Selecting the Best Speaker for You and Your Munny Speakers!

If you are reading this instructable I am sure you have either seen Munny Speakers or have visited this instructable https://www.instructables.com/id/SEDWVJKFGG6CI6B/
by fungus amungus

and thought, "Hey I want to make one to! But I don't like the speaker they chose.."

Well! Here's a chance to pick the Speaker that both fits your munny and your budget!

In this Instructable You will learn how to spot the best speaker you need that fits your budget!

Step 1: Audio Lingo~

Well. First before we go deep into woofers, mid rangers, mid-bass, full rangers and all the other yummy things we need to understand some words!

1. Frequency Range
-range of wave frequencies. It most often refers to either a range of frequencies in sound or a range of frequencies in electromagnetic radiation, which includes light and radio waves.

blah blah blah.. What does it mean?!

Well Frequency Range is a scale for sound! Sound comes in waves and there are different waves/frequency in the world! sound wave is measured by Hertz, Hz

an example of a Frequency Range would be
110-20k Hz
The lower the minimum,left number the deeper the bass can get; The higher the maximum,right number the higher the tone can get.

2. dB-decibel
decibel is a logarithmic unit of measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical quantity (usually power or intensity) relative to a specified or implied reference level. Since it expresses a ratio of two quantities with the same unit, it is a dimensionless unit. A decibel is one tenth of a bel, a seldom-used unit.

Gah! So much. All you need to know is that the higher the decibel [or dB] the louder the speaker can be! It's because the vibration of the moving parts of the speaker is STRONGER.

simple eh?

Alright give yourself a breather :D -whew
go ahead stretch those legs :3

Step 2: Types of Speakers

Now that you know two terms that are essential in figuring out the best speaker, let's learn about different types of Speakers!

1. Woofer/Sub-woofer
The woofer is the deepest, lowest sounding speaker that sends vibrations throughout your car when you jam your favorite song!

The woofer's minimum Frequency range "Fr" is under 50Hz and the maximum is under 1,000 Hz
an example would beFrequency range 38-850 Hz
so the lowest this speaker can go would be 38 hertz and the highest tone it can play is at 850 hertz

2. Mid-Range Speaker
The Mid-Range Speaker's minimum Fr is around 300Hz and the maximum is around 5,000Hz
"'an example would be"' "Frequency range 600-5,000 Hz"
so the lowest this speaker can go would be 600 hertz and the highest tone it can play is at 5,000 hertz

"'3. Mid-Bass Speaker"'
The Mid-Bass Speaker is a mix of a woofer and a mid range speaker.
The Mid-Bass Speaker's minimum Fr is around 50 Hz and the maximum is around 5,000-10,000Hz
"'an example would be"' "Frequency range 55-8,000Hz"
so the lowest this speaker can go would be 55 hertz and the highest tone it can play is at 8,000 hertz

"'4. Full-Range Speaker"
The Full-Range Speaker is what it's name applies.
The Full-Range Speaker's minimum Fr is around 100Hz and the maximum is around 20,000Hz
"'an example would be"' "Frequency range 90-20k Hz"
so the lowest this speaker can go would be 90 hertz and the highest tone it can play is at 20,000 hertz

Ok now take an asprin and wait a few minutes

Step 3: Compare and Contrast Full-Range Drivers

Now you know the basics of what is necessary to figure out which speaker is right for you!

When you search for a full range speaker you want the minimum Frequency range to be as near 100 or under 100 hertz as possible.
The desired maximum would be 20k Hz but for most users 17k should be the lowest it should be.

Speaker Drivers come in many sizes; 1inch, 2inches, 3inches, 4inches, 5 inches, 6inches, 8 inches and so on.
The smaller the speaker the harder for the speaker to produce deep bass.

Looking through the Tang Band products on the Tang Band website and the distributor http://www.parts-express.com/
The smallest full range speaker has a 1-inch diameter.

Now let's look at these two drivers:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-860
http://www.tb-speaker.com/detail/1230_04/w1-1828s.htm

The first W1-1070SE has a Frequency range of 170-20K Hz
The second W1-1828S has a Frequency range of 120-20K Hz

Just looking at those numbers which speaker is build to function more like a full-range driver?

The Second W1-1828S! Because the minimum for the frequency range is 120 hertz allowing the driver to have a deeper bass than the first W1-1070SE's minimum 170 hertz

Now let's say they both have a Frequency range of 120-20k Hz
what next?
Of course you can say looks or price but the best answer is:

dB-decibel

The first W1-1070SE has a 81 dB
and the second W1-1828S has a 80 dB

1 dB is not much of a difference but through specs the first is a better driver than the second. IF they both were 120-20k Hz.

In this case you can decide which speaker cost less or which speaker design you like more.. for the price of 1 db.

Step 4: Compare and Contrast Mid-Range Drivers

Mid-Range Speakers!

When you search for a mid-range speaker you want the minimum Frequency range to be as near 300 or under 300 hertz as possible.
The desired maximum would be between 5k Hz but for most users 5k should be the lowest it should be.

When searching for Mid-Range Speakers look at the Frequency range. Even if the driver is named Mid-ranged it may as well be a full-range or mid-bass range speakers. Check the Frequency range!

There is no exact perfect Mid-Range Speakers. Since Mid-Range Speakers are not used for amateur home build speakers like Munny Speakers I will not go over this thoroughly.

The minimum you want should be around or lower 300 hertz and the maximum should be 5,000 hertz or higher, say 10,000 hertz

Step 5: Compare and Contrast Mid-Bass and Woofers

In choosing a Woofer or Mid-Bass speaker first decide whether you need the deepest bass possible or if you need a mixture of bass and mid-range.

Since Woofer and Mid-Bass are very similar to each other here is a way to figure out which to choose.

Do you need this speaker to be as low as possible?
-get a woofer
Do you need this speaker to play notes at a higher note than the lowest a mid-range plays at?
-get a Mid-Bass

Since there isn't much difference of how you choose from speaker to speaker I'll go over it quickly.

For a Woofer go for the lowest minimum Frequency range as possible. The maximum does not matter as long as if it is 300hertz or higher

For a Mid-Bass the minimum Frequency should be 55 hertz or lower, Lower the better though. For the maximum Frequency it should be 2,000hertz or higher, preferably 5,000-10,00 hertz

Step 6: Recommended Speakers on Munny!

As we know Munny comes in 3 different sizes.

4 inch mini Munny
7 inch Munny Series 4
18 inch MEGA Munny'

So I have decided to find the best speakers for each!

Starting with the 4 inch mini munny.

There is only 1 speaker that I recommend!
http://www.tb-speaker.com/detail/1230_04/w1-1828s.htm
Frequency of 120-20K Hz 80dB @ 1 inch diameter size this is the best small speaker I have seen from TangBand.
Their 2inch Speakers cannot even compete with the W1-1828S
To order call Parts Express. You will not find that part online at the moment

Now if you really need a 2 inch speaker for your 4 inch mini munny I suggest....
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-807
Frequency range: 160-20,000 Hz, 87 dB, 2 inch diameter
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-805
Frequency range: 160-20,000 Hz, 85 dB, 2 inch diameter
either one will not matter for an average person. Just look at design and cost.

Ok Now for the 7 inch Munny Series 4!

3 Inch Speakers
http://www.parts-express.com//pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=264-844
Frequency Range= 105-20k Hz; 86dB, 3 inch diameter
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=264-812&ctab=2#Tabs
Frequency Range=100-20k Hz; 86dB 3 inch diameter
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-888
Frequency Range= 90-20k Hz; 86dB 3 inch diameter

4 Inch Speakers
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-847
75-20,000 Hz, 89dB
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-881
75-20,000 Hz, 85dB
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-848
70-20,000 Hz, 87dB
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-820
65-15,000 Hz, 87dB
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-828
60-15,000 Hz, 87dB

For the 4inch Speaker out of the speakers above decide weather you want more bass or more treble in your speakers.
More bass?
-pick the lower of the list
More treble?
-pick the higher of the list

18 INCH MEGA MUNNY

Ok for this bad-boy we can add either woofers or full-rangers

Full-Range speaker
I can Only think of one speaker that fits best and it's brother cost the same but it's like a little bro so the specs are slightly off so I chose this one
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-893
42-20,000 Hz, 95 dB. 8 Inch Diameter
The other one is at
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-894
45-20,000 Hz, 93 dB 8 Inch Diameter

I mean they are like TWINS!

WOOFERS *bark*

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-832
38-800 Hz, 83dB 6 1/2 Inch diameter
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-854
28-1,000 Hz, 84dB 8 Inch diameter
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-862
25-400 Hz, 88 dB

Personally I would go for the middle one for the looks, price, and specs

Step 7: That's All Enjoy Your New Speaker Driver!

That's all there is to it! Hopefully my little teaching helped you or will help you pick out your future speaker!

In this instructable I only used Tang Band Audio Drivers for the sole fact that they have been very reliable whenever I use them.
This instructable does not limit to Tang Band Drivers! Use what you learned on other speakers

If anything is incorrect in my instructable criticism is welcomed!

I mean hey this is my first instructable, there has to be something wrong :D