First DIY. Suggestions are welcome.

RomanSivers · 19th December 2006, 08:57 AM

Hi everybody!

I'm contemplating on building my first set of speakers, however, (1) being student on a tight budges, (2) lack of instruments and facilities for wood-working, and (3) lack of experience in DIY kind of force me to opt for a DIY speaker kit.

I wanted to hear your opinion, is it worth the money to go for AR.COM kit ($350 at madisound) or should I do some other project. For instance, is it a good idea to purchase drivers separately and figure out how to make it work while ordering custom kit from, say, zalytron.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Do you know what is approximate cost for a cabinet, similar to, say
http://www.totemacoustic.com/english...nding_hawk.htm
or, alternatively
http://www.totemacoustic.com/english...nding_arro.htm
in case of ordering cabinets with some company.

Do you know how much people usually charge for that fancy glossy piano finish? (This is more a wife acceptance factor, she would rathat have something that would please my ears and also have a good look, if piano finish can be called good look)

Sorry for, perhaps, trivial questions; I just don't want to spend hard earned money and get results not better than my existing Mission m31, and have my fiancee nagging me for the rest of my life for that. Ha-ha-ha.

So, in short, the question is: your recomendation for the first DIY speaker project, such that in would be easy on the budget, high WAF, and noticeable improvement in sound comparing to Mission m31 speakers.

Thank you very much for all your help!

Roman.

P.S. I will drive them with vintage Marantz Model 2225 Stereo Reciever (25W/channer) I hope that would not be a problem.

chainenoble · 19th December 2006, 03:09 PM

heres a good kit and you can buy the boxes at parts express

http://zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker16.html

i should have a pair finished by mid winter

as for getting custom box made with the quality of totem,that would cost some bucks.do alittle searching,there are lots of quality kits out there

moamps · 19th December 2006, 03:12 PM

Welcome to the forums, Roman!

Regards,
Milan

psych&sound · 19th December 2006, 04:29 PM

Based on your budget and "wife's" desire for a polished paint finish, it is tough to beat the value of a Parts Express enclosure:
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage....up_ID=603&SO=2
And they are on sale now!

Zaph designs are often based on these enclosures and are very much better than what you would likely be able to come up with given your circumstances.

If you study Zaph's design methods, there is a lot you can learn.

Best of luck.

19th December 2006, 08:57 AM	#1
RomanSivers diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2006	First DIY. Suggestions are welcome. Hi everybody! I'm contemplating on building my first set of speakers, however, (1) being student on a tight budges, (2) lack of instruments and facilities for wood-working, and (3) lack of experience in DIY kind of force me to opt for a DIY speaker kit. I wanted to hear your opinion, is it worth the money to go for AR.COM kit ($350 at madisound) or should I do some other project. For instance, is it a good idea to purchase drivers separately and figure out how to make it work while ordering custom kit from, say, zalytron. Any input is greatly appreciated! Do you know what is approximate cost for a cabinet, similar to, say http://www.totemacoustic.com/english...nding_hawk.htm or, alternatively http://www.totemacoustic.com/english...nding_arro.htm in case of ordering cabinets with some company. Do you know how much people usually charge for that fancy glossy piano finish? (This is more a wife acceptance factor, she would rathat have something that would please my ears and also have a good look, if piano finish can be called good look) Sorry for, perhaps, trivial questions; I just don't want to spend hard earned money and get results not better than my existing Mission m31, and have my fiancee nagging me for the rest of my life for that. Ha-ha-ha. So, in short, the question is: your recomendation for the first DIY speaker project, such that in would be easy on the budget, high WAF, and noticeable improvement in sound comparing to Mission m31 speakers. Thank you very much for all your help! Roman. P.S. I will drive them with vintage Marantz Model 2225 Stereo Reciever (25W/channer) I hope that would not be a problem.

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19th December 2006, 03:09 PM	#2
chainenoble diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: toronto	heres a good kit and you can buy the boxes at parts express http://zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker16.html i should have a pair finished by mid winter as for getting custom box made with the quality of totem,that would cost some bucks.do alittle searching,there are lots of quality kits out there

19th December 2006, 03:12 PM	#3
moamps diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Croatia	Welcome to the forums, Roman! Regards, Milan

19th December 2006, 04:29 PM	#4
psych&sound diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2006	Based on your budget and "wife's" desire for a polished paint finish, it is tough to beat the value of a Parts Express enclosure: http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage....up_ID=603&SO=2 And they are on sale now! Zaph designs are often based on these enclosures and are very much better than what you would likely be able to come up with given your circumstances. If you study Zaph's design methods, there is a lot you can learn. Best of luck.