really small speakers to hide on the stage

[dmoes]

often there is a radio, gramophone, TV, or some other device used as a working prop in a show that needs to have sound come from it, or at least sound like its coming from it. Our house is intimate so speaker placement is important.

We used to have a bunch of Radio Shack Minimus 7 speakers to do the job and worked fine they could handle a bit pf power and sounded fine for the job. unfortunately over the years most of them have either been lost, fried or just dropped to many times and no longer work. so its time to get something else.

If the Minimus 7's were still available Id get some of them but unfortunately they are not made anymore. The smaller the better but I still want them to sound OK and to be able to handle a reasonable amount of power. 40w or so. Most PC speakers are just to wimpy. so what can you good folks suggest?

 

[mstaylor]

Would a car speaker work? It's small and you can pick them up at a junkyard. It would be high quality but serviceable. Others will have better answers I'm sure.

 

[metti]

I only own powered speakers since I find them easier to deal with then passives + amps. For hidden speakers in the set, I have the little rectangular ones made by Galaxy Audio and they have held up like champs for me. I also sometimes fly a larger box (usually a K8) on a batten directly above the spot the sound is supposed to be originating from and this works pretty well for some stuff since humans aren't that good at determining vertical directionality (thus the flown center cluster for voice reinforcement).

 

[rwhealey]

EV S40s. Small, cheap, pretty good sounding.

 

[soundlight]

I'll second the EV S40s - wonderful little speakers that can really put out the sound. I've used them for everything from small stage monitors to in-set effects speakers to front fills for a musical. They've been nothing but amazing every time I've used them.

Another option is the JBL AC15, but I think they're more expensive (as with anything JBL) and I haven't used them very much.

EDIT: one other product family I forgot about. QSC came through work recently to do a demo and their little AcousticDesign stuff sounded good. S32/S52/S82.

 

[museav]

Since no budget was noted...

MM-4XP : Self-Powered Miniature Loudspeaker

Renkus-Heinz Inc. - Professional Loudspeakers

d&b audiotechnik - E0.

http://www.communitypro.com/files/literature/spec%20sheets/CPL23_SPEC.pdf

 

[metti]

Since no budget was noted...

MM-4XP : Self-Powered Miniature Loudspeaker

Renkus-Heinz Inc. - Professional Loudspeakers

d&b audiotechnik -*E0.

http://www.communitypro.com/files/literature/spec sheets/CPL23_SPEC.pdf

I worked at a theatre that had some MM-4XPs and those things sound fantastic. Definitely go with those.

 

[dmoes]

Thanks museav you sure raised my interest your input as always is of great help. the models you posted look intriguing I will do more research but they seem to be a little rich for my budget. At this point I am working on a proposal for speakers for the house as well as onstage. so there is an overall budget so the more I spend in one area takes away from the other.... and so on. I am just seeking out the possibilities so I did not give a budget as I did not have one set specifically for the onstage speakers. I worry that if I get speakers that are too good id be afraid of them finding legs unfortunately this happens as we have dozens of volunteers. we just lost an amp this way. on the other hand I need them to be reasonably rugged. the stage is wired with four speaker outlets from the booth. two labeled for monitors and two for effects but of course they are all interchangeable as they are each fed from 150W amps. plus we have a limited number of outputs on the console all but two auxes are in permanent use so powered speakers are out.

the EV s40s are probably in the right budget although smaller (size) would be nice. I am thinking a few like those and then finding some that are smaller that will fit in the cabinet of an old radio or in the horn of a gramophone etc.

Since no budget was noted...

MM-4XP : Self-Powered Miniature Loudspeaker

Renkus-Heinz Inc. - Professional Loudspeakers

d&b audiotechnik -*E0.

http://www.communitypro.com/files/literature/spec%20sheets/CPL23_SPEC.pdf

 

[museav]

Those models are probably a bit rich for most people's budget but that was sort of the point. And old trick is that when no particular budget is noted you then start offering some options and the related costs, the responses can sometimes start establishing rather quickly if there are some general budget and quality goals. So we're apparently looking at somewhere around a $200 per speaker budget.

The S40 is a nice speaker. I've had a pair of them since probably before some here were born, about 20 years now, and they still work just fine, albeit a bit scratched up. I guess I like old speakers as my other speakers at home are some 20+ year old Vandersteen 2c's and some early 1970's vintage The Advent Loudspeakers with refubished drivers (found at an estate sale, $60 for the pair in mint condition).

 

[thatactorguy]

If the Minimus 7's were still available Id get some of them but unfortunately they are not made anymore. The smaller the better but I still want them to sound OK and to be able to handle a reasonable amount of power. 40w or so. Most PC speakers are just to wimpy. so what can you good folks suggest?

eBay is your friend I typed "Minimus 7" under "All Categories" (without the quotation marks, of course). Good luck!

Realistic MINIMUS-7 Speakers

http://cgi.ebay.com/Realistic-Minim...84?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item19c265b184

http://cgi.ebay.com/REALISTIC-Minim...97?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item1c18aef4c5

 

[HillJonathan]

Amazon.com: Pyle Home PCB3BK 3-Inch 100-Watt Mini Cube Bookshelf Speaker (Black): Electronics

Thats what we use. Sound alright and for the price if we fry them its not a problem.

 

[Shillyer]

If you are looking something a bit higher-end than consumer speakers but Meyer and the like are out of your budget consider the EV S40's they are a solid speaker. However, also take a look/listen at some EAW UB12's. Ive always liked them a bit more than the S40's.

 

[museav]

If you are looking something a bit higher-end than consumer speakers but Meyer and the like are out of your budget consider the EV S40's they are a solid speaker. However, also take a look/listen at some EAW UB12's. Ive always liked them a bit more than the S40's.

I used to often use the S40, UB12 and Tannoy Arena (the original pro version, not the later consumer version) interchangeably, amazing that that was 15 years or more ago and two of those three models are still around. That version of the Tannoy Arena is gone but the Tannoy Di5 is another option, under $200 and the dual concentric design allows it to be compact. The Community CPL23 I listed earlier is also a compact coaxial design and around $220. But that's still a lot more that the $10-$12 (plus shipping) for the used Minimus 7 speakers on eBay.