DIY Quad-driver Soundbar

I have always wanted to design and build a soundbar from scratch. So recently I did just that!

My goal was to have a soundbar that sounds great and should easily fit in my room. I also wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing. Though there are already a handsome amount of soundbars available in the market. But, since I already had a lot of components in my spare, I thought of leveraging them for a decent-looking soundbar project.

• 18mm MDF Board
• Satin finish paint for the main enclosure
• Red glossy paint for the front panels
• 4 x 4-inch speaker components
• 2 x TDA3118 amplifier modules
• 220v AC to 24v DC, 5 amp SMPS module
• Multifunction MP3 player decoder module
• 2 x Bass ports
• Switch for LED strip
• 2 x Blue LED strip
• 12v Transformer for powering LED strips
• Bridge rectifier circuit components for powering the LED strips
• Wood glue
• 2" screws for joining MDF planks (you can also use nails)
• Lots of wires

The enclosure is built using an 18mm MDF board.

I cut the MDF board into plank sizes of 122 x 27 x 14 cm and joined them using a combination of wood glue and 2" screws. This ensures superb stability of the box even at high volume when the vibrations are the highest.

After packing all the MDF boards using wood glue and screws, we also need to apply the glue from the inside at all the corners to prevent any sound leakage. We will sand excess glue on the outside before the painting process.

I also made 4 holes each of 4" diameters for the 4" drivers.

I also routed the edges of the enclosure using a 45-degree router bit.

I was looking for some interesting panel design for the front, then narrowed down on this half-hex design which makes the front look more sporty.

I cut these panels of the size: 32 x 14cm and then made 4" holes for the drivers.

Using a wood router and a 45 degree bit, I trimmed down the edges and also made a straight cut using a V-shaped bit.

I first sanded the enclosure using 220 grits of sandpaper, then applied wood filler to fill up all the gaps. This was followed by another round of sanding using the same 220 grits of sandpaper to make the surface smooth for painting.

I then did a final sanding step using 400 grits of sandpaper to make the surface ready for wood primer. I then applied 2 coats of wood primer.

This was followed by sanding with 400 grits paper again for the paint coat.

I used a SATIN black finish for the paint coat. Filled up my paint gun and applied two coats.

The results came out beautiful, totally loved it!

I painted the front panels using 4 coats of glossy suzuki-red finish.

I glued both the BASS port to the enclosure using wooden glue, also added a SUPERMAN emblem at the front. I then glued and mounted all the electronic components together and the soundbar was ready.

This is how it finally looks and sounds, hope you like it!