Build or Buy - Revisited...

[DIYNewbie]

This group has been extremely helpful and provided some great advice for me as I enter this hobby. So, I am coming back to the well for another serving...

I am trying to decide on a set of speakers for my home theater. My general price range is somewhere around $3,500 for a 5 peice set and I would like to make few, if any, compromises on sound quality. Obviously, that budget won't get me into a new set of Watt Puppies, but it should get dome very good speakers! After doing a bunch of research, here is what I have narrowed it down to:

BUILD a set of 5 matched speakers using the Audiom TD5 tweeter and the Focal W line of drivers. This would be a "kit" from Zalytron. Each speaker would have 2 - 7" woofers, 2 - 5" mid range and the tweeter. Price ends up around $3,200 + shipping + build time.

or...

BUY a set of Onix Rockets (www.av123.com). The set would be the RS-750's up front, the RS200 center, and then the RSS300's in the rear. This has been a highly lauded and reviewed. Build quality appears to be first rate and I have yet to find anyone who doesn't absolutely love them! Price woud be ~$2500 + shipping.

Now, here are some other issues that may influence your advice:

1) I have a full time (and then some) job and who knows how long it will take me to find enough time in the shop to build 5 speakers.

2) I don't want to compromise on sound, and I don't want to be "upgrading" anytime soon.

3) While I enjoy good quality equipment and can probably detect the last 1-5% that makes a component exceptional, I don't see the value in paying too much to acheive it.

4) I am in the process of upgrading the balance of my equipment. When complete, it will be on the order of a Lexicon MC-12 pre/pro through either Bryston, Gemstone, or sunfire amps.

5) I am not wed to a floorstanding model. I will be running a sub, so they don't need to be full range. I just want great sound!

6) I have 100% confidence in my woodworking ability. Not so much on my veneering abilities. Never tried it... Finsihed build product would most likely be a piano black finish on MDF.

7) The budget for this is fairly felxible. I would obviously like to spend as little as possible, but could spend more if need be.

Now, the groups advice has been tremendous so far. Don't let me down on this one... Thanks again!

Any advice/suggestions?

[Timn8ter]

There are many reasons to engage in this hobby but the primary reason is a passion for the technology and building things. Saving money can be realized but at the expense of time. If you get into creating your own designs the money saving part is highly debatable. Since you've indicated that if you do go DIY you'll be building a kit there are really only 3 reasons to do so.

1. Your time is worth the money you'll save.
2. You want some special "feature" that's not available in a finished product.
3. You love to build stuff.

If this doesn't apply to you, then go buy the best finished product you can find in your price range.

[Vikash]

All the hard work is already done with kits, and since you are confident in your woodworking skills, then the kits seem like a good idea - and you should probably be able to put them together quite quick but for the finishing...

$ for $, I would expect the quality of components to be better in a kit.

Just my

[bogoes]

Personally, I imagine you'll miss the extra $1k it would cost to build the Focal sets more than you would the sound improvements over the rockets. I like the dipole styled surrounds in my HT much more than bipoles, they are much harder to locate and just provide nice ambiance like they're supposed to. I also wouldn't be crazy about using a vertical MTM as a center channel (if I found the right kit at Zalytron - which one is it?) because you won't be able to lay it on it's side without reworking the crossover. I'm all for DIY but can't see a reason here, not with these kits - I've not heard reviews on either set (just for reference).

So, I say save your money (and time) and use it to buy a nice projector or put in a 4-driver IB sub for the ultimate movie-going effects. And then there are room treatments and source equipment that you can spend your cash on. Is this a dedicated HT room or is it also a living area?

My

[thylantyr]

If you want to buy speakers that are complete and you have
not heard them, then it's like gambling.

What other people like may not be what you like from a sound
system. That is the problem with kits and DIY, you are relying
on the community to steer you into a certain direction based
on your budget and you hope that it works out.

The people that are hardcore DIY will build many systems,
audition many drivers and spend alot of time trying to find
the right combination that satisfies.

If you buy a kit without auditioning the drivers you are
taking a similar chance, but at least you have the option
to listen to the drivers before construction begins - just
in case you want to edit the design

If you are not a picky audiophile then there is a good
chance that you will be pleased even if you gamble.

As a comparison variable, have you auditioned store bought
speakers so you can calibrate your audiophile level ?

[sreten]

Being somewhat of a music vs HT snob, I'd suggest the Focal
units would not really shine in this application, IMO they need
need serious and subtle attention to work to their optimum
in a music system and they aren't going to get it in a HT system.

So I suggest saving yourself time and grief.

Whilst on the subject IMO top notch sound equipment for HT
given the nature of the source you are really wasting your time.
(I mentioned I was a music snob didn't I ?)
A top of the range all singing all dancing Yamaha
or similar reciever is all thats needed IMO.

Spend your money on a good visual source, projector and screen.

sreten.

[DIYNewbie]

Would others on the forum agree that for HT is is actually preferable to have a speaker that has a little less clarity?

For 2ch, I like having a level of detail that brings out poor recording or mixing. It just makes me appreciate well recorded albums all the more.

Thanks.

[netgeek]

Originally posted by DIYNewbie
Would others on the forum agree that for HT is is actually preferable to have a speaker that has a little less clarity?

For 2ch, I like having a level of detail that brings out poor recording or mixing. It just makes me appreciate well recorded albums all the more.

Thanks.

I don't think it's a matter of having less clarity per se - it seems to be more a matter of impact and dynamics vs. detail (impact for HT and detail for music). If you take a look at some of the very upmarket JBL HT systems (and here we're talking upwards of US$25,000) it's interesting to note that - in order to accomodate both applications - they literally switch the entire mid/HF scheme dynamically (with remote triggering) depending on what material you're listening to. For example - for HT they will use compression drivers for most of the midrange and top end - and then switch to conventional cone-type mids and tweeters for music listening. And they actually do this using the same enclosure!... Take a look at their website for examples of this.

Perhaps they're on to something for people who are having trouble deciding between applications. Hmmmmm..... how about a DIY version of this concept (and for alot less $$$)...

[macmeech]

I think these bipolar speakers are great for HT. You can adjust
to whatever budget you want and have terrific room filling sound.
You should really look at these. They come in Piano black with varying
amounts of deep bass. if you want to skip the subwoofer.

[DIYNewbie]

Does anyone have any success/opinions on using studio monitors in an HT setup. Seating distance is about 12-14 ft from the front speakers. I heard a pair of Genelec's today and really liked their sound! Are there any active monitor kits out there that would compare to the Genelecs?