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Also, I have found OWS speakers to be really good for efficiency, and they are about a dollar each in 4 or 5 sizes for N scale use.
Hi everyone.So it turns out that the PUI 6x12mm speaker, available now from Digikey, is basically exactly the same as the one from Mouser that is still on backorder.I just got an order of 10 of the Digikey ones, and installed one in a VO-1000 chassis I'm working on. They look and sound identical to the Mouser ones I had before.Digikey link:https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/pui-audio-inc/AR01232MS-SC12-WP-R/8021810 John C.
Digikey link:https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/pui-audio-inc/AR01232MS-SC12-WP-R/8021810 John C.
Care to share any links of the ones you like? I use the following one and just like how it sounds to 'my ears' vs. other ones I've tried but I know nothing about audio and don't know how to read the specs.https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/ole-wolff-electronics-inc/OWS-091630LA-8B/13683680https://products.owolff.com/acoustics/find-speakers-(print)-/@2069/OWS-091630LA-8B?output=pdf&delay=3000&recordid316=2069I use the 8x15mm, 9x16mm and 11x15mm 8 Ohm Ole Wolff (OWS) speakers- depends on the engine and space available. I have 45 units with ESU LokSound 5, and various OWS speakers. I have bought parts from DigiKey for at least 20 years (I forget...) The OWS speakers put out a good sound level when matched to the "largest" back case that will fit in your model. I have a lot of backcase designs for different Atlas/Kato/Arnold/ConCor and FVM diesels on TinkerCad. They are open for use by all.What are the key things you guys are looking at in the specs?- Size first, then impedance (8Ohms), then efficiency (the number like, say, "90dB", or "93dB" or whatever the speaker rating. In this case, a higher value is better (louder), but this can be affected strongly by the backcase volume and design, so I only use it as a guide. I used to make replicas of Klipschorns when I was younger- I think they are still the most efficient loudspeakers made.I've also used the following in a couple of projects and like it even though to me the specs don't look that great. Again I just sounds good to me but also have it in some big enclosures. I'll put it in some of the larger locos I'll convert to DCC and see then how I like it to the 9x16 above.https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/soberton-inc/SP-2509/8600816Sumner
While a 32-ohm speaker indeed will sound quieter at the same output voltage level than an 8-ohm speaker, if the amplifier is capable of supplying sufficient drive voltage to the 32-ohm speaker, you can simply "turn up the volume" to make the 32-ohm speaker louder. Yes, the 8-ohm speaker would sound louder at that same level, but at some point you reach the speaker's input voltage limit before distortion or blowing up the voice coil. Or (more likely), you get to the point where it's loud enough, and any more would be overkill. It's not just a matter of speaker impedance; it's also a matter of amplifier capability, the speaker's maximum input voltage before distortion, and what SPL you want out of it. And higher-impedance speakers actually are an easier load for many amplifiers because the current requirements for driving the speaker are more modest than for lower-impedance speakers. Magnepan planar speakers (4-ohm load) require an amplifier capable of a lot of current output to get SPL's that equal 8-ohm cone speakers. Again, it's Ohm's law: I=V/R, so if you need 20v at 4 ohms, that's 5 amps of current, but 20v at 8 ohms is 2.5 amps. I remember many years ago the Apogee planar speakers that were a 2-ohm load, and dealers demo-ed them with massive Krell solid state amps that could probably have moonlighted as welding equipment (though my McIntosh MC312 will swing 60 amps, so I guess I shouldn't complain). This is why some very early sound decoders (e.g., the LokSound V3) specified 100-ohm speakers - the micro-sized audio amplifiers of the day simply weren't up to the current delivery required for an 8-ohm speaker. They could supply adequate voltage swing at 100 ohms, but not at 32 or 16 or 8 or 4 ohms. But the amp's circuitry has to be designed for stable output at high impedances, too.In the end, the only question is whether the decoder's audio amplifier is capable of driving whatever speaker you choose to a volume level that is "loud enough". The F7 install that I just finished using a 32-ohm 6x12mm ended up with the master output volume level at 140, which is about 2/3 of the maximum value for the LokSound 5. And it certainly is loud enough for my basement layout room, which is 14' x 32' with a 7 1/2' high drop tile ceiling. In fact, not sure how much louder I could drive it without causing serious distortion in the midrange, and it might be (probably is) TOO loud for normal operations. We'll see what my friend says when he picks it up, but I don't think he's going to want it any louder.John C.
. . . This is why some very early sound decoders (e.g., the LokSound V3) specified 100-ohm speakers - the micro-sized audio amplifiers of the day simply weren't up to the current delivery required for an 8-ohm speaker. They could supply adequate voltage swing at 100 ohms, but not at 32 or 16 or 8 or 4 ohms. But the amp's circuitry has to be designed for stable output at high impedances, too.
Digikey is out of stock on the Soberton 8x12mm, which I have used a lot of.
Saw Peteski's note on the LM386... I was at National Semi in CA when we first made the '386...
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Topic: Where to get 8mmx12mm speaker (Read 1476 times)
