Looking for home audio / home theater speaker DIY or not?

[qualm]

So i have decided that I would like to start building myself a home stereo / home theater system. I am really new to home stereo equipment. I do not know much about it at all. I want some really good sounding speakers and am a bang for your buck kinda guy at this time in my life. I have been shopping around, reading reviews and mainly looking at already constructed mainstream speakers. I want to have a 5.1 system, but also a nice tower set up for listening to music. I have been looking at the JBL "L" series as you can get pretty good prices online. Has anybody heard any of these? Are they any good? All I really have to go on is the main stream audio companies I know that these are not always the best and that's why I am here.
While I was looking here, I ran across a site called http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com with all kinds of DIY kits. I was looking at the ZAPH Audio kits and started wondering if one of these kits would sound better than the JBL set-ups. Does anyone know if the ZAPH would sound better?

Does anyone have any suggestions on home audio equipment or recommendations? I was looking to spend about 200-300 on the towers and about 200-300 on the center speaker. 100-200 on the rear speakers and I have not figured out the sub pricing yet. I will probably go with the 2 towers and the center speaker for a while then do the rear and Sub if I feel I need it.

Is this the correct place to post?

Thanks,
qualm

[dirkwright]

The only Zaph in your price range is not a tower:
Zaph|Audio ZA5.2 TM 2-Way, Pair: Madisound Speaker Store

They are small bookshelf speakers.

Unless you are a good woodworker and can find good material cheaply, you're going to be over budget even with these. ($200 for the parts and only $100 left over for the boxes, grills, etc)

[Inductor]

Originally Posted by dirkwright

The only Zaph in your price range is not a tower:
Zaph|Audio ZA5.2 TM 2-Way, Pair: Madisound Speaker Store

They are small bookshelf speakers.

Unless you are a good woodworker and can find good material cheaply, you're going to be over budget even with these. ($200 for the parts and only $100 left over for the boxes, grills, etc)

I agree. It must be difficult for kids. I had to build and sell, and I had a job.
Anyway there is this EISA AWARD Best Product 2011-2012 in loudspeaker category that is the JBL Studio 190 for less than 500 coins.
http://www.amazon.com/JBL-Studio-190...SIN=B00413OWMY

[dantheman]

I'd go with Infinity Primus speakers and a JBL studio monitor for the center. They will all do the job very well and measure very well too boot.

Dan

[qualm]

Originally Posted by dirkwright

The only Zaph in your price range is not a tower:
Zaph|Audio ZA5.2 TM 2-Way, Pair: Madisound Speaker Store

They are small bookshelf speakers.

Unless you are a good woodworker and can find good material cheaply, you're going to be over budget even with these. ($200 for the parts and only $100 left over for the boxes, grills, etc)

I was just talking speaker components not building supplies. I cant get really cheap stuff or anything just figured it would not be too expensive. As to being a good wood worker I am a CNC programmer with access to CNC machines for my cabinet making needs. I see what your saying though building will probably put me way over budget.

Originally Posted by dantheman

I'd go with Infinity Primus speakers and a JBL studio monitor for the center. They will all do the job very well and measure very well too boot.

So the JBL speakers sound pretty good then?


How well do the DIY speakers sound compared to main stream speaker manufacturers? I have never heard any DIY speakers. It sounds like building speakers would be a fun project as well.

[lduarte1973]

i have 2 jbl es250p subwoofers , and you can trust me they are well worth the money. i bought them cause i got a huge discount , maybe you can do better sounding speakers spending with nearly the same amount , but JBL products are usualy a bang for the buck.

[Inductor]

Originally Posted by qualm

...As to being a good wood worker I am a CNC programmer with access to CNC machines for my cabinet making needs.

That can save you hundreds just for work programming the CNC machines for the speakers panels/baffle.
Let's see what you can do building with 200/300 a pair. Crossover, drivers and other parts do all cost money, so it depends more on the quality of the parts and I guess on the size of it too (towers?).
A very complex crossover can also drain all your money. There are also kits with all the parts/plans included, you just need to build the enclosure.

[dirkwright]

Originally Posted by qualm

I was just talking speaker components not building supplies. I cant get really cheap stuff or anything just figured it would not be too expensive. As to being a good wood worker I am a CNC programmer with access to CNC machines for my cabinet making needs. I see what your saying though building will probably put me way over budget.

It entirely depends on how pretty you want your cabinets to look. You can slap together some MDF boxes for pretty cheap.

[dirkwright]

Originally Posted by qualm

How well do the DIY speakers sound compared to main stream speaker manufacturers? I have never heard any DIY speakers. It sounds like building speakers would be a fun project as well.

They can sound far better than anything you can afford to purchase, depending on your design expertise, the help you get here, and the drivers you select. As you've found out, you can purchase a kit that has all the parts except a box, which is probably the best way for you to go if you've never designed a system before or if you're not really interested in getting into the nitty gritty details of system design.

We really don't mind spending your money at all. Honest! <g>

[mrkunkun238]

Originally Posted by qualm

So i have decided that I would like to start building myself a home stereo / home theater system. I am really new to home stereo equipment. I do not know much about it at all. I want some really good sounding speakers and am a bang for your buck kinda guy at this time in my life. I have been shopping around, reading reviews and mainly looking at already constructed mainstream speakers. I want to have a 5.1 system, but also a nice tower set up for listening to music. I have been looking at the JBL "L" series as you can get pretty good prices online. Has anybody heard any of these? Are they any good? All I really have to go on is the main stream audio companies I know that these are not always the best and that's why I am here.
While I was looking here, I ran across a site called http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com with all kinds of DIY kits. I was looking at the ZAPH Audio kits and started wondering if one of these kits would sound better than the JBL set-ups. Does anyone know if the ZAPH would sound better?

Does anyone have any suggestions on home audio equipment or recommendations? I was looking to spend about 200-300 on the towers and about 200-300 on the center speaker. 100-200 on the rear speakers and I have not figured out the sub pricing yet. I will probably go with the 2 towers and the center home theater speaker for a while then do the rear and Sub if I feel I need it.

Is this the correct place to post?

Thanks,
qualm

you can trust me they are well worth the money. i bought them cause i got a huge discount