Bluetooth Speaker With Neopixel Visual Display!

Finding a product that is everything you want isn’t always possible. Making your own that checks off all those boxes can be. [Peter Clough] took the latter route and built a small Bluetooth speaker with an LED visualization display that he calls Magic Box.

A beefy 20W, 4Ohm speaker was screwed to the lid of a wooden box converted to the purpose. [Clough] cut a clear plastic sheet to the dimensions of the box, notching it 2cm from the edge to glue what would become the sound reactive neopixel strip into place — made possible by an electret microphone amplifier. There ended up being plenty of room inside the speaker box to cram an Arduino Pro Mini 3.3V, the RN-52 Bluetooth receiver, and the rest of the components, with an aux cable running out the base of the speaker. As a neat touch, neodymium magnets hold the lid closed.

Magic Box Bluetooth Speaker ComponentsWe gotta say, a custom speaker with LED visualization makes for a tidy little package — aside from the satisfaction that comes from building it yourself.

Depending on your particular situation, you may even opt to design a speaker that attaches to a magnet implanted in your head.

[via /r/DIY]

23 thoughts on “Bluetooth Speaker With Neopixel Visual Display!

        1. Why do I have to have created one to have an opinion, I don’t make my own cars either and I really will never buy Ford again from their business practices and product quality and I’m allowed this opinion why ?, EXPERIENCE.

          Go give all the kids awards because they came 4th through to 10th because they participated, What a joke.

          1. Yep, they get awards while you sit on the side lines and jeer.
            Dust-collection issues aside, Peter’s done a nice job on this speaker. 20W should mean it can fill a decent sized room with good quality sound. Okay, it’s bolted together from off-the-shelf components: what isn’t these days? I’d say there was some custom code driving those LEDs though… even if only glue logic between libraries.
            You likely go down to the level of modularity you are comfortable with, and few, of this sites readers, would be comfortable making their own Bluetooth transceiver from discrete transistors with the A2DP decoder and DAC to match.
            If you’d like to show us a hand-built Bluetooth speaker using only discrete components, or better yet, home-built components made from graphite/sand/etc… please do share it! It is one thing to be critical… but if that’s all you’re going to be, then many will view your criticism as more pointless than the thing you are criticising.

          2. I agree with Dave on this. All this speaker is, are a few components wired together in a wooden box. It has no aesthetic, no nice design. Most of the content of this site is rather simple nowadays, apart from a few great projects and hacks.

            To RedHatter:
            There’s a difference between using off the shelf components to produce a well-designed custom product and putting said components in a box and wiring them together. The former requires both skills and creativity, the latter is okay for a beginner, but not worthy of an article.

            It’s like writing an article about your son being able to ride a unicycle. For you its special, but thousands have done it before and are better than him. Should you tell him he did a good job? Sure. Should you take pictures and publish them? Maybe, but people are free to say its not special or interesting.

  1. Yeah. I am really tired of the “where’s your great project” argument. If you are going to build something for others to see, then learn some basic finishing skills. Otherwise, learn how to take criticism like an adult. Go to a website where people build their own speakers. They know what they are doing. If you are going to build an arcade machine go to a dedicated website. There is some fantastic workmanship there. I have seen some butt ugly builds on this site.

    1. You don´t get it: it has a neopixel visual display. SOUNDS good, no? At least enough to make a sh##y article out of it, Hobson and Maloney are specialist for that. Just something you don´t find the right clickbait title.

      The new HaD: feed the stream. in 150 words. even with crap.

  2. Sometimes, it’s not about aesthetics, but more so functionality. Not everyone is a carpenter, or machinist, or an engineer. And I would venture to say most do not own/have easy access to specialized tools like cnc routers, mills, laser cutter or 3d printer. You do the best you can with what you have.

    1. You’ve got it. As a lover of junk thrown together to make something cool, I know that you put effort into the part you’re interested in.
      One afternoon I set aside a few hours and with little measuring, a handsaw, and some spare bits of wood & bolts I made a chair. Didn’t even draw a plan. It’s terrible, it’s uncomfortable (enough to be augmented with a sack of bubble wrap!), but it fits the specification I care about, and so I like it.
      Props to [Mr. Clough] for making something he can use every day and enjoy, and for putting more effort in than I would — he made a hexagon and added lights. I bet it was field-expedient and satisfied the needs he had at the time!

  3. Give music a haircut shove it thru a single speaker not 2 or 3 way design. Use blurtooth to further trash it, just to have a battery or wires to run it indoors. Devo. It’s all a learning experience. Speaker cabinet design alone is something to learn about. Isometric boxes are not good.
    Many people are still trying to make their favorite polygonal wheels.

  4. Nice project. Respect to anyone that actually MAKES SOMETHING and shares their knowledge. As others have mentioned, not everyone has access to machine tools and 3D printers. You make do with what you have. A big part of this whole “maker” thing is about learning. You may personally find this build “too simple”, but there are plenty more people that can learn from it.

  5. It’s starting to feel like hackaday is getting into “don’t read the comments” website territory. People here really struggle to give negative feedback in a way that is constructive.

  6. It’s a way of enjoying music with friends and family as well as alone, it could be more better if you create something by yourself. It’s been nice know about your thoughts and creation. Will come back for more. Great innovation!..Thank You…

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