Anyone Ever Replace the Speaker on their x51v?

KimChee · 10-10-08, 09:03 PM

I was wondering if anyone ever replaced or especially upgraded the internal speaker on their x50/x51? I love the internal speaker on my E61, the quality is excellent. I know its a lot of unnecessary work, but how plausible it would be to swap the speakers?

bernardm · 10-12-08, 10:13 PM

it's uber easy.

Just take your axim apart. Several resources for that are here. The speaker is built into the jogger button assembly. Just unplug and replace with new one.

I guess you could find a spare parts unit on an auction site. I'd provide a picture, but I don't feel like taking a unit apart while watching football.

bbz_Ghost · 10-13-08, 07:30 AM

Considering the X50/X51 series Axims are "ported" meaning they actually have air-ports just on the upper side of the dock connector, I was surprised to discover that if you cover them the sound will get much louder. Almost like a ported speaker/subwoofer sort of situations. The way I hold my X50v when watching video (right handed orientation, with the buttons to the left) works out nicely because my palm with cover the "ports" and provide louder audio.

Of course, I never go anywhere without my Koss KSC-75 earclips but, it is possible to get slightly louder sound from the X50/X51 series by just covering those holes. I wouldn't say go stuffing cotton in 'em or taping them up, however...

I took my Axim into an Apple Store a few days ago and was looking at an iPod touch. I whipped out the X50v and started questioning the employee that came over to nag me and showed him the larger screen, louder audio both from the headphone jack and the built in speaker, and several other things the Axim is capable of. In fact, the only thing this X50v can't do - as far as I can tell - is 11g wireless, that's about it. I told him how much I paid for it ($100 package deal with extra batteries, cradles, adapters, memory cards) and then showed him the 48GB of storage I have in it, as well as my rip of Iron Man at 640 pixels wide and all he could muster in return was...

"Wow..."

iPods... who needs 'em. :)

bigtsr · 10-13-08, 09:15 AM

Yea don't you just love doing that to them!!!
It's even more fun at the cellfone peddlers booths in the mall
especially the Iphone reseller when I whip out the HTC 7501.lol

johnhu_2005 · 10-13-08, 09:33 AM

Yes! I totally agree the iPod Touch is overrated. Only thing I envy is the thiness. But in the pocket, that really has no feel. But this thread is not for saying how Axim rulez... That goes in the Water Fountain.

KimChee · 10-13-08, 08:27 PM

The Touch form factor is nice, its thinner and not as wide. The touchflo or whatever you call it is nice and smooth too. I don't care for the after sales control Apple has on their software, no internal speaker (the deal breaker for me), and no swapable battery. On the plus the screen is very nice, its a smooth interface, and has wireless g, (the only other one that has g is the ipaq).

I might try to retrofit that speaker in there we'll see.

Bill_Todd · 10-14-08, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Considering the X50/X51 series Axims are "ported" meaning they actually have air-ports just on the upper side of the dock connector, I was surprised to discover that if you cover them the sound will get much louder.

If you're referring to the two rectangular holes in the piece above the connector, they are not speaker ports. They are not even holes, just depressions to aid mounting.

The effect you're hearing (and you are correct to say it is sounds louder) is caused by the presence of you hand.

Sound waves emit from a loudspeaker in all directions (we'll ignore phase and frequency for the moment, because that gets really complicated) - Imagine a pulsating sphere sending sound in all directions. Only a small part of this reaches your ears.

When you introduce a baffle, such as the axim's case the waves are restricted to a smaller part of the sphere, yet the overall 'sound' power from the speaker remains the same, so the bits that reaches your ear will sound louder.

Add an extra baffle, like cupping the speaker with you palm or even putting your finger across the 'holes' and the sound will be restricted to a slightly smaller part of the sphere and it will be louder.

If you ask a friend to listen from behind the axim as you place your hand around the axim and he will report the sound getting quieter, as you hear it getting louder.

Bill_Todd · 10-14-08, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by KimChee

I was wondering if anyone ever replaced or especially upgraded the internal speaker on their x50/x51? I love the internal speaker on my E61, the quality is excellent. I know its a lot of unnecessary work, but how plausible it would be to swap the speakers?

I think you'd be wasting you time. The E61's speaker is unlikely to be very much better than the axim's. The difference in the sound between the axim and your E61 will most likely be down to the design of the enclosure and fittings around the speaker (i.e. the case design) .

KimChee · 10-14-08, 03:50 PM

Most of my tinkering is a waste of time, but I enjoy it. Looking at some pics of the axim speaker I think Im going to make a mini enclosure for the speaker, pad the speaker area, etc. I wouldn't be bothering with this but my ipod battery is starting to wane a bit, and I don't feel like buying another one.