DIY or just buy commercial?

[Jussi]

I got this sticky dilemma.

My present WWMTM dynamic dipoles have served me well and I've also planned an upgraded version with WWMTMWW configuration. Peerless SLS 12" woofers, W18 Excels and Pro5i ribbon in the middle. Bit like Beethoven Grand. All active.

Then I got an intresting proposal from a fellow builder. Pair of Magnepan 3.5/R in decent price. Would take my DIY stuff in change.

What do you think? SWOT analysis, comments, recommendations?

Present speakers already need space behind them and operation method is the same so placing neither option would be similar to my present ones. No difference there.

[Helmuth]

DIY of course.

Here a high quality low price design wmtmw. Compact design monopole. Very good engineering (I could thought of it my self )

mivoc awm124
monacor carbon sph170
monacor DT300 I used it my self very nice performer.


Loudspeakers by Emil Attlid

[gootee]

Have you listened to the Magnepans?

I hadn't ever heard any, until recently, when I picked up a pair of MG12/QR. They are astounding, with imaging almost beyond belief, and astonishing clarity. I also have Vandersteen 2Ce and Thiel CS1.2 speakers, and haven't listened to anything but the Magnepans, since I got them.

The only downside I can think of, with the Magnepans, is that they seem to be extremely sensitive to listening position (or speaker positions). You have to be in the "sweet spot", to experience most of their benefits.

[Helmuth]

Originally Posted by gootee

Have you listened to the Magnepans?

I hadn't ever heard any, until recently, when I picked up a pair of MG12/QR. They are astounding, with imaging almost beyond belief, and astonishing clarity. I also have Vandersteen 2Ce and Thiel CS1.2 speakers, and haven't listened to anything but the Magnepans, since I got them.

The only downside I can think of, with the Magnepans, is that they seem to be extremely sensitive to listening position (or speaker positions). You have to be in the "sweet spot", to experience most of their benefits.

I have heard ESL's and also magnepans, and compared to the ESL's or normal speakers the mangnepans did not suffer a sweet-spot problem in the room I listened to them.

[Johnny2Bad]

I would do the trade (assuming you feel there is comparable value in the offer). Commercial speakers have more value to the great unwashed, and to quite a few of the "washed" as well. Thus, it's validating your skill when someone offers a trade.

"A guy traded his Maggies for a pair of my speakers" has a lot more weight than "I had an offer of a trade of Maggies once but we didn't go through with it" which loosely translates to "Yeah, Right" to a skeptical person.

You can always make more speakers, as well, because you carry the skill to do a DIY set that really works.

If you do continue with the hobby, comparisons are made easier because you now have a commercial reference that people you correspond with or talk with in forums like this can relate to. Also, you will find it easier to sell future speakers when you have the maggies sitting there to compare with.

I think it's a good offer unless you absolutely can't afford to keep them.

[kevinahcc20]

It depends on whether you want the most direct path to very high quality sound (Magnepans) or the time spent and ego gratification of DIY that may well end up with a lower quality outcome. DIY'ing 3-way speakers of very high quality requires deep knowledge and measuring tools that most do not possess. But if you enjoy the journey rather than the destination then by all means DIY!

[a.wayne]

Take the maggies ...........

[limono]

Magnepans are not "very high quality". They are tonal bland, have no real dynamics , truly artificial nonhuman sonics-. Just sound equivalent of poridge.

[gootee]

Originally Posted by limono

Magnepans are not "very high quality". They are tonal bland, have no real dynamics , truly artificial nonhuman sonics-. Just sound equivalent of poridge.

Wow. I could not disagree more.

[gootee]

Originally Posted by Helmuth

I have heard ESL's and also magnepans, and compared to the ESL's or normal speakers the mangnepans did not suffer a sweet-spot problem in the room I listened to them.

I phrased that the wrong way. My "problem" with the Magnepans is that when I have them positioned in certain ways, the sweet spot is so glorious that I can barely stand to not be positioned precisely in it.