Be sure you ask Lee for advice before you buy your crossover. He knows his stuff inside and out.
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
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
Showing 19 responses by erik_squires
I believe there has been some discussion on the Bifrost kits at DIY Audio, check out the mult-way forum there! http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/ Erik |
Hey Granny, I encourage you and your son to check out the Parts Express forums: http://techtalk.parts-express.com/ and their project gallery: http://projectgallery.parts-express.com/ as well as the DIYAudio multiway form here: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/ |
By the way, my favorite place to talk about DIY and kit speakers is the Multi-way forum at DIY Audio. Hope you'll join us and even become a sustaining member. http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/ Best, E |
I now know it would take me a whole Heap of money and a long time looking to find the next best thing in the speaker market, new or used. This brings up two major reasons to build yourself: 1 - Make exactly what you want 2 - Price performance is unmatched vs. commercial The high end brands charge around 10x the driver cost. Some much more. a few less. My main speakers would be around $12k if I tried purchasing, and they may or may not sound like what I want them to sound, exactly. |
For vintage horn/high efficiency fans, found these sites specializing in Altec Lansing reproductions: https://vintagespeakerrevival.com/ https://greatplainsaudio.com/ Really nice looking stuff! Best, E |
Assembling a speaker kit is not "building" a speaker IMO. Just like putting together an IKEA cabinet is not building furniture. Hifi kits can be fun and give you a sense of accomplishment, but they are just scratching the surface for DIY. I am really saddened by this type of attitude in an area I want to make fun and inviting for people regardless of their economic opportunity, tools or background. I think it is much more important to be welcoming and share knowledge and passion. Best, E |
@motokokusanagi I'd love to build my own speakers but the big hurdles for me are woodworking and design software and measurement tools. These things run thousands from scratch, no? Not anymore. :) So, for cabinetry, you can buy kits which have that too. If not, you could order cabinets from: http://www.taylorspeakers.com/ A high-end 2 way cabinet runs around $900 - So depends on your build. Still, say you spend $1,400 on parts, $900 on a cabinet, it's a steal compared to the $10k speaker you'd have to buy to get the same. Kits and cabinets (at various levels) are available from Madisound, Meniscus and Parts Express (probably others). Lastly, no, measurement software ranges from free (Room-EQ Wizard) to affordable (OmniMic - $300 I think? ) and even the super pro gear is so much cheaper than in the old days. Best of luck, Erik |