ProAc response 2.5 clones what makes them different

[busterno1]

I have been reading a lot on this forum about the ProAc Responce 2.5 clones .

Could someone tell me what makes them so good .I have found a couple of diy clone web sites but they dont have a reason as to why these speakers are so good .

are they different in some way to everything else around .

do they use a different box design or unusual crossovers or something like that . thanks

[tech.knockout]

simple: they are easy and relatively cheap to build and sound as good as $2000 speakers.



But I want something abit more larger and more bass.

[tktran]

I'm currently building the clones. There's a few reasons why I decided to embark on this project.

I came across the DIY website a year or two ago, and wasn't interested at that time.

But what drew me back to the site was after I had a chance to listen to the Proac Studio 125 at my local hifi dealer. It's the most affordable ProAc floorstander by far. Slightly smaller and uses a tweeter that looks like Scanspeak 8513 (but likely a custom job made specifically for ProAc), but a smaller 6.5" mid/bass unit (Seas?)

I was gobsmacked by the impressive bass and out-of-the box imaging for a 2 way box. I suspect anyone who's used to budget hifi will agree you won't need a subwoofer.

I could have bought the Studio 125, but they weren't quite the bang-for-buck speakers I was looking for. Now to buy the Response 2.5 costs over 2.5 times as much. But to build a reasonably similar copy costs only half the price of a Studio 125.

Well that sounded good to me! However, since buying the drivers (past the point of no return) I've discovered a few things. You may want to consider-

Positives:

a) well documented (but see (a) below)
b) various crossover options to try if you're not happy
c) moderately priced, partly because it uses only 2 drivers per speaker and the cabinet is as simply as they come.
d) ProAc sound -sweet/lush etc (see part d below)

Negatives
a) opinions are not unanimous- it's hard to know who to believe, so the best thing to do is listen to them before you decide to build them, but
b) they are no longer in production- making difficult to audition.
a) variability in parts eg. stuffing, lining, now drivers can affect results- you may need a lot of tinkering to get it to sound right.
d) ProAc sound is not neutral or accurate- some music sounds fantastic, some sound almost intolerable.

Don't get sucked into the premise that you can build the a 2.5 for 1/5 the price like me. Due to variability in parts every clone probably sounds a little different (they're all hand-made, not produced by machines), and be warned it may also take a lot of work to get it to sound right.

Second, don't judge the Resposne 2.5/D25 based on their retail price. I've heard some excellent studio/recording grade speakers for only half their cost.

Some people here at DIYaudio may disagree- DIY half the fun- it's priceless!

But when I was in school I received a C grade in woodwork. But now I have hundreds of CDs waiting to be enjoyed.