Bluetooth Speaker
The details
Timeline: 4 weeks
Course: Making It, Spring 2019
Materials: Walnut, black anodized aluminum, acrylic
Skills used: CNC milling machine, manual milling machine, CAD modeling, waterjet cutting, ShopBot, laser cutting, soldering
The small dimensions of this speaker (5” x 5” x 5”) promote portability without compromising sound quality or volume.
Grain-wrapping highlights the beauty and imperfection of a single piece of walnut wood.
Cut on a milling machine and painstakingly finished by hand, the beveled-edge wood exterior combines precision and craftsmanship.
A clear acrylic back panel allows users to catch a glimpse of the speaker’s electronics, comprised of off-the-shelf, inexpensive components arranged on a custom printed circuit board. While common technological devices can often seem unknowable and mysterious, this speaker dispels the notion of the black box by exhibiting its simple, elegant electronics.
Design Process
CAD modeling
After determining materials and technical specifications, I created a SolidWorks model to become completely familiar with all of the speaker components and how they fit together. I used this model to guide the rest of the build process.
build process
The four walnut panels, two MDF panels, and aluminum plate, ready for assembly
I soldered components, including an off-the-shelf bluetooth module, onto a custom printed circuit board made for our class. Then, I wired the circuit board to the speaker driver, power button, power supply port, and auxiliary port.
Materials and techniques used (by component):
Wood panels: Walnut; milling machine (manual and CNC), orbital sander, hand-finished
MDF panels: MDF; ShopBot CNC router
Aluminum plate: Black anodized aluminum; waterjet cutter
Acrylic panels: Transparent acrylic; laser cutter