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Opinion - Every audiophile should build at least 1 pair of speakers

I think everyone who does this, even just once, would be forever changed and become an improved music listener as well as equipment hobbyist.

Whether you build a single driver speaker like the LM-1S or the 2-way desktop LM-1 (designs are free) or any other kit from


I think you would find yourself with very different biases and understanding of how parts interact, how drivers work, and how much a good pair of speakers should cost, and most likely you would have a different opinion about what a good speaker sounds like.

Would you build world reference speakers for $50 a pair? Not likely at all, but when I see audiophiles argue over thousands of dollars in speaker cables and interconnects, I think to myself, their opinions and biases about where to spend their time and money would be forever changed if they built but a single pair of speakers.

Also, of course, building speakers is fun as hell, and a great project to introduce kids to electronics. Especially girls, we need more girls who grow up to be speaker makers, amp designers and audiophiles!

Best,


Erik


erik_squires

Showing 2 responses by kosst_amojan

kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
I'm smart enough to know I'm not smart enough to build a speaker as nice as what the same money would buy. I can build an amp though, and I can do that way cheaper than I can buy a similar amp for. I can seem to build cables that are better than lamp cord for a lot less than similar cables go for. My speakers are a hell of a lot more complicated than the amp I built. 
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
I built the amp from prefabbed PCBs, transistor kits, and various parts I obtained from at least 6 suppliers. I certainly didn’t design it, but I definitely built it outside the design specs to good effect.
I vividly recall an article in Stereophile where someone built a very well laid out Focal Aria 5 kit to some dubious results. He used unfinished MDF and ended up with a bright, beaming speaker. When he consulted Focal and D’Apolito about the lousy sound and measurements, D’Apolito provided his creations, the only difference being a finish veneer, and the sound was vastly improved. That seems to me a relatively minor alteration in comparison to ramping up amp voltages from 24V to 34.5V. That kind of thing would drive me nuts trying to sort out and I don’t have a lab full of gear to measure, sort out issues, and make changes. Beyond that, I have no desire to become embroiled in the OCD discussions concerning exotic caps and wire and resistors. The amp was easy. No caps in the amp aside from the power supply. Used the quiet Vishay, Panasonic, and Ohmite resistors, soldered the stuff together, and it just sounded awesome from day 1. The finish on the case didn’t make any difference.
I also live in a condo and my best friends / landlords would be less than impressed if I decided to build speakers on the brand new carpet they bought for me.
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