Speaker
A speaker designed for personal use. Should have bluetooth, volume control, pause, and play.
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nli205712
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nli205712
added to the journal ago
Research Day 2
In this day, I figure out the pieces that I need to build the speaker. It is a day late to my deadline, so I need to speed it up.
First, doing more research on how people built their speakers I've concluded that a speaker module is a must. To figure out which one is compatible with what I want to build.
This speaker fits the 4 Ohm requirement that I have researched in this link:
https://www.instructables.com/Making-DIY-Bluetooth-Speaker-Using-Cardboard/
However, it is $50 as quality comes with a price. It comes with excellent audio according to reviews, being loud and can take some damage. There is an cheaper option that is only $10 although reviews are 50/50 where some people got products that didn't even work.
Next comes the Bluetooth module. In order to build a Bluetooth speaker, we need a signal emitter/receiver all built into one. Luckily most of these have already been developed and built.
https://www.amazon.com/hiBCTR-Wireless-Bluetooth-Audio-Receiver/dp/B0FDLGMMYC/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=137SB1TZ4UK4N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JWnmCMdx_Ig7LUAwyrEx2trMWM6hAGgoswnLEpArFbhk0qLj4B6_V55J55mntazJMIZhbEInZLANdaCp74SKfE2IqV8DHxpiXRuX3K-2gur4mHJDoPERJ7bw8w52VyRE2Ph0aQ_8jF5kKTQbFlO8cSgTky0UF_hrGprSZckIjDOq-GtrttK4Wv-zWMpf4jOWZx6Mq8yRe23sRG5_ZjPZ0SBjOTCoCRaypGClR29nF9Y.n_u7tEZotDI1Y9m2QFbFXEF9P4Wf7KTadNyMp1fHFjs&dib_tag=se&keywords=bluetooth+audio+receiver+module&qid=1765949356&sprefix=bluetooth+audio+receiver+module%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
or
Amazon has this ~$10 Bluetooth audio receiver module that connects and sends audio signals to connect to devices. There is also this MH-M38 module that simplifies the power and Bluetooth connection process. This brings our total to ~$60 or ~$20.
Next, we need our battery, in order to not have to plug it in or buy batteries, it should be capable of running for a while and rechargeable. An average AA battery holds ~3000 mAh which should suffice for a few.
This link directs us to 18650 batteries rechargeable with ~3000 mah max storage. It is priced at ~$14. In order for the battery to be used, we need a battery holder. This product accommodates for it all.
It is priced at $8 and if only single slots, then $6. The reason we are considering more slots to have more power so less charging more using.
For the most part that is all we need, it will cost a total of ~$44 before taxes for this speaker to function fairly well.
Resource:
https://www.instructables.com/Making-DIY-Bluetooth-Speaker-Using-Cardboard/
Inspiration Link
nli205712
added to the journal ago
Research Day 1, 12/14/25
Today I did some research on how speakers work. It is crucial to understand this section as it impacts the design of the speaker later on as we'll be using PLA, 3D printed versions rather than a traditional wooden cabinet.
To tackle a barrier of understanding, we revisit physics. Sound is the energy that is associated to an object's vibration through a medium. It is a physical process as it shoots through the air. However, we also experience it through our ears producing the noise and sounds that we hear. Sound is sort of like light where it travels from a source, can reflect (this is why there's echoes in an empty room, the waves bounce off the walls back to you and after processing you hear the same thing again), refract (this is why when there's more objects in an room, less sound occurs as refraction means the wave travels through the medium (the thing sound goes through) leading to energy loss as a result), just about how light moves. But the major difference is light can travel in a vacuum and sound cannot. Sound requires a medium to travel through such as air.
A example of sound wave properties
Now, enough about how sound works. We now gained an understanding that in our speaker, to minimize the dampening of the speaker sound waves, we want little to no interference meaning the emptier the better. However, to avoid wave interference, we'll need these waves to travel outwards of the speaker. This creates two ideas, one to have the speaker directly pointed outwards or two have the speaker module be encased but with holes for the sound to travel out from.
What is inside a speaker
The Speaker consists of these major parts:
- A magnet: Provides a consistent magnetic field around the voice coil
- Voice Coil and Bobbin: A bobbin is a round tube connected to the end of the cone, inside that tube is a long, tightly wrapped metal coil that creates an magnetic field when electricity flows through it
- Spider or suspension: Part of the speaker that helps bring the cone back to its original position
- Cone & Dust Cap: Stiff cone shaped material attached to the voice coil to move air and create sound waves. The dust cap keeps dust & dirt out of the center
- Speaker's Basket: Metal frame to keep all the components in place and a way to attach the speaker assembly to a box
- Speaker terminals & braided wires: Speaker terminals are metal tabs that connect the speaker wire to the terminal and that connects to the voice coil using braided wires that move with the cone
- Surround: A flexible, durable material that attaches the top edge of the cone to the basket
The way a speaker knows what sound waves to produce, it takes in electrical current (fyi it moves from the positive side to the negative side). Starting it off, when a speaker receives voltage, the current moves like a sine wave. When the current runs through the voice coil at the top of the voltage creating a magnetic field around it. This leads to that magnetic field reacting to the field from the permanent magnet around the voice coil leading to some repulsion force. This force is used to push the cone away from the magnet. The stronger the voltage, the greater the displacement of the cone from its original position. Then when the voltage reaches around 0, the cone slowly moves back. When the voltage goes negative, the cone reacts to the magnet by attracting meaning it goes towards it. Then it goes back to 0 voltage leading to one sound wave. The displacement of the cone moving leads to the movement in air leading to sound waves produced.
Picture explainations of the process of how a speaker works.
Thanks for tuning in. As it is late for me, I will be doing more research on what the speaker should be shaped like to minimize loss of the sound waves, and how it can sound best.
Sources:
https://www.explainthatstuff.com/sound.html
https://soundcertified.com/how-do-speakers-work/
nli205712
added to the journal ago
Housing design selection
The selection of the design was relatively simple. What I wanted was a speaker that stayed in my room to be used when I wanted to blast music. However, if it's staying in my room, as I don't have much space in my table, I would want it fairly compact. That led me to choose from option A or C. However, another factor is a speaker that is aesthetically appealing. As such, it led me to choose option A. The design not only allows me to customize what I like to be displayed; it also gives me an option to save space while potentially still adding a portability element to it. A later addition to the speaker that could be considered is a scanner and the character placed on top would then have the speaker sing in that voice as a way to add fun and variety. 
Refer to the picture as reference.
nli205712
added to the journal ago
Outline of the project
Starting this project was mainly a personal project as I don't have a speaker, so I decided to try and make one myself. To start the project, I was going to make the outline to make sure I meet the deadline of the end of this month to have the approval, and it built during my break. Here is what I have decided for my outline and estimated time allotted. The general aspects of the speaker contains a Bluetooth element, charging space, and is louder than the device it connects to.
To balance with personal and social life here is the outline:
Start time of the project: 12/12/25
To properly calculate time that it took to make this project, each time I would time myself whenever I'm working on this project to make it consecutive to be more consistent in my work schedule.
- Figure out what I want to speaker to look like (due 12/12/25) I was stuck on this part for a bit as the time allotted only provides me time for one project rather than all three designs I wanted. The following ideas are explained below but a prototype drawing outline is in the picture. a. Character statue speaker - the design of the speaker is mainly focused on the pedestal, where the amplifier is going to be built into the pedestal portion of the statue. There will be a small circular space engraved into the speaker for a circular base with a pin. The character would have holes for the pins to be inserted to create the statue for the pedestal. Then, there could be another addition below the speaker for volume/song control or an LCD displaying what song is playing. The small portion under the amplifier could be altered to have any extra additions mentioned before section 2. There is also an option to just make the speaker look like the character.
b. Boombox style - Following the retro 90s boombox with a cassette player look, this addition has two amplifiers as it would be much bigger. The in-between space could contain a LCD to display the songs, and under it the controls. The main concern here is how would the casing be made as it would be pretty big.
c. Small speaker - small and portable. However, it would cut down on the aesthetics and nostalgic look but it's easier to make and much more straightforward process that adds to the first option as both are similar in elements but different housing. If made big enough, there could be room for controls although limited. Most likely can't contain an LCD.
Possible Controls:
- LCD
- Play button
- Pause button
- Skip button
- Volume Up button
- Volume Down button
- Rotary Encoder Volume control
- Research (Due 12/16/25) Next comes the researching of the project, what goes into a speaker, how does it work, and the best fitted material to create a budget speaker for personal use. These elements will be explained later on.
- Design (Due 12/20/25) When, I fully understand how a speaker works and how to build one with proper materials as cheap while still providing quality results. First, would come PCB design, what components and the wiring in order to have proper connections and still work. Then, modeling around the PCB, the housing, then the code for the speaker to connect to different devices and can be altered with specific buttons (the controls).
- Building (12/29/25)
Hoping that all the elements are shipped in time and brought to me in time, the assembly should be quick in order to have sufficient time to gain approval for the build. I will test the product by using a decibel meter and figuring whether the difference is significant to prove useful.
nli205712
started Speaker ago