4 inch driver sounds better than $1000

[ror]

PLEASE! do not take this as cheap shot against full range speakers, but some people are saying a 4 inch driver in the proper box sounds as good or better than a $1000 retail speaker. Does that mean I can build a low end B&W for less than $200? If so here we go!

[ra7]

Why don't you build one and see for yourself?

[jrenkin]

Well, I have seen a retail $7000 speaker that uses the same woofer and tweeters I used in my DIYer. Is mine as good as theirs? Maybe, probably not quite, but they are damn good, made by me, so my personal bias matters and the drivers only cost me a couple of hundred bucks.
So, it isn't the driver cost, most speakers have components costing in the range of hundreds, yet the final product costs thousands. It is what you do with them.

[PDRCanada]

I think your bench mark is too low........

For any Diy, full range or not, if it is designed properly, for few hundreds of dollars it should out perform most brand name bottom dwellers......as was suggested.....try it, you might scratch mid level B&Ws off your list also.

[bmwman91]

The $150 I spent on my first pair of 2-ways ($65 of which was maple veneer, two 4" drivers & 2 1" tweeters were $60 total) gave me speakers that blew the heck out of anything I had ever heard in any store (granted, I avoid boutique audio stores like the plague).

Can they compete with multi-thousand$ sets of high end stuff? Technically, they are likely inferior. However, they beat any $500 or less setup I have heard (excluding other DIY ones).

Just build some, you will see.

[ror]

Ok, I will try it. Budget $200 Goal $1000 speakers! Name the wood and speakers. By the way I am in Canada so Creative Sound would be best for me.

[IG81]

Originally Posted by ror

PLEASE! do not take this as cheap shot against full range speakers, but some people are saying a 4 inch driver in the proper box sounds as good or better than a $1000 retail speaker. Does that mean I can build a low end B&W for less than $200? If so here we go!

One has to realise that speaker design and performance is always a matter of trade-offs and compromise. Multi-way and fullrange both have things they do much better than the other and their own sets of strenghts and weaknesses. Simply stating that one speaker sounds better than another requires a fixed definition of "better", which is not really possible as it's all very subjective and usually up to the individual's preferences.

That said, you are totally encouraged to try your hands at building a fullrange speaker. I suggest you read around quite a bit before doing anything and get a feeling of what would work best for you in terms of speaker size, type and the associated enclosure.

Good luck and remember, have fun!

IG

[kristleifur]

Building and playing music through a fullrange speaker is a really unique experience, and worth the $200 alone. There definitely is magic in the sound. The thousand dollar sound is just a bonus

[Crossblade]

Originally Posted by ror

Ok, I will try it. Budget $200 Goal $1000 speakers! Name the wood and speakers. By the way I am in Canada so Creative Sound would be best for me.

Check out Planet10 speakers with Fostex or Mark Audio drivers. They will be even better, if you use Planet10-modified versions of the drivers, which is a bargain as you are in Canada.

planet_10 hifi
planet_10 hifi
and
The Spawn Family of Double Horns

[mymindinside]

Your reaction towards fullrange speakers will depend a lot on your taste in music and your listening style. What is your proposed listening setup? what kind of music do you like? what is your average listening level?

cheers,
mymindinside