Desktop satellite speakers

Desktop satellite speakers


Designer:
Shannon Ley

Project Category:
Bookshelf Speakers

Project Level:
Intermediate

Project Time:
20+ Hours

Project Cost:
$500 – $1,000

Project Description:
These satellite speakers were designed for use on my desk where space is at a premium and listening volumes are low.

At present I am running them with a Logitech subwoofer, but eventually I will build a matching sub with USB DAC (to run off my computer), DSP and amp.

Design Goals:
The design goals were:
– Very small footprint
– Look awesome
– Great mid to high frequency sound

The design goals were NOT:
– High volume
– Deep bass (the sub will do that from under my desk)

Driver Selection:
They use AuraSound NS2-326-8AT drivers with the mounting tabs sanded off and glued in place.

Enclosure Design:
Closed box design

Enclosure Assembly:
They are made from stacked layers of CNC-routed MDF and covered in walnut veneer. The mounting brackets are polished aluminium.

Connection is via flush mounted banana plug sockets with laser etched positive terminal indication.

Tips & Tricks:
My top tip: receive and measure the drivers before getting the CNC cutting done (rather than going by the spec sheet)! I had to make some slight modifications to accommodate the wiring and the holes in the brackets for the drivers are slightly too large.

Conclusion:
Overall they sound great over the mid to high frequency range and have great imaging. With a sub, they make a great, small footprint desktop system.

About the Designer:
Former automotive engineer and tinkerer, now entrepreneur and tinkerer.

Parts Used:
AuraSound NS2-326-8AT, Part # 296-252
Custom machined and bent aluminium brackets
Custom CNC routed 12mm thick MDF pannels
Walnut veneer
Banana plug sockets

 

8 Comments

Add yours
  1. 2
    Urs

    Fantastic and really outstanding work! I’m a really fan of stacking casing concepts. Will also post very soon my own project here.

  2. 3
    TomZ

    Super nice job on these. They look unique, and that REAL aluminum baffle/stand sets off the walnut perfectly. That driver is one of the few you could have mounted so tightly with its centered rear breathing area as opposed to a central magnet system like most drivers have. These things look very cool, much better than store-bought.

  3. 4
    Henry

    I recently joined a makerspace that has a large CNC router. What program did you use to make the CAD file? Was it difficult? is it something that is downloadable/shareable?
    Thanks in advance!

  4. 5
    Shannon Ley

    Hi Henry, I designed them in Inventor – if you are familiar with Inventor (or similar), it’s pretty easy. You could pretty easily do it using more elementary techniques/software.
    I got the brackets made by a machine shop in China. The bend angles were off by a few degrees and I never ascertained whether the design or manufacture was off. Email me and I’ll send you a PDF of the drawing (shannon@shannonley.com)

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