There was a post here a few days ago about speakers from Digikey. These are a lot less expensive than those available from DCC suppliers.
What should I be looking for in speakers? Does an 8OHM speakers work with all 8OHM sound decoders (like Loksound)? Looking at spec sheets, there does not seem to be any voltage specs.
Does anyone have recommendations for small sugar cube speakers that are in stock? I plan on building my own baffles.
Yes, just like with LEDs and other electronic components, when they are sold by outlets specializing in model railroading, they are usually more expensive than if you purchase those components directly from industrial electronic suppliers.
Electrically, speakers have impedance (in ohms, like 4, 8, 16 ohms) and power rating (in Watts or milli-Watts). Those are the ratings you need to consider. Then there are acoustical ratings (like sensitivity) and physical dimensions. In N scale we usually go tor the physical dimensions (so the speaker fits in whatever empty space we can create for it).
Most decoders recommend using 8 ohm speakers (but there are exceptions). Most speakers have 8 ohm impedance. The output of the audio amplifier is generally about 1 Watt. But that doesn't mean that if you were to use a 500mW rated speaker it will burn up. Even if the volume is turned up to where the amp will will hit those 1W peaks, it will just cause sound distortion. The speaker should survive.
