Designer:

John Roland Eberly III

Project Category:
Portable Speakers

Project Level:
Intermediate

Project Time:

8-20 Hours

Project Cost:

$100-$500

Project Description:

Portable Bluetooth vintage train case conversion incorporating finished interior and storage space

Design Goals:
Vintage aesthetic with clean sound and long battery life, more useful than just a “suitcase boombox” by including functional, decorated interior carry space

Driver Selection:

(2) 3″ fullrange Faitalpro, (1) 5-1/4″ Dayton Audio woofer

Enclosure Design:

Re-purposed Samsonite mid-century train case, 13″ x 8″ x 9″. Drivers selected using Parts Express published volume ranges.

Crossover Design:

Active using 2.1 class D amplifier.

Tips & Tricks:

One problem was that the case handle rattled and buzzed, sounding like driver distortion. Adding felt pads between the handle and case solved this.

Conclusion:
 Successful project, aesthetics and sound exceed expectations. This case delivers clean sound with not distortion at full volume.

About the Designer:
John Eberly – electrical engineer, woodworker, and jack-of-all trades. Inspired to build these cases by Dr. Records in Fairhope, AL..

Project Parts List: