Are you satisfied with your own speaker design build?

[fakeout]

I just searched 300 pages of thread titles to find the same question and couldn't find it. So here it goes, if you haven't followed a plan and designed your own speakers, are you satisfied? I mean if you compare them to some store-bought speakers.

This post interrupted by this musical interlude. lol
[video]
Tanita Tikaram -Twist in my sobriety - YouTube[/video]

I'm just asking in general. I'm the kind of person who can start investigating a project then put it aside several times for several months before I get anything done. I could take forever to do it. But, I'm looking into this to waste time and also to avoid or manage the stresses of life.

[PeteMcK]

Yes, but I've built lots of speakers & in the process trained my ears what to listen for. Nowadays, any I build are just to try out new ideas or drivers.
If this is a first build (or any number lower than 10 )then you'll be subject to the usual learning curve/human restlessness & suspicion that you might not have the best.... now, if only I could find the perfect guitar...

[Zuhl]

Very satisfied with my SEAS L18/22TAFG design. They are well balanced, clear, open dynamic and it's a pleasure to listen to music.

By comparison, my purchase Musical Fidelity MC4s (original version) sound thick, slow, undynamic, veiled, with a lack of treble, a dip in the upper mid, large peaks at 600hz and 100hz, soft flabby bass etc. A pair of KEF iQ5s I have in another room sound even worse.

So, my design is a success. Can I do better? Always, but not without spending more money

[StigErik]

Yes - absolutely

B&G RD-75 ribbons and sixteen 21" dipole woofers in my case.

[trondskij]

"It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion."

- L.L. Beranek

[Moondog55]

My first pair of speakers were brilliant and absolutely perfect and I have been going downhill ever since

[sideways]

Yes!!

I got some help here with my xover (system7 thank you)and everything turned out splendidly!!

I even bought a set of Reference 3a's for comparison...liked my build better

Had a set of Kef 104.2's in the house last week...waiting for a buddy to pick them up...very closely voice but the Visaton tweeter was clearer...probably why I like the build so much...modern day vintage sound?? LOL!!!

Morel HU621\Visaton KE25SC

[mondogenerator]

Originally Posted by PeteMcK

Yes now, if only I could find the perfect guitar...

haha, finding is easier than acquiring in my case. Still dreaming of that twin neck 6 and 12 string SG

my 1st build was poor but shone in its own way. Sadly stolen and the culprits left the xo...

2nd build far better, superceded by the next, but is still worthy.

3rd build, almost spot on.

Others still in development are shaping up to be at least as good.

The better you get, the more marginal the improvement.

[Helmuth]

My current dipole low with kugelwellenhorn is very good (already 2 years), over the hole bandwidth.

It was a long route for me to learn what ideas of mine are wrong and witch turn out good.
Now I have the knowledge and experiences to make successful good sounding and good measuring systems.

[balerit]

My last design was the ultimate and I would never change. The biggest compliment was when people brought their speakers for comparison and went away disappointed after spending thousands of bucks on top brand names.