Re: Outdoor Speakers (WAS: whole house component suggestions)

[Nigel Orr <Nigel.Orr@xxxxxxx>]

At 11:51 20/06/00 +0000, you wrote:
>Got to be better than what's there right now now though! - one of those
>"shower radios" in the shape of a fish - and with AM radio
only!

Our current 'outside' radio is one disguised as a WD40 can- it came in a
pack with the last can I bought- the sound quality is pretty dreadful but I
couldn't really resist...

>I specifically thought about those when I was thinking about a design
for
>outdoor speakers, (weren't they designated SS50's or something?)

Can't remember... I think they are still used for pubs etc, but I've not
seen any for a while...

> Reckon one half of a plastic football would do the job?

If it's big enough, and you don't use the bit with the valve in, and you
don't have the speakers mounted in the ground... lest someone should try to
kick the 'ball' across the garden...

> >'roll your own', buy a speaker design book or get some software-
it's easy
> >to make very odd sounding ones, and something of an art to make
good ones.
> >
>
>The ones I saw in Disneyland really didn't look _that_ complicated -
they
>were pretty open, with the actual speakers obviously high up under the
top,
>but some with large open areas at the sides, and some with grilles of
holes
>drilled in them...

The actual construction of speakers isn't complicated, but getting the
space inside right is more complex- volume, material (air, fibreglass etc)
and porting all make big differences to the sound, then there's crossovers
etc to think about.  Once you get one you're happy with, it shouldn't be
too hard to make more, assuming you aren't a particular audiophile- if you
are, you'll need to start with more expensive, and consistent, drivers...

That's why I stick to the electronics when I possibly can- it's much more
measurable!

Nigel


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