Small Portable Speaker Covered With Wool

I really like the design of Bang & Olufsen's Beolit 12 portable speaker. Unfortunately the price is a bit steep compared to other speakers on the market. I decided to build a portable system based on B&O's design mixed with some elements of my own. I ended up with covering the speaker with grey wool as I find the combination of wool and leather really good looking. 

If you like this project, please take the time to vote for me in the UP contest. 

Step 1: Parts

MDF - 12mm
2 pcs. 240 x 145 mm (Top/Bottom)
2 pcs. 230 x 165 mm (Front/Back)
4 pcs. 110 x 165 mm (Sides/Mid)

Electronics:
Audio Amplifier Board 2 X 15Watt Class D - TA2024, Sure Electronics 12$
Rechargeable Li-ion battery 12V DC 6800mah, Ebay 18$
2 pcs. Peerless 3" Fullrange P830986, Ebay 27$
3.5mm stereo socket, Ebay 4$
2.1mm DC power socket, Ebay 2$
Mini SPST powerswitch, Ebay 2$
Some wire

Other stuff:
Leather for handle and input plate (I had some scrap leather lying around)
Wool felt fabric 3mm thick 0,3 x 1 m, Local hobby store 15$
Wire Mesh 300 x 600 mm, local hardware store 10$
Various screws and nuts, local hardware store 10$
Spray Can White Matte, 14$
Staples
Wood glue and superglue
Sandpaper with various grits

Comments

[Hanzo]

I love this project and may give it a go. May I ask how long (ish) you get to listen from the battery? Did you get the charger with the battery? And finally: how long does it take to charge (ish - I know it will take longer if you are listening).

Thanks for the 'ible. Looks as good as your inspiration.

[Helseth]

Thank you. I get about 5 hours of loud music from the battery. If you buy a high quality li-ion you'll probably get even more. It takes around three hours to charge it, depending how many amps your charger is. I got a 0.5A charger with the battery, but i dont use it.

Good luck with your project!

[deniska1]

Im trying to replicate your design, I really like it and im making it my beginner project for diy audio. I also have trouble understanding the electronics behind it. Ive been looking all over for a simple way of explaining wiring between the switch, amp, and speakers. I also want to add a USB connector. Can you point me to the right direction?? (i.e. any links?) thanks !

[joeradish]

Beautiful design. can't wait til I have time to to do my own. Is there an advantage to closing the box before installing the speakers? Unless there is a reason not to, I think that I will make all of my cuts and install my hardware before I glue the box together. Either way, I love your design.

[Helseth]

Thanks! The reason why i installed the speakers after gluing the box is that i originally had planned to mount them from the outside. When i started routing out a cut for them, i realized that the speakers wouldn't get deep enough to allow a flat surface on the front. You can see the filler on the pictures. So, if i was to do it again, i would do as you say and mount the speakers first, then glue it together:)

[tatagatha]

That's a really beautiful build. One thing I don't quite get is the power circuit. Does the battery have something in it to prevent it from overcharging? Is it really that simple to have something that can switch between a rechargable battery and a plug?

[Helseth]

The battery has a built in overchrge/discharge circuit. It came integrated with the battery. So, as you say, the circuit is a bit more complicated in reality, but the circuit i drawed was all i had to solder together.

[amazin]

great project! I thank you really much because I searched for a long time for a Beolit 12 rebuild. But one question did you really calculated the housing or did you build it so that it fits?
And the most important question how is the sound and the how are the amplitudes?

[Helseth]

Yes, I used a speaker calculator to find out the optimal volume for the speaker. It is a sealed enclosure, because a ported system would have been bigger to get the proper sound. The result is a bit lower sound volume, but better sound imo. I made the volume of the housing a little smaller than the calculator said was optimal. This can be compensated by adding some acoustic foam which makes the speaker box "act" like a bigger box. Unfortunately I do not have the instruments for testing the amplitudes.

[mvuherer]

Can you tell me how to make tath this speakers play music from USB or SD card.
Pls! Tath will be so greate for party.
BTW wery nice project.

[Helseth]

Thanks. You can use this: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=320-350

[martinnez]

its a very nice project, it looks very pro!

[M0HIZ]

What a cracking build! It looks absolutely stunning - when I first saw the covering picture I thought the Instructable was describing a mod of a professional speaker.

[brendan945]

I'd like to see a little more detail on the electronics. The fit and finish and design is right on. I think it's gorgeous. But how do you charge it? Did you say and I missed it? Also, does it run AC as well as battery? I see a diagram but I'm not the best with electronics and it would be great to see it explained a little further.

[Helseth]

Thank you very much:) yes, it does also run off ac(with 12v dc adapter). The diagram shows how i wired the dc input into the circuit. I soldered the + of the socket to the + wire from the battery and then to the + of the amp. Same thing with the (-) end. I put a switch in between so that the speaker wouldn't turn on when i plugged in the dc plug. When dc adapter is connected and the switch is turned on, the amp uses power from the adapter and even charges the battery(as long as the adapter gives more current than the amp uses). I hope this answered your question :)

[berendvosmer]

Awesome!!!

[BaldwiJ7]

I am going to make something similar but I am not familiar with wiring. Can you explain in what way you wired the components together?

[Helseth]

Basically it' just wiring the battery to the power input on the amplifier board. Then you have to solder the speaker wires from the amplifier board to the speakers. The amplifier has an audio input which you can wire to a minijack socket. There are lots of information about this. Check out an instructable for a basic portable speaker system :)

[Hal13]

Gorgeous! Great attention to detail.

[patman01]

nice. are you selling one? :)

[Helseth]

No, sorry. I don't think I'm going to make more of them. It took a little bit too much time. But I'm glad you liked it!

[werikblack]

That's truly awesome! Nice construction!

[supersoftdrink]

Nice! I think you overpaid for the wool, though.

I helped my husband repair some old speakers recently and we also used felted wool... but ours was from a $3 thrift store sweater. :)

Felted merino wool sweaters are wonderfully smooth... felted lambswool tends to be slightly more fuzzy, but still lovely if you're going for that sort of look.

[lebowski]

Nicely done!

[Zisqo]

Where did you buy the electronics?

[Helseth]

From different ebay sellers. You can also get most of the stuff from parts-express.com

[jm31181]

bEautiful

[shteef]

Excellent work, I love it! I did a similar thing myself a few years back to duplicate the old apple speaker dock.There is an instructable on here somewhere. I'm tempted to have a go at making a version of the floor standing B&O speaker with the three wooden legs.

[Helseth]

Thanks, let me know if you're gonna make the B&O speaker. Sounds like a nice project

[kukubee]

Amazing work! I like the finished product, it looks like a high-end brand.

[Helseth]

Thank you!