How would you compare your DIY speakers to commercial speakers?

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AJ Bertelson said:
I mean if you were to go out and purchase a speaker that was comparable to ones that you build what would it be, if there even is one?

For example, What would the Dayton II's or III's be comparable to a commercial speaker?

This is just out of curiosity

Why don't you finish your Proac 2.5 clones and go do some comparisons.

I like my Seas Thor TL speakers more than speakers that I have heard in commercial stores.

--
Brian
 
Konnichiwa,

AJ Bertelson said:
I mean if you were to go out and purchase a speaker that was comparable to ones that you build what would it be, if there even is one?

Non of my more recent DIY Speakers have even remote commercial analogs in the conventional sense and for good reasons. Why should implement all the faults common Speaker designers build into their product to eliminate any possibility of "High Fidelity" reproduction?

Sayonara
 
AJ Bertelson said:
I mean if you were to go out and purchase a speaker that was comparable to ones that you build what would it be, if there even is one?

Before building a speaker I always set a standard. The speaker I will be building must be comparable in quality with a commercial speaker of twice the price. In the process, I don't care if I have to waste some money for prototype etc (not even my time value), but in the end, the total material cost should be at least half of the comparable commercial speaker.

With P17WJ and D27TG, I built many speakers as I found on the net or literatur. I compare them in A/B test, and then I built mine using those speakers as benchmark. (Am I a real DIYer? :D)

The conclusion I got from experience is:

For cheap speaker, it is easy to build a speaker that compare very well with commercial speaker of twice the price. The more the budget, the more difficult it is. And I believe, it takes a real expert or professional to beat a $40000 commercial speaker with $20000 budget (of course you have to compare with the best commercial speaker of that price). At that level anyway, there will be no distinct line between DIY and commercial.

The most expensive speaker I have ever built cost me only around $700. (Material price).
 
Re: Re: How would you compare your DIY speakers to commercial speakers?

BrianGT said:
Why don't you finish your Proac 2.5 clones and go do some comparisons.
Can't at the moment, getting hitched. All monetary funds have been diverted to the wedding account. So now I just get to sand for 6 more months.

So I am trying to find someway to kill the time a bit :smash:


Jay pretty much answered my question though
 
When I built mine....

My first day on the forum (and my third post), so by way of introduction...

I originally owned and ran a pair of Klipsch Heresy 2 speakers. I liked what they did (with tube amps driving them) but felt there was something missing in terms of both image size and bass.

With that in mind I set about building my own. I used horn loaded tweeters but went paper for the midrange and polycarb for the woofer (8 inches only).

Kept the bass unit sealed - wanted to retain the speed of the bass that the Heresy had.

Basically the mission was accomplished - although in the end I dont think it worked out that much cheaper.

266speaker_and_psu.jpg


Hopefully there is a picture above this so you can see the work. (hmmm - no you cant - but it makes a link so that is nearly as good). To compare this to a commercial speaker is not really realistic. The drivers come from the 4 corners of the earth - and I spent a small fortune on wood - real wood not MDF or anything - about an inch thick. Frankly I think the wood contributes as much to the overall sound as anything - but working with it is a chore.

I should probably also point out that the speakers are actually really 3 separate boxes sharing common exterior walls - I think that makes a big difference to the sound too.
 
AJ Bertelson said:
I mean if you were to go out and purchase a speaker that was comparable to ones that you build what would it be, if there even is one?

For example, What would the Dayton II's or III's be comparable to a commercial speaker?

This is just out of curiosity

Well, if you were to buy a speaker, you couldn't tune the crossover and box to your room and system. It would either work or it wouldn't. With a DIY speaker system, you can make the in-room response flat, and adjust for things like speaker placement, amp type, and room size.

Just something to think about.
 
DIY speakers don't have to be ugly of course. In fact, if you are patient and ready to work, real nice speakers can be done with limited equipment and/or woodworking skills. I have never been disapointed with my speakers but sometimes, the resulting speaker is not a clear value winner over similarly priced commercial units. But with clever design, you can get greats results. I am particularly proud of my last attempt...

F
 

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I think the answer is you don't get the sometimes dubious
practises of commercial manafacturers impinging on you.

Many commercial speakers take short cuts that seem reasonable
given a non-critical customer, for example many will simply not
play cleanly at high volume levels, many skimp on the crossover.

Of course the best commercial designs (i.e. the expensive ones)
don't have these problems but they are not mainstream IMO.

IMO the Dayton D3 is in certain respects way superior to what
might appear to be a similar budget commercial speaker.

:) sreten.
 
I think the answer is you don't get the sometimes dubious practises of commercial manafacturers impinging on you

Had to laugh at this; how true. At the risk of offending those of a country north of here who seem to revel in the BS ... hmm well actually all countries are north of here. I do tire of reading how the "dymaninex (tm) ultranox (tm) uses the hyper-linear-mega-ultra-super-dynama-upsized (patent pending) technology" and is going to change my life if I just send a "check" (that's cheque to English speakers), money order or gold bullion to the address listed.

Note: This is NOT a real offer. My DIY systems in fact use the hyper-linear-mega-ultra-super-dynama-ACCELERATED technology for which, as we all know, a patent has already been granted.
 
commercial designs,

:rolleyes:
I guess I have to wonder how many beings are on design teams?
Then too, a commercial manufacturer has a higher budget.
Available technology plays a part in designs too.
Of course, there's years of training in a design team's background.

In all, I have to imagine <- keyword, that anyone may come up with a better model.

Many thanks to the person who started this topic! Your speakers appear to have that magical quality to them. As long as you have compared them to commercial varieties and like what you have, then you have done your part. Keep up the great work.

I'll be hardpressed to take on my pair of Klipsch with my design!
Good job, man.

:angel:

GH
 
Re: commercial designs,

extremy said:
:rolleyes:
I guess I have to wonder how many beings are on design teams?
Then too, a commercial manufacturer has a higher budget.
Available technology plays a part in designs too.
Of course, there's years of training in a design team's background.

In all, I have to imagine <- keyword, that anyone may come up with a better model.

Many thanks to the person who started this topic! Your speakers appear to have that magical quality to them. As long as you have compared them to commercial varieties and like what you have, then you have done your part. Keep up the great work.

I'll be hardpressed to take on my pair of Klipsch with my design!
Good job, man.

:angel:

GH

Im not sure I understand what you meant. But your statements are correct...

1) Commercial speakers (also amps :D) have better built quality.
2) Commercial speakers are (mostly) well designed (due to technology and expertise). It is just that the design objectives that differ them from DIY. Their objective has something to do with the market or the ROI.

The more important thing to notice is that between commercial speaker and DIY speaker of the same price (or quality!), DIY speaker tends to have better parts (drivers and/or crossover). This itself will guarantee that if only the designer has equal expertise and tools, the DIY speaker should have been better, not just equal.

Performance-to-price ratio, is not something crusial to most of DIYers. Only a few experts that do not want to put Black Gate caps in Vifa crossover.
 
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