Designing and building a speaker box or enclosure is usually not a consideration of the average individual. Unfortunately this means that the majority of music listeners are settling for sub par quality audio. Surprisingly, building a speaker enclosure is not really at all difficult.
Most households will have the basic tools to construct a great quality speaker box. Those individuals who have a modicum of skill with power tools will be able to complete a project such as this in half the time of a novice. The key is to take time to measure and make the necessary cuts of the wood. There is a recommended order to building any audio speaker.
The first step is to purchase the audio driver, or speaker, itself. Without the speaker, one will not know how large the speaker enclosure or speaker hole should be in order to obtain optimum sound. There are several different varieties of speakers and the materials from which each speaker is made. An example would be whether to order a speaker with a wood cone or paper cone. Depending upon the desired audio being played, an individual will prefer one over the other. When ordering a set of audio drivers, it is normal for even experienced audiophiles to ask questions of the company for technical information.
Other necessary components, needed beforehand, will be crossovers and terminal connectors. Many online speaker retailers will have complete prearranged speaker kits. MDF or medium density fiber board is an ideal type of board from which to construct a speaker enclosure. These boards are available in 4' X 8' sheets. A word of caution: these sheets are very heavy and will require additional help to transport them easily and safely. There are several other materials needed.
Wood screws with a minimum length of 2 ¼" are recommended. While a Phillips head will work well enough, a square drive, or Robertson head, will help to prevent the stripping of the screw head and possibly damaging the wood. A countersink for recessing the heads of the screws will need to be used in order to achieve a finished product. Wood glue for securing the joints will be required as well.
It is highly unlikely that slapping some wood together to form a box will achieve a good sound. There are several calculators available online for calculating the size of the speaker box. It is important to realize and take into account that the thickness of the wood will need to be accounted for with the measurements produced by a speaker box calculator. There is also an almost endless supply of designs on the internet to further guide the individual
The above steps are not all inclusive, but will serve as a basic starting point from which to proceed. When all is said and done, the total cost of a custom made set of speakers will rival that of a standard speaker set being sold in the major electronics stores offering their lowest price as a best buy. The important thing to realize is that if the individual building the speakers takes the necessary time to make sure that all measurements are accurate and all joints are solidly made, the finished product can be of much higher quality than what is found in the bid brick and mortar stores.
Many websites provide additional information on the topic of audio speakers and drivers. One such site worth visiting is http://www.midwestspeaker.com.
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Dan Elliott independently authors articles for WebDrafter.com, Inc. ( http://www.webdrafter.com ) for search engine marketing. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author, and not of any other person, company, or organization. No guarantee or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding the accuracy, fitness, or use of the content herein.
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