building vs classic

[Augy]

I'm just getting re-acquainted with quality sound after about 15 years (raising family). When I got married I sold my Boston Acoustic A150's and moved on. Now, I'm thinking of building some speakers in the $300 range (plus cabinets). My question is how something I could build for that price with todays' technology would stack up against what I'm familiar with...

I picked up a pair of Advent Prodigy Towers in mint condition for $45 and they sound great. I'm also considering some Boston Acoustic A150 series II that have recently been refoamed....price is $150.

So, aside from the enjoyment and pride associated with building my own (which I'm sure is considerable), would something I built for around $300 sound superior to the Advents and/or the BA's?

If anyone could help guide me with some advice, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

[RJ]

These guys at AudioKarma would probably know. I see a lot of posts on Advents. Just register and ask.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=150939

[Shaun]

Augy

You could hook up with a loudspeaker DIYer in your area and arrange an audition of his/her kit. IME, speakers that were good back in the day can hold their own in terms of voicing and general likeability. I believe that modern drivers combined with generally better knowledge of how to extract the best from drivers allows one to produce speakers of great accuracy and resolution. Whether that is the sound you are after is, of course, a different story. Very accurate speakers can reveal flaws in the upstream system that you might otherwise not have wanted to know about . In fact, that is my experience with classic Yamaha NS-1000's: poorly recorded, over-compressed music became unlistenable. But not all classic speakers have the resolution of the NS-1000's.

A very important aspect, IMO, is the value you get from buying a used item (being a classic speaker in good condition). It costs a lot in time and materials (money) to build and finish a well-built cabinet. Then measuring and designing the crossover (if you're starting from the ground up). In the end, it all depends on your preference...

[planet10]

You'd have to get really good score on a set of Classic speakers to get something that could outdo a well worked out diy design with $300 driver budget.

Most of the boxes in classic speakers you are going to get for $300 are worth burning IMHO. Some of the drivers are really good thou.

I can't say anything about the Advents you got (because they are after Advent was really Advent), but the classic ones can be easily bettered. As could a set of Boston A150 (i sold a lot of those too)

dave

[Augy]

Thanks, I'll do that. This decision is much harder than I would have anticipated and any advice is helpful

[Helmuth]

Originally posted by Augy
Thanks, I'll do that. This decision is much harder than I would have anticipated and any advice is helpful

I have second planet 10 a good second-hand deal is the cheapest.

But I think with the dayton chassis you can build a good two way design for $300.

Something like this.

7" nice aluminium chassis



dayton dome low XO

A very good tweeter often used in designs


or a ribbon


Or a classic 3 way
very nice tweet



one of the finest dome midranges


paper cone 10"


Realy great stuff for the price

[planet10]

and me, i think the best speakers you can build for <$300 worth of drivers are 1 ways (maybe with some super-tweeter augmentation)

dave

[Westerp]

Originally posted by planet10
the classic ones can be easily bettered. As could a set of Boston A150

Not stealing this topic But if you have any good ideas about bettering them I'm interested.

[Helmuth]

Originally posted by planet10
and me, i think the best speakers you can build for <$300 worth of drivers are 1 ways (maybe with some super-tweeter augmentation)

dave

This is also a true because you do not have any filter parts cost and negative effects of a filter.

(About the 10" woofer you only need a 40-60 liter closed box. Real classic speaker)

The only problem is the low frequency. You have to use a backloaded horn to get it right.
And he wanted to copy a classic design like his Boston Acoustic.

This full range maybe:

tangband

[planet10]

Originally posted by Westerp
Not stealing this topic But if you have any good ideas about bettering them I'm interested.

For a start a pair of BA150s, $10 worth of materials and an afternoon. It is not hard to make them sound so much better you'd estimate a cost at least twice as much as they did.

Except for the extreme bottom, the Fonkens in my living room absolutely cream them ($260 USD in drivers at retail -- i got lucky on the super-tweeters, but if one did the driver treatment themselves, they could be in for under $150, leaving room in the budget for an active woofer, then there would be no contest anywhere). But then i never even considered buying these new, much prefering things like Tangents (the Fonkens cream them too)

dave