![mp3 speaker dock sound system](http://www.projectsbyzac.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Desktop-Active-Speakers-0809.jpg)
I’m big on recycling and feel the highest form of recycling is to re-purpose and reuse things that would otherwise be discarded. This project is built largely from re-purposed recycled components. It’s fabrication used 3d printing, cnc machining, electronics, and woodworking. The inspiration came about when I was visiting my buddy and he asked me to help him move a giant older DLP television out of his basement to the curb. Realizing it was going to the dump, I asked if I could take a few useful parts from it. Originally planning to only grab the connector plate off the back that I needed for another project, we ended up taking the TV apart and I recovered the power supply unit, speakers, some circuit boards and the connectors I was originally after. Research online showed that the speakers were really quite nice units, fully shielded with decent Theile/Small specifications. There was an onboard self contained amplifier chip in the TDA family that was easily desoldered and built into a small stand alone audio amp. I had been wanting a small nice powered speaker unit for some time and I now had all the parts I needed to build myself one.
![Desktop Active Speakers -0810](http://www.projectsbyzac.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Desktop-Active-Speakers-0810-300x251.jpg)
I went with a slightly retro design for this unit. I didn’t really reference anything outside of some basics, like the golden ratio and standard speaker enclosure practices. I’m very happy with how it looks and sounds. I think it’s very attractive, fitting well with the rest of my things.
![Maple desktop powered speaker system - insides](http://www.projectsbyzac.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Maple-desktop-powered-speaker-system-insides-1024x857.jpg)
Before buttoning it all up there was several rounds of testing out the electronics, switches, power supply, etc to ensure everything worked correctly. In the end I removed the screw terminals on the PCB and soldered the wires directly worrying that they might come loose with vibration from the music.
![Desktop Active Speakers -0751](http://www.projectsbyzac.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Desktop-Active-Speakers-0751-300x300.jpg)
The amplifier housing on the left is 3d printed in ABS, as is the power supply housing on the right in the above photo. I went with a machined metal vent/cover plate milled on my converted CNC machine. I’m a big fan of Krylon’s ultra Flat Black paint and used this on the back cover for a nice matte black finish.
![Desktop Active Speakers -0749](http://www.projectsbyzac.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Desktop-Active-Speakers-0749.jpg)
The power supply is a standard unit I kept from some piece of electronics that was out dated. A few minor modifications, remote plug, switched line inputs and an active LED on the front panel all were done the power supply. Then I designed and 3D printed a case to mount it safely into the speaker unit.
![Maple desktop powered speaker system](http://www.projectsbyzac.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Maple-desktop-powered-speaker-system-1024x696.jpg)
The lighter wood for the outer bodycame from a storm downed maple that I milled into lumber three or so summers ago and dried. The front and back boards came from a log off a riverland maple my lifelong friend’s father let me take when he cleared some off his property a couple years ago. Even the front plate is machined from aluminum recycled from an old PC case.
![Desktop Active Speakers -0814](http://www.projectsbyzac.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Desktop-Active-Speakers-0814.jpg)
The finished speaker unit sounds amazing. I missed a few pictures in the build process. The inside is fully sealed with a divider keeping the two chambers separate. I also used some polyester batting as internal dampening to increase the effective internal “volume” of the speaker enclosures. This unit survived a 48 hrs continuous stress test without any issues. I love how it looks as well as how good it sounds!