Volume

[jbelectric777]

Hey everyone, I have a 555 timer hooked up to an 8 ohm speaker and I adjust it with a variable potentiometer. I get different tones depending on how I increase or decrease resistance. Here is my question: Since the only component driving the speaker is the 555 chip, then if I had the chip (output pin #3) control an NPN transistor and the transistor control the speaker will I get more power to the speaker and make it much louder ?

 

[audioguru]

A 555 is overloaded if it drives an 8 ohm speaker with a supply voltage higher than 4.5V. The 555 and a single transistor will not produce AC, they produce pulses of DC which is bad for a speaker. The 555 can have an output capacitor in series with the speaker to give it aC, then the max supply voltage is 8.2V.
To get more power you need a higher supply voltage for an amplifier which also causes the AC current in the speaker to be higher.