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The Original SBS4DCC "Sugar Cube" Speakers

Last Updated 231227

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Finally! A small speaker that will rock your world.

We pay big bucks for the finest hardware we can to get decent sound from our diminutive locos. Often we are left disappointed and wishing we had just bought another locomotive.

Now you can enjoy all the sound you paid for, and then some...

It is called a sugar cube because, well, it's about the same size and color of a cube of sugar.

I just happen to think the sound quality and volume are pretty sweet!

I offer the “Sugar Cube” speaker body in five sizes:

  • 8 x 12 mm
  • 9 x 16 mm
  • 11 x 15 mm
  • 13 x 18 mm
  • 10 x 20 mm

If that’s not sweet enough, I offer more than twenty different enclosures (baffles) for each size:

  • Box Shape Enclosures
    • Standard
    • Close Coupled Twin
    • Close Coupled Quad
    • Close Coupled 2x2
    • Double Deep
    • Double Deep Twin
    • Side-By-Side Twin
    • Double Deep Side-By-Side Twin
    • Double Deep "Outie"
    • Half Deep
    • Half Deep Close Coupled Twin
    • Half Deep Side-By-Side Twin
  • Curved Contour Shape Enclosures
    • Boiler Baffle
    • Long Boiler Baffle
    • HO Cab Roof
    • Twin HO Coupled Cab Roof
    • Side-By-Side Twin Coupled HO Cab Roof
    • N Cab Roof
  • Experimental Enclosures
    • Twin Coupled A-frame
    • Hyperbaric Coupled
    • Isobaric Coupled
  • Application Specific Enclosures
    • SBS4DCC "Sugar Cube" Speaker 11x15mm 8 ohm 1 watt w/ N Cab Roof Sound Chamber for Life-Like Proto N FM Erie-built
    • SBS4DCC "Sugar Cube" Speaker 9x16mm w/ Twin Coupled Sound Chamber for Con-Cor U50

The Standard Box Shape Enclosures are simple designs that are easy to understand and work with.  These basic designs will fit the majority of installation applications.  Close coupling is a concept that maximizes volume by having multiple speakers wired in phase and spaced as close to each other as possible to move more air and produce less distortion than a single unit.  Why?  More speakers provide more volume.  More volume means you can turn the volume down.  Lower volume means you don't have to drive the amp and speaker at 100% all the time just to hear it.  The amp and speakers will produce better quality sound and last longer when they are not maxed out all the time.

The Curved Contour Shape Enclosures have rounded edges to improve fit and still maximize enclosure size in tight spaces like steam locomotive boilers and cab roofs.  They allow the installer to maximize the cubic space available for the install. If you ever put sound in an N Scale GP7 or HO Scale SW-1... you know every cubic millimeter matters.

Hyperbaric coupling is a concept enclosure where both sound waves are directed into each other resulting in a blending of the sound waves. The result is nothing short of spectacular. This configuration does require more space than the others so it cannot be used in all applications.

Isobaric coupling is another concept enclosure for those who really like to experiment with sound quality. Here is a link to WikipediA that has a lot of technical background on the design. The production version of this chamber is about an inch long to allow the installer to adjust the physical volume of the inner chamber to achieve the best sound.

Special application baffles are contoured enclosures that are engineered to fit specific models to minimize fitment work and maximize enclosure size.

NOTE: The Original SBS4DCC "Sugar Cube" Speakers are suitable for use with most Digitrax, ESU LokSound, SoundTraxx, TCS WOW-Sound and ZIMO sound decoders.  Verify the decoder specifications and manufacturers recommendations before using this product.

Specifications (Speaker Body with Standard Enclosure only):

8x12

  • Size (mm - with Sound Chamber) 8x12x6
  • Nominal Power Rating 0.5 W
  • Max Power Rating 0.7 W
  • Frequancy Range 400Hz~20kHz
  • Impedance 8
  • Sound Level (db - w/o Chamber) 68

9x16

  • Size (mm - with Sound Chamber) 9x16x8
  • Nominal Power Rating 0.5 W
  • Max Power Rating 0.7 W
  • Frequancy Range 400Hz~20kHz
  • Impedance 8
  • Sound Level (db - w/o Chamber) 70.5

11x15

  • Size (mm - with Sound Chamber) 11x15x8
  • Nominal Power Rating 0.5 W
  • Max Power Rating 1.0 W
  • Frequancy Range 300Hz~20kHz
  • Impedance 8
  • Sound Level (db - w/o Chamber) 73

13x18 (new model 2021)

  • Size (mm - with Sound Chamber) 13x18x10
  • Nominal Power Rating 1.0 W
  • Max Power Rating 1.2 W
  • Frequancy Range 420Hz~20kHz
  • Impedance 8
  • Sound Level (db - w/o Chamber) 73

10x20

  • Size (mm - with Sound Chamber) 10x20x11
  • Nominal Power Rating 1.0 W
  • Max Power Rating 2.0 W
  • Frequancy Range 325Hz~20kHz
  • Impedance 8
  • Sound Level (db - w/o Chamber) 72

NOTE: This product ships unassembled.

NOTE: The Original SBS4DCC "Sugar Cube" Speakers are suitable for use with most Digitrax, ESU LokSound, SoundTraxx, TCS WOW-Sound and ZIMO sound decoders.  Check the decoder specifications before installation.

Application Notes

Click on these links to see Application Notes and Installation Recommendations for this product.

Speaker Body and Enclosure Assembly Demonstration

Here is a brief demonstration of how I assemble the sound chamber enclosure to the speaker body.

 

Demonstrations of "Sugar Cube" Speakers In Action

 

Here are few demonstrations of this type of speaker in action in a wide variety of applications to demonstrate the capability of the speaker with different type of prime movers.