# Source for speakers



## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Where is a good place to buy 2 1/2 - 3 inch speakers, 8 ohms?


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2008)

I always buy that sort of stuff from Dave Goodson (TOC)...425.823.3507


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## Enginear (Jul 29, 2008)

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


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Try Jonathan at rctrains.com


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

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


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Litchfield station has a very nice 70mm speaker (outer dimension 3"), like it in my Mikado. 

Regards, Greg


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Wal-Mart....in the car stereo section....they are 4 ohms. They can be used with ANY Phoenix systems. 

You can get 2 1/2", 3" up to 4" round....dual cone. 

Price is pretty reasonable...I think I ststed this before at a meeting or here online. 

Bubba


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

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.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I went to the local goodwill store and bought four old computer speakers for $5. I was looking for a two inch speaker to put in a USA Trains 44 tonner. I ended up with four excellent speakers, but all too big


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I have a pair of old computer speakers in a stock car with an ITT sound board. It "moos" beautifully.


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Check the QSI home site. They have different size's and they also have a high bass speaker line. 

chuckger


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

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!


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

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!!


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

I am building a sound battery car, and am looking for a good speaker, So, What are the specifications that we should look for to get good train sounds. Impedance, Ohms. I am not sure exactly what I should be looking for.
Thanks
Paul


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

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


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## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

I get Phoenix speakers from Ridge Road Station but I snagged 2 speakers out of a set of Computer speakers that work great for G scale use for free!


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The newest Phoenix is 6 watts!! 

just like our trains, bigger is better!!


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

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


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

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."


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

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


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## Road Foreman (Jan 2, 2008)

lownote, 

The LGB powered tender could be the problem.. I think having the speaker in with the motor is not a good thing.. 

Guys, 

Put the best speaker you can fit in enclosure for the best sound.. Also lownote said in another thread that he put in a port, this is some thing to try.. May work & may not, but you will not know unless you try it.. 

BulletBob


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I missed your post bob--you might be right that the motor was generating some noise that the speaker picked up. I put a different speaker in it, a 2 inch speaker from QSI, and it sounds MUCH better


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I just put one of these: http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?Keyword=253-2040cp08-8-ro on my Small Scale Railways sound card. Sounds nice in the office. I'll take it to the Botanic to try it out. It's 1 watt. 20x40x10mm.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice looking speakers on the big stuff, but with the small wattage of our sound systems (and the attendant distortion of overrating them!) we need to look for efficient speakers... have you found many larger speakers that are 98 db for one watt, for example? On the 4" page, the full range one is only 83 db, too low efficiency, and the morel, which I have used in custom systems is still only 87 db... 

Thanks, Greg


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## bdp3wsy (Mar 14, 2008)

These are the best speakers you will find for G-Scale. I had a friend over that works for a major TV Company in the design department. When he heard my QSI system in some of my engines he suggested a better speaker for allot less then what I was spending. OK where do I get them and how much? He said to use the speakers that they use in allot of plasma and lcd TV's which are 8ohm and 2.5 watts normal and 5 at max. He suggested this web site and here is the link to the speakers. http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?qs=atoztE%2fFlD7NSN5artZjjg%3d%3d Well guess what he was 1000% on the mark. You get two for under $8.00 (so you do 2 engines) they are already in a enclosure and the enclosure is ported for bass sounds. And an added bonus that even he didn't realize was the plug on the end of the speaker is the plug you need for the QSI board. The sound is great in or out of the engine and I now over a dozen in the process of being replaced. They fit in the tightest places and fit perfect in the boiler of all the steam engines. Jake


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Went to website looks like one is $7.63 after purchasing 25 or more price goes down, or did I miss something did not see 2 for under $8.00 still a pretty good deal at $7.63 each two would be $15.26 The Regal The link posted to the forum just above this takes you to a different speaker, than the post by torby which indeed is under $8.00 for two, that is the clickable link above the post above this one.


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## bdp3wsy (Mar 14, 2008)

blueregal, I thought the same thing but all the ones I get you 2 in abox for $7.63. One speaker has a red/black lead and the other has a red/white lead and according to my friend this the color code for left/right speakers in flat screen TV's. If you like the sound from your TV you will love these along with the price. One other bonus a week after you place your first order they send you a catalog that's about 4" thick with every electric part you can ever think of. Jake


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