Are DIY speakers 'worth it'?

[Shrek6]

The greatest value in DIYing hifi speakers is when you can built something that simply doesn't exist commercially like for example Siegfried Linwitz' LXmini or LX521 (although they are now available commercially).

Yes my thoughts exactly. I am searching for large active speakers under $5K and to my surprise they don’t exist (as far as I can tell). You either pay $10K+ or your options are all powered studio monitors, which are too limited in output for large rooms (for me),

So the only option is DIY.

Also another reason is when there’s a popular driver that isn’t in commercial offerings, like when the Dayton RS-180 was hot.

 

[Urubamba]

I see there's another similar thread that's been discussed much more than this one.

My opinion is that yes, you can achieve good sound quality by building your own speakers. Whether they're better or worse than commercially available ones depends on how much you're willing to spend on building your own. I've always built my own cabinets, although I also have commercial speakers. I still use the JBL LE14C (a rare find, it's a vintage JBL coaxial speaker) and my ultimate speakers are the Troels Gravesen DTQWTII, plus two 18-inch Eminence subwoofers, because I really enjoy listening to classical and jazz music, and the lower octaves give body to the timpani, drums, etc.
Each speaker has its own unique sound signature, whether DIY or brand name. It's not just about achieving the flattest possible sound.
Take care.

DIY vs Finished speakers vs Used market

Are there any DIY kits that would be able to rival (measurements / sound quality / usability) with known speakers in the 500-1500 Euro price bracket? I'm building a system for my summer house that will be used for critical listening and home theater purpose, so it should be multi-purpose. It...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[webmst007]

I build for fun to explore sound and materials.
Started with boxes at school 50 years ago - at 10 and migrated to electrostatics which kept me busy for about 20 years and now play with open baffles and materials I've never worked with before.
If they sound really good or great it's always a bonus.
Some work really well and some fail spectacularly .
Sorry if this sounds trite but I build to enjoy the process and satisfaction of a result.
So If you're motivated only by the result and the building is just a "chore" and not enjoyable as a pastime - I suggest you just buy gear.

A neighbour of mine was an engineer and he restored old cars as a hobby.
After I finished work on Saturdays I'd spend the afternoon with him and his partner in crime as they worked on they're latest weekend project.
They had a 1938 drop head Bentley coupe they found in a pond in South West England and shipped it back to Sydney to work on. It took years. I remember they removed a carburettor and dismantled it and took fully exploded pictures to help sourcing or making parts and reassembling it later.
We'd sit and have a few beers at the end of Saturday afternoons just chatting.
It was a labour of love.
Yes..... eventually they had an amazing vehicle. But that was sold and they started on another wreck that would take a ground up restoration. It was the process they loved.
I've regarded building speakers the same way.