Source for speakers
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·I always buy that sort of stuff from Dave Goodson (TOC)...425.823.3507
Posted By Trains on 09/08/2008 3:31 PM
Where is a good place to buy 2 1/2 - 3 inch speakers, 8 ohms?
Try tony's trains for QSI High bass speakers, and accessories
http://www.tonystrains.com/products/qsi_solutions_accessories.htm
Joe
Where is a good place to buy 2 1/2 - 3 inch speakers, 8 ohms?
Try tony's trains for QSI High bass speakers, and accessories
http://www.tonystrains.com/products/qsi_solutions_accessories.htm
Joe
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1,704 Posts
Try Jonathan at rctrains.com
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Visatron speakers were mentioned in an old post by Steve C. , I think. You can get them here now in the US -
http://estore.websitepros.com/1736754/Categories.bok?category=VISATON+-+Full+Range&searchpath=12817553&start=1&total=32
-Brian
http://estore.websitepros.com/1736754/Categories.bok?category=VISATON+-+Full+Range&searchpath=12817553&start=1&total=32
-Brian
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22,264 Posts
Litchfield station has a very nice 70mm speaker (outer dimension 3"), like it in my Mikado.
Regards, Greg
Regards, Greg
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5,510 Posts
What about iPod extension speakers? Or PC/Laptop speakers (replacement/repair parts or cannibalized from a dead laptop)?
I don't know their impedance, but the frequency response and volume capability is pretty good.
I don't know their impedance, but the frequency response and volume capability is pretty good.
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627 Posts
I recently purchased some from http://www.soundlabsgroup.com.au/ I haven’t tried them yet, but they look of nice quality.
They are based in Australia (where I am) but I’m 99% sure they send worldwide. They sent my order off quickly to, which is just great!
They are based in Australia (where I am) but I’m 99% sure they send worldwide. They sent my order off quickly to, which is just great!
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Most speakers inside desktop PC's are 8 ohm .5 watt and are great for small sound units. Not so good for those 1 watt or higher sound cards such as Pheonix.
External speakers for PC's are much better for sound cards and I have some very small laptop speakers that could mount in almost anything. These are smaller than your ear!!
External speakers for PC's are much better for sound cards and I have some very small laptop speakers that could mount in almost anything. These are smaller than your ear!!
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2,910 Posts
You want to look at the power handling capacity--how many watts does the soundcard put out? IMHO a speaker that can handle three watts is fine, I generally keep my sound cards turned down pretty low.
You also want to look at impedance--8 ohms is a safe choice, some sound cards can handle 4 ohms.
you want a wide range speaker designed for general purpose use
Some people will say to look for large magnets--IMHO the size of the magnets is meaningless, except to the degree that it might indicate power handling capacity. But by itself the size of the magnet says nothing about sund quality
You also want to look at impedance--8 ohms is a safe choice, some sound cards can handle 4 ohms.
you want a wide range speaker designed for general purpose use
Some people will say to look for large magnets--IMHO the size of the magnets is meaningless, except to the degree that it might indicate power handling capacity. But by itself the size of the magnet says nothing about sund quality
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The newest Phoenix is 6 watts!!
just like our trains, bigger is better!!
just like our trains, bigger is better!!
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2,910 Posts
The relationship between watts and sound volume is not what most people think. A 6 watt amp is not twice as loud as a 3 watt amp--to double the volume, you'd have to have a 30 watt amp. Doubling the wattage, from 3 to 6, will produce practically no perceptible increase in volume.
And it does not take much wattage to get really loud. Guitar players are always looking to get the sound of a cranked amp at apartment bedroom levels. You can buy micro guitar amps now that put out half a watt. I've tried them--they are much too loud for bedroom levels. If you crank up a half watt amp people need to practically shout to be heard. You don't need a lot of watts to produce a lot of volume
It will make a difference, though, in distortion--if a 3 watt amp begins to distort at, say, 20 decibels, and maxes out at 30 decibels, a 6 watt amp will get to let's say 25 decibels before it begins to distort, and max out at 32 decibels. I made those figures up--they don't express an actual formula, but they express the idea. If Phoenix is touting a 6 watt amp, the advantage will be less distortion at a given volume level, not more overall volume. That's a good thing. But you get in most cases a much bigger effect on sound if you change the speaker, rather than the amp.
The demand for more watts is almost always associated with bass frequencies. Bass frequencies take much more power to produce, which is why the bass player always needs a much bigger amp. Typically the bass player has much bigger speakers and cabinets as well, which is what large scale trains will always lack. You just can't make a G scale train with a 3 foot by 3 foot cabinet and four ten inch speakers. Bass frequencies are the thing that's missing, inevitably, becasue of the size of the speaker and the size of the enclosure
Speaking personally, I find that even very low wattage amps tend to be too loud, and when Im running outside I have them all turned way down. The neighbors don't really need to hear my trains running.
So I'm not really worried about massive speakers or lots of watts.
Now I can report some results--I had a small scale railways sound card inside an Aristo slopeback tender. it sounded very good in there, plenty loud and not distorted. I put it just the other day into an LGB powered tender, and it sounds terrible--hissy and irritating. Same speaker, same soundcard. It's the enclosure. The LGB tender is much much smaller and is emphasizing the higher frequencies, so the overall impression is of irritating hiss. I'mnot sure what I can do about it, other than try another speaker or alter the enclosure in some way, maybe taking the weight out to make the interior volume bigger
And it does not take much wattage to get really loud. Guitar players are always looking to get the sound of a cranked amp at apartment bedroom levels. You can buy micro guitar amps now that put out half a watt. I've tried them--they are much too loud for bedroom levels. If you crank up a half watt amp people need to practically shout to be heard. You don't need a lot of watts to produce a lot of volume
It will make a difference, though, in distortion--if a 3 watt amp begins to distort at, say, 20 decibels, and maxes out at 30 decibels, a 6 watt amp will get to let's say 25 decibels before it begins to distort, and max out at 32 decibels. I made those figures up--they don't express an actual formula, but they express the idea. If Phoenix is touting a 6 watt amp, the advantage will be less distortion at a given volume level, not more overall volume. That's a good thing. But you get in most cases a much bigger effect on sound if you change the speaker, rather than the amp.
The demand for more watts is almost always associated with bass frequencies. Bass frequencies take much more power to produce, which is why the bass player always needs a much bigger amp. Typically the bass player has much bigger speakers and cabinets as well, which is what large scale trains will always lack. You just can't make a G scale train with a 3 foot by 3 foot cabinet and four ten inch speakers. Bass frequencies are the thing that's missing, inevitably, becasue of the size of the speaker and the size of the enclosure
Speaking personally, I find that even very low wattage amps tend to be too loud, and when Im running outside I have them all turned way down. The neighbors don't really need to hear my trains running.
So I'm not really worried about massive speakers or lots of watts.
Now I can report some results--I had a small scale railways sound card inside an Aristo slopeback tender. it sounded very good in there, plenty loud and not distorted. I put it just the other day into an LGB powered tender, and it sounds terrible--hissy and irritating. Same speaker, same soundcard. It's the enclosure. The LGB tender is much much smaller and is emphasizing the higher frequencies, so the overall impression is of irritating hiss. I'mnot sure what I can do about it, other than try another speaker or alter the enclosure in some way, maybe taking the weight out to make the interior volume bigger
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Are you old enough to remember when "Component Stereos" were the up and comming thing? The joke at that time was, "I don't know how many watts per channel I have, but when I turn up the volume, the street lights dim."
Parts Express is good for small speakers.
Cheapies:
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=955
The good stuff:
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=576
And if you can squeeze in a 4", watch out!
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=573
They even have 2" and 3" "subwoofers"
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=838
Cheapies:
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=955
The good stuff:
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=576
And if you can squeeze in a 4", watch out!
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=573
They even have 2" and 3" "subwoofers"
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=838
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