A reason NOT to DIY..

[ScottG]

I was waiting for this to show-up on Stereophile's website:

http://stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/306monitor/

At this price for this quality you start to SERIOUSLY run-into "diminishing returns".

I'm not saying you couldn't DIY better for less.. but I am saying that it would likely be difficult to do so considering sound quality and finish work. (..and in most cases it would likely be different - not necesarily better.)

It's certainly no substitute for building loudspeakers as a hobby - BUT there are plenty of people posting and browsing here that just want really good sound for not an outrageous sum of money.. so IMO this is it. REAL VALUE.

[motherone]

I saw that article as well, and I'm definitely curious as to how they sound.

There's a number of really good "value" speakers, including the Infinity Intermezzo 2.6 (originally $2+k, can be found refurbed or used on audiogon for $650-700) and the Triangle speakers come to mind.

However, the thing you're missing out on here is that doing it yourself is half of the fun. Even if my gear isn't better than a lot of commercial stuff, I have a helluva good time building it, which is worth more to me than even the finished product

[nate]

I've heard a few of the newer Monitor Audio speakers and I found them quite detailed and well balanced, but way too bright for my taste. For $1K, I'm sure they are great but for the same price, I would listen to the Focal-JMLab Cobalt 806S which are knock your socks off good.

nate

[tktran303]

IMHO the US$1,000K pricepoint for floorstanders is quite good in today's age. At least from initial audition and aesthetic function.

But let's not forget that DIY is getting much cheaper and more competitive too. Madisound now have pre-built timber veneered floorstanding cabinets for sale. Some clever DIY designers can come up with a 2.5 way floorstander too- with Dayton RS150 or RS180 drivers + SEAS 27TBFCG, and that would be really something!

Competitive with other 2.5 way, top-tier series from any brand eg. Monitor Audio Gold Reference, and unbeatable in terms of price/performance ratio.

[ScottG]

Originally posted by motherone
However, the thing you're missing out on here is that doing it yourself is half of the fun. Even if my gear isn't better than a lot of commercial stuff, I have a helluva good time building it, which is worth more to me than even the finished product

Oh, I'm not missing it - thats what the last paragraph was intended to convey.

[soongsc]

The way the report is written, I wonder whether those speakers have good fidelity or just good sounding harmonics.

Some reasons not do DIY:

1. If you are really rich and can afford to try different combinations and upgrade constantly.

2. You enjoy music, but don't really care to get your paws wet.

3. You don't have a place to DIY.

[leadbelly]

Originally posted by soongsc
1. If you are really rich and can afford to try different combinations and upgrade constantly.

Here's where I strongly disagree. I bet that by the time a DIYer builds up the skill to beat that $1000 pair of speakers for less money, he will have spent a lot more on his hobby than a consumer in the $1000 speaker buying category.

[cotdt]

I don't like ported speakers...

I would have to hear them to judge them. Right now I'm skeptical that these speakers can deliver the bass that I want with mere 6" woofers, when my new pair of 12" woofers with 14mm xmax can barely do it.

Also, who knows if the midrange is clear or not. A lot of critically acclaimed loudspeakers have a muddy midrange that no one seems to notice until it is compared side by side with very well-designed speakers (like mine).

Didn't the Zu Cable speakers also receive critical acclaim? Those sound terrible to my ears. Hehe I love dissing bad speakers.

[David Gatti]

Another option is to buy a decent product like the above and measure/modify it to meet your needs.

[cotdt]

Originally posted by leadbelly


Here's where I strongly disagree. I bet that by the time a DIYer builds up the skill to beat that $1000 pair of speakers for less money, he will have spent a lot more on his hobby than a consumer in the $1000 speaker buying category.

A DIYer can simply use designs by people like Zaph, JonMarsh, Murphyblaster, MarkK, etc. I would even argue that these people know more about speaker design than a lot of professionals. When I first entered DIY speaker design, I just used these kind of designs and a dremel/screwdriver. No other tools are needed so unforeseen expenses only apply to those who are completely new to DIY in general. Most people who DIY speakers have previously had other DIY hobbies and can plan very well.

I really do beleive that DIY route is cheaper than buying commercial speakers, and also cheaper than buying used, except for those rare deals. You can also customize the sound to your own needs, and use better crossover components, even do strange things like use lightbulbs in the crossover.