TheSamba.com :: View topic - Custom Vent Speaker

Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:54 pm

The idea behind this concept was to remove the A/C + speaker housing which is above the rear seats, while still keeping speakers somewhere near. I have seen numerous posts which showcase images of audio systems that butcher the interior. I did not want to be one of those. I spent some time analyzing the interior of the van and came to a solution: vent speaker.

This concept was developed from scratch. It uses the fresh air vent which runs along the top passenger side of the van. I chose this location because the stock speaker wiring for the rear is ran slightly above the vent behind the wood paneling. I also analyzed the stock speaker vents in order to closely follow the stock detailing.

The following are images of the end result:

Bottom view of speaker and cover.

Top view of speaker and cover.

Close-up of bottom of speaker and cover.

Close-up of top of speaker and cover.

I decided to have the cover be the color white as a base. This allows/allowed it to be painted to match the interior.

Selected color.

Bottom view | Assembled + painted

Top view | Assembled + painted

Installed unit. I will most likely end up changing the mounting screws to black or gray.

I am happy with the end result. The speaker is a nice addition. It can be wired as mono or another vent speaker can be installed to the left near the passenger's seat to have both channels wired separately.

Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:38 pm

part number?

Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:08 pm

vanis13 wrote: part number?
@vanis13 It does not have a VW specific part number. I designed the part from scratch for this application.

Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:27 pm

I was referring to the speaker. did you build that?

Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:36 pm

vanis13 wrote: I was referring to the speaker. did you build that?
@vanis13 No, I did not build the speaker. Sorry, I don't have the speaker part number with me. I made the speaker selection based on the opening size of the vent.

Wed Jun 24, 2015 4:16 pm

It doesn't look like that speaker could handle the 150 watt output of my amplifier very well. I don't know.

Wed Jun 24, 2015 4:47 pm

PDXWesty wrote: It doesn't look like that speaker could handle the 150 watt output of my amplifier very well. I don't know.

I am sure it could. I chose this speaker because of its 8 Ohm impedance. It should operate at its peak performance without a problem. I have a 200 watt amplifier. It won't be as loud as a 4 Ohm speaker, but I would rather have the volume output to be slightly lower in order to reduce cone excursion.

Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:16 pm

nice way to hide the speaker, but...

- long, narrow speaker is sub-optimal for sound quality
- your post says nothing about using a ported alignment
- the gizmo with holes in it will block treble

Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:43 pm

Merian wrote: nice way to hide the speaker, but...

- long, narrow speaker is sub-optimal for sound quality
- your post says nothing about using a ported alignment
- the gizmo with holes in it will block treble

Thank you, Merian.

-The shape of the cone doesn't necessarily mean the sound quality is sub-optimal. That being said, this speaker isn't meant to blow minds.

-Due to the small work area, I decided to utilize the air duct that runs along the passenger's side as a port for the audio.

-It is a full-range driver, so the mids and lows should pick up the loss of highs, if any.

Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:51 pm

I think you have done a great job with this. Thanks for sharing. Very clever, first I've seen making good use of this space...

Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:59 pm

I like the design approach and execution. This doesn't solve a problem I have because I prefer the a/c or storage provided by the box and the speakers aren't a problem.

Keep up the good work!

Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:13 pm

davideric9 wrote: I think you have done a great job with this. Thanks for sharing. Very clever, first I've seen making good use of this space...

jimf909 wrote: I like the design approach and execution. This doesn't solve a problem I have because I prefer the a/c or storage provided by the box and the speakers aren't a problem.

Keep up the good work!
Thank you, davideric9 and jimf909! I appreciate the feedback. I have an A/C project in the works as well. Stay tuned.

Wed Jul 06, 2016 10:38 am

Hello everyone,

I have made some updates to the design in order to lower the volume of the part, thus reducing the price of the 3D-print. I have also found the part number for the speaker that I used.

I personally like to use Sculpteo (http://www.sculpteo.com/en/) for 3D prints because of their material availability, however, you can choose whichever company you'd like. There are quite a few available.

If anybody is interested in using this for their van, let me know and I can send you the 3D-print file and part number for the speaker.

Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:10 am

I'm interested! Please send it along. :-)

Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:56 am

Hello TheSamba,

I just realized I never linked to the STL to download the 3D-printable file for those who were interested.

The link can be found in my signature under FREEBIES. Once the webpage loads, you can download the file by clicking on agon_Vent-Speaker_v2.stl. The README contains other useful information (speaker model). I'll be adding smaller scale items here as time goes on.

Have a good one!

Tue Mar 17, 2020 5:52 pm

Very cool!

Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:35 pm

Nice creative thinking. Keep at it.

Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:20 pm

nice, but what was that speaker again?

Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:32 pm

chachi wrote: nice, but what was that speaker again?

It's in the README

Dayton Audio Speaker Part #: 285-145

Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:59 am

Super cool - thanks for sharing...