Speakers are generally box-shaped, but apart from their rectangular similarity, come in a wide and diverse range of types, styles and variations.

Much like a Yorkshireman's garden wall, the wall of speakers is made up of a collection of blocks of varying shape and size.

Tiny speakers from a Japanese-made micro-system might cluster together next to the cheap chipboard cabinet of a larger box, woofers, guitar-amps and venerable high-quality cabinets also make up the mix.

Interspersed between the randomly stacked reverberators are cathode-ray tubes from salvaged TV sets who's electron-deflectors are wired into the pre-amp signal so as to create a pseudo-oscilloscopic effect.

The amplifier driving the wall is a multi-output device that splits the incoming signal(s) out into a range of varying Ohmage; Small speakers taking less of the load than larger ones. The inputs are taken from a row of guitar-lead type ports.

The entire arrangement should be buildable from parts picked up of the scrap-heap (discarded speakers, tv sets etc) with the exception of the amplifier which might be built from scratch using a set of valves, or modified from an existing guitar-amp.

The sound will be rich and full - certainly not hi-fi, but the usage of an entire wall as output device ought to create an abounding and nuance packed field of sound.

One's existing hifi might be set into a space in the wall, or not depending on worries about vibrations upsetting the equipment.

Other gaps in the wall might house pockets of books, carefully positioned lava-lamps and goldfish bowls. The wall/valve-based amplifier may also double as a insulating/heating device in the winter.

The purpose behind the Wall of Speakers is to provide one's living space with a warm, unique, aesthetically pleasing monument to sound that doubles as bookcase, display shelving, heat insulation, light-show and TV stand, while providing the builder with a great excuse to tinker in the shed and root about at recycling centres for the next few months.

Thoughts on how best to deliver a range of outputs from a single amplifier that wont blow the small speakers, while driving the larger ones sufficiently most welcome.

-- zen_tom, Jan 14 2005

[zen_tom]'s bedroom wall http://www.oaktreee...r-Display-1_web.jpg
My, that's coming along nicely [thomas]. [theleopard, Oct 18 2007, last modified Oct 19 2007]

//Thoughts on how best to deliver a range of outputs from a single amplifier that wont blow the small speakers, while driving the larger ones sufficiently most welcome// Basic knowlege of electrical circuits, some resistors, and a very powerful amplifier should solve this.
-- Worldgineer, Jan 14 2005


I've often wondered why cinemas don't have large array of (smallish) speakers rather than the 7 or so large speakers. This would give more directional and possibly better quality sound.
-- xaviergisz, May 11 2006



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