Current speaker availability

[jdcolombo]

Hi everyone.

From time to time I still get inquiries about what speakers to use with sound installations.  Here are some options I have used for diesels; all these are listed as in-stock at Digikey.

1.  Soberton 8x12mm
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/soberton-inc/SP-1208/433-1130-ND/6099104

This is the speaker I use in all my diesel installations these days, along with the enclosure done by John LeMerise and available from his shop on Shapeways:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/5L4ZXWA28/8mm-x-12mm-soberton-speaker-enclosure-4pk?optionId=60853776

2.  Soberton 9x16mm
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/soberton-inc/SP-1609S-2/433-1134-ND/6099108

Note that Digikey lists other Soberton 9x16mm speakers; these all have an adhesive strip on the front of the speaker for mounting; I don't use these because I have no use for the adhesive strip.

3.  CUI 9x16mm
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/cui-inc/CMS-16098-30-SP/102-4057-ND/6243982

For steam loco tenders, an 11x15 or 13x18mm is a better option (the 13x18, in particular, is perfect for most tenders with a 2-8-2 or larger steam loco).  In general, Soberton, CUI and PUI all offer speakers in these sizes and all are listed as currently-available at Digikey.  The frequency response specs differ wildly on these speakers, but I wouldn't be too concerned about the top-end limit.  5khz is probably enough for our applications, and 10khz is more than enough.  Similarly, don't be too concerned about the power-handling spec - many are listed at 700 or 800mw, but unless you try to drive them to the limit, they will be fine.  I haven't used any of the currently-available 11x15 speakers; for 13x18mm, I have used this one with good results:

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/cui-inc/CMS-18138A-SP/102-4339-ND/7404547

I do recommend that if you are planning on doing a lot of sound installs, you might want to try a couple of these, then buy a bunch of the one you like the most.  These small speakers seem to go in and out of production relatively quickly, and what is available today might not be available six months from now.  I still have quite a few Knowles speakers (the 9x16mm Fox, still one of my favorites for overall sound quality, the 11x15mm Donau, and the Grand 13x18mm) which are no longer available by following this strategy, and I've stashed away about 100 of the Soberton 8x12's for a rainy year.

John C.

[reinhardtjh]

I still have 60 of the Star Micronics 8x12mm speakers from the batch I bought a few years ago.  I wonder how they compare to the Soberton 8x12's.  They were nearly twice the price of the Sobertons.

[jdcolombo]

I still have 60 of the Star Micronics 8x12mm speakers from the batch I bought a few years ago.  I wonder how they compare to the Soberton 8x12's.  They were nearly twice the price of the Sobertons.

I think they sound about the same.  I still have a few of the Star Micronics, too, and have found that they fit in the Keystone Customs enclosure from Shapeways.  I've used a couple of them in installs where I needed to mount the speaker with the front facing in the enclosure (so I can solder wires to the contacts on the outside); I don't perceive any significant sound difference between these and the Sobertons when mounted the same way (e.g., facing out vs. facing in).

John C.

[soo]

John,
Thank you for the links.
I just ordered 10 of the soberton and 8 of the enclosures from shapeways.
Let's see what I can accomplish.
Wyatt

[woodone]

Thanks for the write up John. The Knowles speakers were one of the best that I have ever ran across.
I Liked the Wildcat WP version (9 X 16 MM ) has it had a higher DB rating. 97 DB compared to the regular version of the Wildcat @87 DB.
Good information to have.

[lashedup]

Thanks for the update John. So far this week I've replaced a Tsunami in my Kato 4449 loco, added LokSound to a Kato 844 loco and upgraded the speaker in a LokSound Burlington Zephyr. I'm out of larger speakers so I just ordered more above.

Also ordered 6 more LokSound Micros (!) as I've got two challengers, a big boy and some F units to do. Man, the hit was a lot easier spread out over years. This stuff adds up! But the sound upgrades are a huge improvement.

-jamie

[AKNscale]

JD, what do you think of the SBS(I believe they're Zimo) speakers? They're what I run in my installs and are also a pretty option to put in this thread.

[jdcolombo]

JD, what do you think of the SBS(I believe they're Zimo) speakers? They're what I run in my installs and are also a pretty option to put in this thread.

SBS's speakers are OEM from Knowles (Zimo never made speakers; their "sugar cubes" used OEM speakers as well, though I don't know the source).  Bryan Vianco, who owns SBS, got custom runs made a couple of years back and still has inventory of those.  The enclosures are 3D prints.

They are excellent, except that I like to have my speakers mounted facing-out, instead of with the face glued to the enclosure.  Lately, Bryan has begun offering enclosures for "out-facing" mounting, which I prefer, but now I have my own inventory of Soberton 8x12's that I use with John LeMerise's 3D enclosure.  But Bryan is a pleasure to deal with - I buy all my decoders and accessory items (wire, TCS keep-alives, etc.) from him and he really knows his stuff.

I didn't put SBS or other resellers (MBK also sells the Zimo sugar cube or something like it, as do other decoder dealers) in my list because it was aimed at OEM parts sourcing.  But I tell people to buy speakers from SBS all the time if they are not comfortable with "rolling their own."

John C.

[lashedup]

Hey John, are you using the offset speaker in your diesel applications or the standard enclosure from shapeways?

[jdcolombo]

Hey John, are you using the offset speaker in your diesel applications or the standard enclosure from shapeways?

These days I use the 8x12mm Soberton in the Shapeways enclosure for all my hood diesels.  I did an offset enclosure as an experiment to replace the stock speaker in an IM SD40-2; with a 9x16mm, it sounded much better than the stock unit.  But that's the only offset enclosure I've built in years.

John C.

[lashedup]

Reason I asked is because you linked to the shapeways offset enclosure above. 

[jdcolombo]

Reason I asked is because you linked to the shapeways offset enclosure above. 

OOPS!

Fixed.

John C.

[Lemosteam]

OOPS!

Fixed.

John C.

I should have caught that!  Five lashes with some fine speaker wire!

[lashedup]

Well if it makes you feel better, *I* should have caught it before I ordered a set and they arrived and I did a double take wondering why they were offset. Oh well, I'm covered for offset speaker applications if need be. 

[jdcolombo]

Well if it makes you feel better, *I* should have caught it before I ordered a set and they arrived and I did a double take wondering why they were offset. Oh well, I'm covered for offset speaker applications if need be. 

Use the offsets in IM SD40-2's.  Better sound than stock.  You could also use them in other engines as a fuel-tank install if the tank area is big enough, although I think a "top of chassis" install using John's "regular" enclosure sounds better yet.

John C.