More Aesthetic Hard Drive Speaker

A way to make a speaker out of a hard drive that actually looks really elegant. Video included.

I think the original 'hard drive speaker' idea came from Afrotech a couple years ago:
http://www.afrotechmods.com/cheap/hdspeakers/hdspeakers.htm

Step 1: Open the Hard Drive

If your hard drive is held together by torx screws instead of normal screws, and you don't have a torx wrench, use a drill press to drill into the screw heads (this is what I had to do) until everything comes loose.

You'll end up seeing something like this.

Use a hacksaw to cut as far as you can between the hard drive arms and the platters. Then for the final bit of metal under the arms, use a dremel from the backside of the case. Don't worry about cutting through the flexible cable going to the arms, you should be able to see where the arm voice coil (the coil of copper wire between the two magnets at the arms base) is soldered to the which you're cutting.

Step 2: Solder on Wires

When you've cut the arms away from the platters, solder wires to the voice coil tips (where they were soldered to the cable which you just cut).

You might have to remove the top magnet to have easier access for soldering. To do this, drill out the screw heads keeping the magnet on from the other side of the case. Even then, the top magnet is pretty damn hard to get off, you'll have to pry it off with a screwdriver.

Then you might find it easier to solder to the coil ends if you pull the ends off of wherever they were soldered, this way the ends are free and not so close together.

Step 3: Play Music

Once you're wires are soldered to the voice coil, hook the wires to your audio amplifier (stereo, or whatever) and play some music. Use music with a lot of treble rather than bass to test it.

It will only work if the thing is resting ontop of a good sounding surface, if you're holding it in your hand it won't work. This is like how the strings of a guitar won't make much sound without the big flat guitar beneath them.

Comments

[ross123540]

what song is that i want it, it sounds ace :-)

[leevonk]

it's from a free computer game called 'cloud' you can download the music for free too from a website.

[africk25]

more

[cleaverbikes]

Spelling is like 80 percent of the populations pride and joy, more power to you he/z/and/she. Now my comment is about usage, How can one speaker be more aesthetic than another? Also thanks a lot for posting this, just had to complain since I noticed someone else doing something awesome they probably didn't get paid for.

[Derin]

your gonna spend some time sawing,those HDD drives survive being dropped from five feet 10 times on a concrete floor(tested) while being opened up
_{and dont forget the "exposed to rain for a month in opened case"}

[Silverwolf_7]

Try a dremel with a metal cutting disk.

[leevonk]

takes about 5 minutes

[its2l8men]

just use a grinder

[snowluck2345]

or a bandsaw

[sockless]

Just use a mill.

[MerlinMakes]

use a lightsaber. much more efficient.

awesome idea, how much sound do these things actualy make?

[omnibot]

Nope, it's all aluminium. A hacksaw cuts through it like a hot knife through margarine :)

[didgitalpunk]

Why on earth would you EVER drill screws? just grab a star head screw driver (or whatever they're called) and unscrew those screws!

[leevonk]

the answer to that question is actually right there in your comment if you think hard enough,.....

[didgitalpunk]

?
i don't see it -_- .

[leevonk]

I did not have a 'star head screw driver'

[mpep]

Also called "Torx"

[didgitalpunk]

Thank you for the name of That screw type :)

[frostybob]

Hey guys did as per instructable and nothing happens. Tried it on two HDD and still nothing on either. I didn't cut anything away cos i couldnt find my hacksaw. HELP???? and sorry.... It is possible I broke something because the reading things on the end looked pretty munted

[frostybob]

Horrible moment when your Torx set goes down to T-10...