Turn old junk into late night funk with my headphone hypothesis.
I had a hi-fi tape deck by my bed, with a headphone socket. This was all very convenient and my archaic 80s cassettes got a good playing, but tapes are a pain in the chuff. I needed a bedside CD player but my spare Acoustic Solutions SP-120 only had stereo line outputs, compatible with a hi-fi amplifier. I didn't want a towering stack of separates by my bed-head. Line outputs don't have the welly to power headphones. I was due a brainwave.
Everyone has a grotesque pair of computer speakers, complete with an infuriating tangle of wires in a carrier bag. I had the hideous abomination known as the Fujitsu Siemens Soundsystem 2.0, not much of a system, not much sound, but lots of plastic and tangles. This is a tale of less being more.
After some preliminary tests with croc leads, I discovered that external PC speakers are perfect for converting line level to a powerful headphone level. All that's needed are left and right phono plug input connectors, a stereo jack socket for the headphones and the complete destruction of the putrid PC speakers.
The most pressing issue was to create the final housing for the headphone amp. Firstly you must take great pleasure in cutting the wire to the 'extension' speaker, and instantly remove the tangle.
Then completely saw through the speaker containing the amp and creating a new top from the bottom of the other speaker, which is pure scrap. Super glue and ABS plastic were made for each other.
Then completely saw through the speaker containing the amp and creating a new top from the bottom of the other speaker, which is pure scrap. Super glue and ABS plastic were made for each other.
The wires that went to each speaker will now connect to a stereo jack socket, I chose a 6.35mm stereo socket. The negative speaker wires will be connected together on the PCB, these will also connect together on the jack socket sleeve (or shield) terminal. The positive wire that went to the left speaker will connect to the 'tip' terminal and the positive wire that went to the right speaker connects to the 'ring' terminal.
As I'm using the CD player line outputs, I used an old double phono to phono lead and cut the plugs off of one end, leaving me with a red and white phono plug to insert into the CD line outs, and the other ends solder into the amplifier board. (A phono plug is also known as an RCA plug). A red plug is always the right channel and white will be left. Originally there would have been a 3.5mm stereo plug on a length of wire soldered into the left and right inputs of the amplifier PCB. Desolder these wires, there will be two coloured wires which are left and right positive and one or two negative shield wires which connect together.
Alternatively, you could keep the 3.5mm stereo plug and it's lengthy wire to the amp, and purchase a short adapter lead which would convert the 3.5mm plug into two male phono plugs.
You should find that the cable that used to go to the 'extension' speaker that has been removed will provide the entrance for the new phono leads. Alternatively, phono sockets could be fitted.
I also swapped the blue LED for a dim red one, as blue is too dazzling for nocturnal enjoyment.
Alternatively, you could keep the 3.5mm stereo plug and it's lengthy wire to the amp, and purchase a short adapter lead which would convert the 3.5mm plug into two male phono plugs.
You should find that the cable that used to go to the 'extension' speaker that has been removed will provide the entrance for the new phono leads. Alternatively, phono sockets could be fitted.
I also swapped the blue LED for a dim red one, as blue is too dazzling for nocturnal enjoyment.
I am elated with this creation, the gain is perfect and the sound is excellent, not even any signs of hum or distortion at maximum setting. I find that the volume only needs to be a third of the way round, so there's plenty of headroom.
If you're a big fan of radio like me, you'll need a decent radio. FM on it's own doesn't provide much choice, DAB is the best option at the moment.
I used to wonder why I had many dead DAB stations that I couldn't receive. These stations are only retrievable with a DAB+ radio, they've moved without telling anyone.
It seems that there is no advertising campaign for DAB+, my theory is that there are millions of unsold, out of date DAB radios on shop's shelves.
The radio in the picture above is a brand new DAB+. It seemed foolish not to buy a stereo version. Now I can receive the previously dead stations.
There must be a whole bunch of frustrated Brits out there that don't realise that their DAB radio is already out of date.
I used to wonder why I had many dead DAB stations that I couldn't receive. These stations are only retrievable with a DAB+ radio, they've moved without telling anyone.
It seems that there is no advertising campaign for DAB+, my theory is that there are millions of unsold, out of date DAB radios on shop's shelves.
The radio in the picture above is a brand new DAB+. It seemed foolish not to buy a stereo version. Now I can receive the previously dead stations.
There must be a whole bunch of frustrated Brits out there that don't realise that their DAB radio is already out of date.