Zimo Sugar Cube Speakers

Virginian Railway May 8, 2013

  1. Virginian Railway

    Virginian Railway TrainBoard Member

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    Hello friends! I was on YouTube watching a Kato N Scale SD70ACe with a LokSound decoder and a Zimo Sugar Cube speaker and it had to be the best sound I've ever heard in a model! Has anyone ever heard of Zimo Sugar Cube speakers before or even used one? If I ever get sound put into an engine I would have to go with it since, but has anyone had experiance installing or using one before?
     
  2. gregamer

    gregamer TrainBoard Supporter

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    Got a link?


    Greg Amer
    The Industrial Lead
    gregamer.com
     
  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yes- A link, please.

    I wonder if they'd sound as good in person, as experienced via YouTube?
     
  4. jdetray

    jdetray TrainBoard Member

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  5. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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  6. jdetray

    jdetray TrainBoard Member

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    The page to which I linked in Post #4 has seven YouTube videos embedded in it that demonstrate the capabilities of Sugar Cube speakers. Just go to the page and view the videos.

    - Jeff
     
  7. Lindley Ruddick

    Lindley Ruddick TrainBoard Member

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    ZoCal members have used these in Z scale with very satisfying results. I have also tested them in HO and On30 locos with good results. Volume is good. Base is much better than expected but you MUST use an enclosure. The supplied one works fine.
     
  8. Virginian Railway

    Virginian Railway TrainBoard Member

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    [video=youtube;1kn2NPGDTFs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kn2NPGDTFs[/video]
     
  9. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks. That's what I was hoping to see.
     
  10. woodone

    woodone TrainBoard Member

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    Sort of doubt Zimo is making speakers- sugar cube speakers can be had a most DCC suppliers.
    Just shop around .
     
  11. jdcolombo

    jdcolombo TrainBoard Member

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    "sugar cube" is just a name given to the design of a small, rectangular speaker with a small rectangular enclosure. It's not made by Zimo, and in fact you can find "sugar cube" designs all over the place - for example, try Streamlined Backshop and search for their own "sugar cube" designs.

    The speakers themselves were designed to give maximum sound quality in small electronic devices like cell phones. If you are creative, you can buy the bare speakers from an electronics supplier like Digikey or Mouser and make your own enclosure; if you have a 3D printer, you could print your own enclosure, or you can just make a square box from .030 styrene. The speakers themselves are made by Soberton, CUI, and PUI Audio. The most popular sizes for putting in N scale models are 8x12mm; 9x16mm; 11x15mm and 13x18mm. The first two (8x12 and 9x16) will fit nicely in most hood diesels using a separate enclosure that sits on the back "shelf" of the chassis. The 11x15 and 13x18 sizes are perfect for most N-scale steam tenders.

    However, the key to getting good sound and maximum performance from ANY speaker is to USE A SEALED ENCLOSURE for the speaker. DO NOT try to mount the speaker in free-air and use the shell as an enclosure. DO NOT mount the speaker by itself in a milled-out area in the fuel tank. The enclosure doesn't have to be a rectangular box; people have used triangles, cones, whatever works, but the whole shebang must be air-tight. The traditional sugar cube design accomplishes this by gluing the speaker face-down (the sound is actually coming from the rear of the speaker) on the enclosure with thick CA cement or some similar bonding material. In my case, I use thick CA cement and .030 styrene and just build a box around the speaker.

    If you do it right, the sound is pretty incredible for the size of the speaker. For example, here's a video of mine of an Atlas RS3 with an ESU LokSound decoder and an 8x12mm speaker in a separate enclosure sitting on the front shelf of the chassis under the shell:



    Here's a video of a PA-1 with a Loksound and an 11x15 speaker:



    John C.
     
    Sumner likes this.

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