When it comes to speaker building, what best defines the term "DIY"

[Remlab]

It was a rather simple(And apparently obvious) question, but at the same time, there is a element of potential snobbery that can be rooted out by asking it. Good way for newbies(Most viewers?) to test the website water..

 

[system7]

It was a rather simple(And apparently obvious) question, but at the same time, there is a element of potential snobbery that can be rooted out by asking it. Good way for newbies(Most viewers?) to test the website water..

Well, I wonder quite what your motives were then? Not entirely positive?

But you raise an interesting observation about the Sony SS-AR1 speaker.
https://dealersource.sel.sony.com/dsweb/p/ar1/assets/SS-AR1_WhitePaper_Final_LoRes.pdf

It's really straight out of the projects of Troels Gravesen. The maple and birch ply construction is something John Eekels would understand fully:
Eekels' Mini

We covered all this in our DIYaudio BBC LS3/5A musings, of course.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/216854-ls3-5a-mini-monitor-clones-12.html#post3156310

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

My own bit of DIY testing of Lime wood...

 

[sofaspud]

Well, I wonder quite what your motives were then? Not entirely positive?

Like many many other things in life, it ultimately depends on where you want to place the threshold.

 

[afa]

Hi Remlab, Yes I once built the kef concerto kit back in the 80s, but now I repair and build speakers for a job/living, I suppose diy can mean anything from buying a complete system ( ie, I did it myself with no help from the salesperson) to the person who builds a ribbon speaker from scratch,

 

[wintermute]

As has already been said it depends on the individuals interpretation of DIY! There are even those that make their own drivers!!

I've been building stuff for years, Some has been kits, some has been built from scratch from someone else's design, and some of it I have designed and built from scratch myself. I consider all of it to have been DIY.

I don't have the knowledge to design my own amplifier circuit, but if I build an amp based on someone else's schematic then I consider that DIY, one of my amps was a complete kit, I also consider that DIY.

My MTM speakers I designed and built myself (with the help of the diy community in general who answered lots of my questions and helped me to get to the level of understanding I needed to to pull it off) I chose drivers that there were no published designs for so I was largely on my own, but did have some invaluable info from the guy that sold them to me (Thanks Terry ) . It is probably the most hard core DIY I have done, even the coils in the crossover I wound myself. Would I consider someone who didn't wind their own coils not to be a true diyer?? Of course not, I'd probably think that they were rather sensible

There are many different levels of skill on diyAudio, and every level has some degree of DIY. Over the years I've been inspired by what I have seen here, and learnt a lot. The key for me is believing that I can do it, and having the tenacity to keep at it.

I think that what probably stops a lot of people from reaching the point where they are doing really hard core DIY is fear. Fear of not being able to pull it off, not having the required knowledge or skills, or simply fear of wasting money on a failed project (provided one learns what went wrong then even a failure is not a complete failure).

I think that is why a lot start off small and as they gain confidence bite off bigger chunks (which is eminently sensible) . Some of us though just dive in head first and either sink or swim

Tony.

 

[balerit]

DIY is essentially doing everything yourself at home, from drawing the shematics, the blueprints, parts list to the final assembly. Sometimes it's cheaper and quicker to have say the pcb's manufactured and drilled by someone else, or the wood cut by a timber merchant or kitchen cupboard manufacturer. I even make my own test equipment, as for most DIY'ers it's the cost of things that count and of course you can make a far superior product.

Mac.

The Book Worm - DIY Audio Ebooks and Manuals - Speakers, Moscode Amplifiers, Electronics, Map Reading, Free Capacitor Intro.

 

[Bare]

Can't readily define it. Don't want to
But from 40 years of observing and even participating: DIY means trying: again and again and again.
Often/typically for decades. Logic/reason, what there was of it initially, develops (devolves?) into obsession .
Can we say Addiction? Like smoking, best avoided by Never taking the first puff.

 

[balerit]

Can't readily define it. Don't want to
But from 40 years of observing and even participating: DIY means trying: again and again and again.
Often/typically for decades. Logic/reason, what there was of it initially, develops (devolves?) into obsession .
Can we say Addiction? Like smoking, best avoided by Never taking the first puff.

You're right, sometimes I'll spend days messing about with a design, then get fed up and swear to never touch electronics again. But after a while the bug bites and it starts all over again, oh well at least it keeps me going. And I think i have a sound system second to none, but it's the looks on peoples faces when they hear it and I say: yip I built everything.

Mac

Moscode amplifier - The Book Worm