Battery powered amp - is a bigger sound possible?

[psiico]

I just got started in this effects building thing recently and I'm having a blast.  I'm one of those guys who can't just make something though, I have to fiddle around with it.  I made an Electra distortion as my first project and added a switch to choose from two different diode pairs (germanium + silicon and 2 X silicon) for different sounds.  Experimented with some other ideas too but they didn't work out right to my ear.

Anyway, that's just background for why I'm asking this.  I want to build a battery amp, either a Ruby or Gem most likely.  In my experiance small amps just don't sound very good, they sound small and tinny.  I understand that's mostly an effect of the speakers.  My computer has tiny speakers but they sound great.  I also understand speakers like that don't typically sound good for guitars.  Is there a way to blend one of the cabinet sim designs with a Ruby or Gem to filter the tone to a larger sound then use quality speakers like my computer uses?  If it is possible would it be best to put the cab sim in front of the amp or after it right before the speaker is connected?  Or would it be best to try to replace the input buffer of the Ruby with the cab sim?  Or put it between the buffer and 386?  Or is it a total waste of time and it won't affect the tone noticably?

Forgive me if I come off sounding like a total newb, I am one, lol.  I'm not looking for someone to draw me a schematic, I'd rather try to hack one out on my own since IMHO you learn far more doing things yourself, especially if you make a bunch of mistakes.  I just don't want to put a bunch of effort into this to have it not work due to a dumb idea instead of mistakes on my part.  I just want a few pointers on what order to put things and what can or should  be left out.

[Joecool85]

A stock littlegem is actually a little bass heavy when played on a good guitar speaker.  It's all about the speaker.

[amz-fx]

Big speakers make big sound...  the better the speaker, the better the sound.

Even a half-watt amp can put out a reasonable volume with the right speaker.

regards, Jack

[psiico]

It's not volume I'm looking for, it's tone.  For example, I can plug my guitar directly into my soundcard and record it.  Doersn't sound bad but it doesn't sound good either.  But I can run Guitar Rig 2 or another amp emulator and suddenly my little 3 inch speakers sound like a 4X12 cabinet, it's not the volume that changed but the tone.  Same thing happens if I used say the Condor cab sim between the guitar and soundcard.  That's the sort of effect I'm looking for.  What I want to know is will it have the same effect if I put it between a guitar and an amp and what's the best order to wire it together.  I want a small, portable, battery powered amp but with decent sound, I don't want to put 12" speakers in it, I was hoping to stay under 4 inches for portability's sake.  I guess I should build the amp first and see how I like the sound on it's own, but that would make too much sense, lol.

[Joecool85]

I play my little gem through a 2.5" speaker I dug out of a radio.  It sounds great.  On that same note, I tried a bunch of small speakers before I found a suitable one.