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AidanS

458 posts

Ultimate Geek


#138186 23-Dec-2013 22:14
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Hi everyone,

Just got a couple of quick questions for those who are "in the know" regarding audio.

Basically I'm trying to make my own battery powered iPod speaker system (not necessarily "portable", but able to operate without a mains power source). I'm taking a 3.5mm output (from iPod, phone, etc) and outputting it to two speakers similar to these. My plan is to set this up on my campsite for when I go away, that way I can have a decent sounding speaker system (unlike those little portable ones you can buy).

So far when I connect the iPod directly to the two speakers using one of these the sound quality is good except the volume isn't quite where I want it to be, which is expected as there is no amp and the iPod is designed to power little ear buds.

So here comes my question, what could I put between my iPod output and the speakers to give it a decent boost in volume, while still maintaining quality? Obviously I'll need to add a power source such as a 6v, 9v or 12v battery to power the amp(s).

I've been looking at some of these single channel amps here. Would I be able to simply connect two of these to a battery and then connect the speakers directly to the amps? What sort of performance could I expect from these $25 amps?

Would a 9v battery give me much play time or would I need a car sized battery?

Thanks in advance!
-Aidan.

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driller2000
935 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

  #956736 23-Dec-2013 22:57
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brought one of these to test a while back:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Indeed-TA2021-Class-T-Tripath-Digital-Amp-25WX2-Stereo-Amplifier-12V5A-PSU-/290660194814

running an older pair of wharfedale bookshelf speakers - source is my galaxy tab

sounds pretty good - not super loud, but good

amp runs off a plug in transformer 12V DC 5A - so a battery would be required for your set up, but i don't know how long it would last
(or maybe a lead from your car cigarette adapter or similar as an alternative?)

interested to hear what you decide on :)


ps: ohhh ohhh ohh!!

just found this:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Battery-Powered-Mobile-Party-Sound-Systems/?ALLSTEPS

now there's a project for you : )





Aredwood
3885 posts

Uber Geek


  #957313 25-Dec-2013 20:45

That amp on eBay seems like the The best option for what you want. It will have similar output power to a car radio. But to get the full output power you will need 4 ohm speakers. As far as I can tell the jaycar amp modules are class B. This means their efficiency is lower therefore less battery life.

Definitely use a 12V battery to power it. If it only needs to run for about 1 hour at full volume or 3 hours or so at low to med volume then get a sealed lead acid alarm backup battery to power it.

If it needs to run for longer then just get a car battery to power it.

And if you need more power output then you will need an amp with an inbuilt switchmode power supply. Since 25W rms is about the most you can get from 12v without stepping up the voltage.





nickb800
2716 posts

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  #957323 25-Dec-2013 21:08
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I have a similar sort of setup that I've used for Rhythm and Vines, and La De Da. A pair of 4" car speakers in a custom wooden enclosure, driven by a pair of Jaycar 40W amplifier modules, and a 7Ah 12V SLA battery.

Gave a decent volume, lasted for 6+ hours, while driving a cheap cigarette lighter style USB charger to keep everyones' phones charged

Looks like you're keen to keep things cheaper, so a borrowed car battery might be make for a cheap, but less portable power supply. A 9V battery isn't viable for anything that would drive those speakers of yours



Shimmer
54 posts

Master Geek


  #957340 25-Dec-2013 21:41
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If you just happened to have some laying around I'd run it off a 3S lipo given it's voltage tolerance seems reasonable. The batts are cheap but only if you already had a balance charger. quick to charge, decent capacity and light.

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