AlainD
Member
Looking for good honest suppliers for DIY HiFi speakers (all parts one stop store). Do you have any recommendations on reputable AliExpress store? Thanks! Alain
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Best China speaker parts supplier for DIY on AliExpress, any valued recommendations?
- Thread starter AlainD
- Start date
That's tricky. You need the right match of drivers and crossovers that correspond with cabinet size and shape---advanced stuff. Instead of figuring this out yourself, I suggest you look for a design you like, and check whether components are available at AliExpress
I'd be very cautious about that, unless I had facilities to measure everything.
OP
AlainD
Member
- Thread Starter
- #4
All true. I'm trying to find an AliExpress Shop that has DIY-proven kits. I wondered if anyone has a positive buying experience with an AliExpress shop. CSS Audio offers these kinds of kits as an example: https://www.css-audio.com/online-store.
I have to think most Ali Express businesses want to sell 10,000 units, not 2. But good luck!
OK, didn't know that.
You could also try Solen (website "solen.ca"), which even though I'm in the US I sometimes use as well. In addition to their own branded stock of inductors and capacitors, they source parts from some manufacturers that Madisound doesn't carry, for example.
AudiOhm
Senior Member
As mentioned above Solen would be your best bet in Canada.
https://solen.ca/en
https://solen.ca/en/categories/speaker-kits/products
I have used them for years to purchase all my drivers and crossover components.
Ohms
https://solen.ca/en
https://solen.ca/en/categories/speaker-kits/products
I have used them for years to purchase all my drivers and crossover components.
Ohms
Ze Frog
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The problem with AliExpress, is though there are legit stores, sometimes the fakes somehow manage to steal the store name from the original vendor, it's really quite murky, and lots of stores you can bookmark an item say that will for instance say Lii Audio Official, then a week later the store name has changed to the typical nonsensical name that the fakes use which is usually just a random selection of letters.
I was looking a few years ago when looking at going open baffle and got caught on the hype train much to my embarrassment now. And yeah, it was pretty murky on there, and AliExpress doesn't even seem to stop other vendors from stealing watermarks etc from other vendors, and this is their clients on that end...so you can imagine what it's like when shipping to some random outsider.
It's not all dodgy, but like people say, it's really a crapshoot.
I was looking a few years ago when looking at going open baffle and got caught on the hype train much to my embarrassment now. And yeah, it was pretty murky on there, and AliExpress doesn't even seem to stop other vendors from stealing watermarks etc from other vendors, and this is their clients on that end...so you can imagine what it's like when shipping to some random outsider.
It's not all dodgy, but like people say, it's really a crapshoot.
AwesomeSauce2015
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I'm going to echo the warnings.
In my limited experience trying to buy things like IEMs and other items from AliExpress, often there are many questionable sellers, and shipping times are usually horrible.
If you are looking for a DIY kit, I would recommend starting with a proven source.
In the USA, Parts express, DIY Sound Group (if they are still around) and Madisound seem to be pretty solid and have kit options, with Parts Express probably being my pick for something relatively inexpensive, with good performance, that I can put together myself.
However, I must ask, why are you looking to do DIY? Aside from doing something special / exotic, DIY doesn't really make a ton of sense for "normal" speakers. Once you factor in your time for fabrication and design, you will often be better off buying a premade speaker...
In my limited experience trying to buy things like IEMs and other items from AliExpress, often there are many questionable sellers, and shipping times are usually horrible.
If you are looking for a DIY kit, I would recommend starting with a proven source.
In the USA, Parts express, DIY Sound Group (if they are still around) and Madisound seem to be pretty solid and have kit options, with Parts Express probably being my pick for something relatively inexpensive, with good performance, that I can put together myself.
However, I must ask, why are you looking to do DIY? Aside from doing something special / exotic, DIY doesn't really make a ton of sense for "normal" speakers. Once you factor in your time for fabrication and design, you will often be better off buying a premade speaker...
benanders
Senior Member
AliExpress might not be cost-effective for purchase of DIY parts (nor is it time-efficient). The website is for overseas buyers to purchase small quantities - specifically overseas buyers who cannot type or read Chinese, or otherwise use TaoBao. AliEx comes with more buyer protection than TaoBao, but not on the order of Amazon or eBay (as commonly encountered examples).
Stores on AliEx can be directly affiliated with the manufacturer (often good), or they can just be distributors / retailers of the given product(s) (coin flip). You often won’t have access to reliable driver specs like you do on e.g. PartsExpress. Obviously, any specs provided could be spurious since no specific AliEx oversight is given to DIY electronics parts, to my knowing.
It can work well for end-products like many of the AIO desktop items reviewed here. For DIY parts it can go either way.
Unlicensed knockoffery is common. Search Disney or Pokémon characters if in doubt. If you want something “closer to home” as exemplary, search for knockoff hi-end cable names available on AliEx. And any takers for the KEF-style drivers you can get for pennies on the dollar?
Stores on AliEx can be directly affiliated with the manufacturer (often good), or they can just be distributors / retailers of the given product(s) (coin flip). You often won’t have access to reliable driver specs like you do on e.g. PartsExpress. Obviously, any specs provided could be spurious since no specific AliEx oversight is given to DIY electronics parts, to my knowing.
It can work well for end-products like many of the AIO desktop items reviewed here. For DIY parts it can go either way.
Unlicensed knockoffery is common. Search Disney or Pokémon characters if in doubt. If you want something “closer to home” as exemplary, search for knockoff hi-end cable names available on AliEx. And any takers for the KEF-style drivers you can get for pennies on the dollar?
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