IPHONE ACOUSTIC AMPLIFIER

[rjwz28]

I would like to make a small wooden acoustic amplifier for my son's iphone. I've seen some plans in some woodworking magazines but I forgot which one. Any of you make any of these that sound really good? I have the Bluetooth Bose electronic that is awesome but I want something he can just plop his phone in to give him a better sound than having to plug in and re-charge, etc.

Thanks for looking.
Rob

[Phil S.]

Rob-

I started to build something similar for my Ipod, but haven't gotten too far. I was going to hang it on the wall of my shop to have a safe place to set it and not take any bench or shelf space. This was a plan I found and was going to follow in a general sort of way. I'm skeptical that sound will follow the little channels in a box of this sort. I was thinking it would work better made of very thin stock that might have a chance of vibrating like the face of a guitar and provide better sound. I'm no sound engineer, but I think this is more of a holder than anything that gives much amplification. I get what I expect will be a similar effect by setting my Ipod on a hard surface or lean it up against a vertical surface. Some people just set their gizmo in a water glass or bowl. If you do an image search for passive amplifier you get a lot of ideas, some a lot more attractive than the box shown in the link above. Probably a lot more art than function in a lot of these.

Phil

[handi]

I made a set for my family for Christmas two years back.

Made mine on the CNC, but it consists of three layers that you can cut easily with a bandsaw or scroll saw.

Flat, rectangular, a bit bigger than a cigarette pack. Sounds good too.

PM me with an email address and I will happily send you the drawings. I can send Measured drawings or .dxf files.

Ralph

[mdhills]

The one I recall was in Wood magazine:

http://www.woodstore.net/plans/gifts/off...-Amplifier.html

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

Local guy here makes them, but uses old, cut down, trumpet, French horn, and trombone horns for them. Sounds pretty cool.

[danw]

I made this one last year at Christmas. It works pretty well for amplifying but it still sounds like your in a tin can.



It was two pieces of wood. A thick walnut piece with that I routed the holder and sound passageway with a pattern and pattern bit. Then I glued on the tiger maple and cut the speaker holes with a forstner bit.

[BaileyNo5]

This one is for an iPad, but it wouldn't be difficult to size it for an iPhone. If you google "wood iPhone amplifier" and look at the images you will find about a zillion. If I make one it will be like this one.

[rjwz28]

Yes I did Google iphone acoustic amplifier and speaker, etc. and yes they were a ton there. What I want to know is which design sounds the best if anyone made them and how they performed.

Thanks,
Rob

[J-W-P]

I made this one a while back. It was the result of practicing making tapered cones for another project.
I ended up with these and didn't know what to do with them. I eventually saw a similar single cone passive speaker and ending up making this. The sound is about as good as the phone itself, only a lot louder.
I use it mainly to hear the ringer when I have my tools going in the shop. I can hear it ring with the dust collecter, TS and wearing my earmuffs. I also notched a little hole for the microphone so I can use the speakerphone.

[kludge]

I made one, it worked well till I upgraded the phone.

Funny thing, putting my phone in a wooden bowl worked just as well....