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Folding speaker enclosures

Folding speaker enclosures
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Step 1The finished speaker box

The finished speaker box
This is the finished article. In this case the box is an 80mm cube but it could be any size you like just choose the card thickness to suite the size of the box.

Although this was made from card you could just as well use polypropylene as a harder wearing material, you can often buy stationary folders made from polypropylene that you can recycle.
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53 comments
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Mar 26, 2011. 5:48 AMacox says:
Yes, but does it blend?
Jan 30, 2008. 9:36 PMrussell3782 says:
hey, anyone know where I can source these in commercial quantities. I have attached an image i found on the web, but cannot track down the supplier/manufacturer ? any ideas ? THANKS
Dec 19, 2010. 10:15 AMJohenix says:
Teracycle makes these from M&M boxes. Radio Shack had some, also some pirimidal speakers.
Mar 9, 2010. 10:51 PMszdaisy66 says:
Hi, we are factory for the fodable speaker in shenzhen, china. We have the paper and pp foadable speaker. Plz contact with by email smartech02@gmail.com   or skype: szdaisy66
Jan 25, 2010. 4:42 PMseannessy says:
here is a link for the wholesaler's website;

http://www.origaudio.com/products

For Canada you'll have to contact these guys;

http://www.zold.ca/contact.html


Jun 1, 2009. 1:49 PMSebedee says:
I can say poundland for uk peeps they are only slightly more colourful
Apr 26, 2009. 9:30 AMfernan_castillo says:
I could make them for you if you want... how many?
Jan 27, 2009. 12:07 AMsilverknight says:
vhotho mentioned that MUJI used to make those, but no longer.

I actually just saw them on the 6th at the MUJI Express (?) in the new wing of the JFK airport... This photo is MUJI's as well. You can purchase them from the MoMA or their NY stores.
Jan 27, 2009. 12:14 AMsilverknight says:
Oops, sorry. The picture is MoMa's.
Dec 12, 2008. 1:42 PMteh darkcloud says:
I actually saw those same pictures a few months ago and I wondered the same thing. A few weeks later I was at Ross and I found speakers kind of like those. (Except they were pink and "girly". I don't remember the brand but I bought them and gave them to a friend for her birthday so I could probably find out if you're still interested.)
May 22, 2008. 3:53 PMagdollison says:
i did not find those but at think geek they have a cardboard boom box style speakers that are really cool
Thinkgeek
Jul 26, 2009. 7:10 PMYerboogieman says:
A pretty good idea would be to get some birthday cards and take the flat speakers from them. That way, you would be able to fold them, with the speaker in place.
Feb 23, 2009. 11:18 AMMairseyDotes says:
By "net" would you perhaps mean "diagram?" And is there a PDF or other suitable file which might be printed directly on card stock for those who are happy with the size you've used?
Jan 28, 2009. 1:24 PMreeding says:
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20060126/cardboard-box-speakers/
i had a plastic pair from a hair salon i think
Jan 9, 2009. 4:20 PMFaqMan says:
I find this design very cost effecitive and creative.
Sep 2, 2006. 10:33 AMkylemcinnes says:
The net for an 80x80x80mm box will NOT fit on an A4 sheet.
Dec 28, 2008. 1:12 AMmms234 says:
sides doesnt appear to be 80*80... they are like 60 mm's or so...
Dec 28, 2008. 1:10 AMmms234 says:
The space between rear side of the case and the speaker is too much for just a 80 mm speaker. What about if we tight it a bit? like 80*80*45 ? I wonder if it will still stand and wont fall...
Jun 19, 2008. 11:44 AMnilmahj says:
why not use chinese take-out containers? you'd be recycling and they'd look pretty cool too.
Dec 4, 2008. 8:31 PMduck-lemon says:
yeah but you'd have to ask for some clean ones 'cos it would be dirty and get mouldy
Jun 16, 2008. 7:54 PMguyzyl says:
I made it with two speakers. It looks cool and works well.
Mar 31, 2008. 12:32 PMgeester910 says:
this is a good cabinet, could you do it with 1 of these cabinets

This is a good thread.
Feb 7, 2008. 7:36 AMcnfamousworks says:
hi, russell3782, we're the manufacurer of this folding speaker. We're a Chinese factory. This is our PATENT PRODUCT. If you need details of the speaker, pls contact me by email. My email is vivian@famousworks.cn Vivian Gong
Dec 3, 2007. 7:13 AMpower says:
cool stuff but any chance of getting the speaker sound louder?
Sep 6, 2007. 3:15 PMSwizzler121 says:
Do they fold up? i want to see them folded, if they don't fold, then whats the point?
Jul 1, 2007. 12:40 AMApis says:
Hmm, the reason you put speakers in boxes isn't only aesthetic. When the speaker membrane moves and pushes out air on the front, it also sucks in air on the back, creating an out of phase sound wave on the backside of the speaker that will cancel out the sound from the front.

Imagine if you were to push your hand through the air in front of you: you wouldn't produce much of a sound wave since the air would just move around your hand. If you were in a box covered on one side with a membrane and pushed it with your hand however, it would create a much more effective wave in front of it since the compressed air on the outside of the box now can't move back into the low pressure you created inside the box.

You want to make the box out of a sturdy material (metal / mdf board / hard plastic etc) that can contain the sound wave from the back.
I'm afraid paper wouldn't do much good. =/
Jul 28, 2007. 8:39 AMdrcrash says:
Apis is right; the sound off the back of the speaker generally partly cancels and interferes with the sound coming off the front. You could make a better foldable enclosure by making the enclosure the right size for the driver, putting an extra hole in the front (to make a bass reflex enclosure), and reinforcing each side with something stiffer and a little more massive. The trick to making a bass reflex enclosure is that the box is the right size, so that the pressure inside the box from the back of the speaker comes out the hole in the front with a certain delay, so that it partly cancels some frequencies and reinforces others. In particular, most drivers have a peak in the bass response, then a rapid fall-off below that. You size the box for a delay that will partly cancel out that peak, but reinforce frequencies a bit above and below it. That extends and flattens the bass response. It isn't much more work to make a good speaker enclosure than to make a bad one.
Jun 15, 2007. 9:36 PMerckgillis says:
Dude, Order out Chinese and poke holes in the bottom with the chopsticks! Eat the Noodles first... E
Jun 11, 2007. 2:09 PMmaslo says:
Nice idea:) however I really don't like to hear their sound... Must be awfull...
Apr 27, 2007. 4:27 PMicedog515 says:
cool
Oct 11, 2006. 9:34 PMangle of fire says:
i dont get it???
Apr 12, 2007. 9:07 PMYerboogieman says:
me neither...
1-40 of 53next »

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Author:rickharris
Retired technology teacher - 2 kids, aged 62 I have an Hons deg in Design and Technology - 28 years as Computer systems engineer Trained as Electronics engineer in the Royal Air Force