Hard drives quit their day job to pursue new life as a speaker system

We know what you're thinking, why would you ever turn two decent hard disk drives into tinny speakers when it's much more logical to use them as storage and buying cheap speakers instead... but if you're the kind of mad scientist who likes to see doohickeys function outside their intended use, or have friends who'd be really impressed or amused, you might want to consider recreating this classy speaker set complete with transparent glass case and the requisite blue lights. All the instructions lie beyond the read link, and if you're not quite convinced, we think the video after the break is likely to change your opinion for the better.

[Via Hack a Day]



See more video at our hub!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:09AM]

No comment...

[bakkermaarten007 Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:52AM]

You just did...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:14AM]

I couldn't even recognize the song - if it's a popular song then my bad but at least pick a song people know...hard to tell how good or not good it is with some random song

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:50AM]

It was a durkadurkha song... It wasn't even English!

This is America if you do t like it GTFO!!!

[Chromana Posted Sep 16th 2009 12:29PM]

It's Tarantula by Pendulum. It's a drum and bass group that is popular in the UK. Don't think they've really gone over to the US. So you're not exactly wrong for not knowing it :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendulum_(band)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 1:01PM]

pendulum is pretty popular in the US... maybe more so with people who listen to electronic music, but everyone i know has heard of them.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:16AM]

Slow news day? That Radiohead remix video was more impressive.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 1:45PM]

Sorry, but what video are you talking about (I probably missed it)?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 4:04PM]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/06/antiquated-hardware-used-to-masterfully-remix-radioheads-nude/

[John Doe Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:20AM]

You guys are Jackasses. This is fracking cool as hell.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:51AM]

I agree. I was about to take apart an old HDD to play with the magnet (Here Billy, go put it up to the TV and watch the pretty colors!), but I think I will keep it and make a novelty like this.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:57AM]

Upvoted for Battlestar

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:24AM]

I, for one, welcome our ...

No, really, cleaver thinking out-of-the-box.
Who (else) wouldda thunk it?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:10AM]

I though thAt shit was pretty neat from a geeks POV

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:28AM]

worst.app.everrrrrrrrrrrrr

[bakkermaarten007 Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:32AM]

Man, the old IPods really looked better...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:49AM]

Really? I like this one better, the front seems more durable.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:34AM]

That looks and sounds very much like your typical Nova 1.2 with neons driving down Romford high street.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:38AM]

Hehe, Pendulum - Tarantula

[Pontro Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:36AM]

OMG Your hard drive is making noise!!!
You better replace it immediately..

[kadajawi Posted Sep 16th 2009 10:52AM]

Awesome. Just awesome.

[bibhnarp Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:00AM]

hard drives aren't straight. could've made an effort! sheeesh.

/sarcasm.

[uberFu Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:02AM]

I think it's really cool. Still trying to wrap my mind around the "how" part tho.

Shazam was able to pick up the song from the crappy audio piping form he video to my internal tower speaker.

[OriginalJosh Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:07AM]

you're welcome! you are quite polite.

[OriginalJosh Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:57AM]

damn, now my reply makes no sense...crazy comment system

oh well, cool speakers, i do like them

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:13AM]

Tune!

[AvianAzn Posted Sep 16th 2009 4:36PM]

i likey your imagey.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:30AM]

It's cool they used a Jungle tune. Boh!!!

[CJ100570 Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:30AM]

Sweet!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:33AM]

Pretty sweet from a geeks perspective.

he sold his speakers...
http://www.overclock.net/sale/574030-sold-olis-hard-drive-speakers-sold.html

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:36AM]

Oh my god something i made is on engadget... WOW!

Thanks for all the people who made nice comments. Yeh the song is Tarantula by Pendulum.

Wow... i'm in shock

[Bandit5317 Posted Sep 16th 2009 9:28PM]

That's sick!!! I never would've thought you could do something like that with the heads. Nice job and thanks for the log of your work. I might try this with a couple spare HDDs. My friends would freak out. Maybe I'll try to get the platters spinning too : )

[DRoizman Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:48AM]

The song is called:

Trantula by Pendulum and Fresh

[Agent 25i Posted Sep 16th 2009 11:57AM]

"or have friends [or people] who'd be really impressed or amused"
None of those people are here.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 12:13PM]

Needs more LEDs

[Agent 25i Posted Sep 16th 2009 12:54PM]

Needs more cowbell.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 12:41PM]

Simpsons did it.

[djkojent Posted Sep 16th 2009 1:21PM]

Wow, so I was thinking to myself as the video loaded, what song I was going to hear to demonstrate the speakers. Then I thought "well what would I choose? Probably Pendulum". So what did I hear when it finally started? Tarantula by Pendulum, awesome, good choice.

[Driveshaft Posted Sep 16th 2009 1:37PM]

Afrotechmods did it a LONG time ago....and to porn music.

http://www.afrotechmods.com/cheap/hdspeakers/hdspeakers.htm

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 3:08PM]

Driveshaft - "Afrotechmods did it a LONG time ago...."

So what? That's like saying Ford built the Model A before Ferrari released the 458 Italia. Style counts, and Oliver's mod has style.

[Driveshaft Posted Sep 16th 2009 3:32PM]

The main point of the article was turning hard drives in to speakers. You don't have to go out of your way to argue with people on the internet. :)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 5:35PM]

The main point of the article was turning hard drives into speakers whilst making the product functional and attractive. All those other mods are ugly and aren't even in any kind of case. They are not functional.

[Michael Pollard Posted Sep 16th 2009 1:38PM]

According to http://www.overclock.net/sale/574030-sold-olis-hard-drive-speakers-sold.html, he gets the sound by feeding the audio signal through the read-write heads on the drives. Because of the coils on the head (electromagnet), the head vibrates like an old-school record needle, and the drive platters amplify the sound like the cone over an even-older Victrola. Kinda neat, and really creative.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 5:36PM]

Yeh that is exactly what i did :) I was amazed when it worked!

[navigator Posted Sep 16th 2009 2:40PM]

A neat project. I took a look at the parts list and for those interested in this project and live in the U.S./Canada the amp is available through Carl's Electronics http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/ampl/ck708.htm

Regards,
Paul

[Swordrune10 Posted Sep 16th 2009 2:50PM]

might would sound better if you piped the bass into an actual bass speaker... then it wouldnt sound so flat! :P

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 5:36PM]

Then they wouldn't be hard drive speakers :)

[Kherberos Posted Sep 16th 2009 4:06PM]

Awesome ... btw two HD, is it for stereo ?... when is the 5.1 version coming ? :-)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 5:40PM]

Yeh it is stereo. It will be 5.1 when i can afford 3 individual amplifiers and a crossover! 5.1 has already been done though, just not in a case. 7.1? :P

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 4:45PM]

now thats f-in cool!