeter. Minimal downside risk.

But mediocre sound is easy to get (look at PC speakers). I want to know if good sound is available by DIY or if it's a pipe dream.

Still....  I wanna build somefin anyway.

-pmc

[Random24]

It's hard not to resist the urge to go and play around with that given $0.87 per tweeter.

UMM, did you actually look at those speakers?  They are 4" EXTENDED RANGE DRIVERS not tweeters.  And they are $0.49 EA not $0.87.

I am planing to buy a bunch and build my own surround system with them.  I'l definitely post more info when I get them.

And as to your question about DIY sound, as I said, my friend at work spent about $40 dollars on speakers and BLEW AWAY his $400 JBL set. And by BLEW AWAY I don't mean that they were just louder.  They had better/clearer sound by far. He brought them in to work to test them and I could definitly hear the diference.

Look here for some examples of what some people have done with these speakers.  If you look at "Bruce's Array" you will see something similar to what my friend did.

Something else that everyone here might want to notice is the fact that these speakers are SHIELDED which means that you can put them in close proximity to your monitor/TV/Arcade monitor with no fear of picture interference!!

[Luckydevil]

I'm not understanding how these people are running all of these speakers and still being able to power them because of the impedance they produce.

If I wanted to run 10 of these speakers, it is either going to be .8 ohms in parallel, or 80 ohms in series. Are people wiring them in parallel and then adding capacitors to get it back up to 8 ohms?

[Random24]

What about series/parallel?  For example:

[Luckydevil]

Ahhh, gotcha. I didn't know you could run a combination of the two. Good stuff!

[pmc]

UMM, did you actually look at those speakers?  They are 4" EXTENDED RANGE DRIVERS not tweeters.  And they are $0.49 EA not $0.87.

Yeah, I did. Didn't mean to call 'em tweeters -- it just came off my fingers that way. $0.87 is the "price" while 0.49 is the "special price". Whatever. It's ridiculously  cheap anyway.

They are buyout items. Presumably that means that they'll soon run out of inventory? Maybe I shoudl buy a bunch for the future just in case.

I am planing to buy a bunch and build my own surround system with them.  I'l definitely post more info when I get them.

And as to your question about DIY sound, as I said, my friend at work spent about $40 dollars on speakers and BLEW AWAY his $400 JBL set. And by BLEW AWAY I don't mean that they were just louder.  They had better/clearer sound by far. He brought them in to work to test them and I could definitly hear the diference.

Look here for some examples of what some people have done with these speakers.  If you look at "Bruce's Array" you will see something similar to what my friend did.

Very cool examples. That long page is worth reading through. I like the coffee-can design although I don't think I'd ever built it. 

The one thing I've learned about speakers is that I generally have to hear them to be able to judge the sound and decide to buy or not (regardless of price, recommendations, brand, etc.). But for this cost, a PartsExpress project sounds like a worthwhile project to jump into no matter the outcome.

I'd love to find a similar subwoofer alternative too.

Thanks for this information. I'd be really interested in hearing how you fare.

-pmc

[lustreking]

A guy I work with built a set of linear array speakers with 18 of these and a couple of tweeters.

[tray262]

Vert interested please post more info,

Thanks,

[Lilwolf]

btw, WHAT 10 creative labs speakers at circuit city?

I got some for 30 bucks about 5 months ago that are great and would love another set...

going over now and they have a really nice set for 60 bucks after 2 rebates (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Creative-I-Trigue-3400-2-1-Channel-Speakers-IT3400V1L4-/sem/rpsm/oid/117938/catOid/-13041/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) but I didn't see any cheaper

[G@M3FR3@K]

btw, WHAT 10 creative labs speakers at circuit city?

I got some for 30 bucks about 5 months ago that are great and would love another set...

going over now and they have a really nice set for 60 bucks after 2 rebates (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Creative-I-Trigue-3400-2-1-Channel-Speakers-IT3400V1L4-/sem/rpsm/oid/117938/catOid/-13041/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) but I didn't see any cheaper

Lilwolf,

They were these Speakers & are discussed in this  thread.  They were priced at $50 - $40 mail in rebates, making the total $10.  Seems the sale is now over.