DIY or finished speakers?

[DNCAgain]

I've recently become fascinated with the SPK16 kit—extremely low distortion, excellent horizontal directivity, deep bass extension, and so on.

I can't help but compare it to the speaker I once most desired, the KH150, whose measurements are also outstanding.

My question is, if the price is similar, can a DIY speaker made with drivers that have better specifications surpass one made by a large company? Or will DIY suffer in quality due to issues like consistency and lack of measurement?

Furthermore, if speakers like the KH150 are already good enough, how much progress does continuously innovating and developing better drivers actually bring? Will speakers using these drivers be significantly better?

 

[Roland68]

I've recently become fascinated with the SPK16 kit—extremely low distortion, excellent horizontal directivity, deep bass extension, and so on.

I can't help but compare it to the speaker I once most desired, the KH150, whose measurements are also outstanding.

My question is, if the price is similar, can a DIY speaker made with drivers that have better specifications surpass one made by a large company? Or will DIY suffer in quality due to issues like consistency and lack of measurement?

Furthermore, if speakers like the KH150 are already good enough, how much progress does continuously innovating and developing better drivers actually bring? Will speakers using these drivers be significantly better?

DIY/kit speakers can be a complete flop, or they can outperform commercially available speakers that cost many times more.
Similarly, you can find absolute top performers among commercially available speakers, just as you can find expensive speakers that measure/sound very poorly, sometimes even from the same manufacturer.
Everyone has to decide whether they're willing to put in the effort, which is naturally much less if you buy ready-made enclosures.

My DIY speakers had a material cost of around €3,500, but these are large floorstanding speakers, and the enclosure parts were CNC-milled from 25mm birch plywood.
I would have to spend a five-figure sum to get something of comparable sound quality.
These speakers were developed by people who previously worked in the R&D departments of the largest and most well-known speaker manufacturers. The explanation for this development was that it was extremely relaxing and satisfying to develop a loudspeaker completely, without the cost pressures of time and materials/components.

And that's precisely the important point: such DIY projects often involve more time, passion, and know-how than is possible in companies today, since every hour of development has to be paid for and is reflected in the sales price.
In addition, there is usually a much more pronounced uncompromising approach to materials and construction.

However, there are also approaches to offering something like this as affordable, ready-made loudspeakers, for example, with the Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2.

 

[Multiway]

Also look at JMod and Scott Hinson Multi Entry Horn kits, or design and build your own if your want something that truly performs / gives bang for buck.
Add sub(s) to taste.
DSP makes control of a 4 way all pretty straightforward.

Cost would not be that different from those you propose. Assumes you have have something like miniDSP flex 8 and a few amps knocking about

 

[DNCAgain]

These speakers were developed by people who previously worked in the R&D departments of the largest and most well-known speaker manufacturers.

Are these people your friends? Did you pay them or did they help you build these speakers for free?

DIY/kit speakers can be a complete flop

I have a sense of unease that my speaker system hasn't been measured and might be underperforming. How are you addressing this issue?

 

[DNCAgain]

Thanks for sharing

Also look at JMod and Scott Hinson Multi Entry Horn kits, or design and build your own if your want something that truly performs / gives bang for buck.
Add sub(s) to taste.
DSP makes control of a 4 way all pretty straightforward.

Cost would not be that different from those you propose. Assumes you have have something like miniDSP flex 8 and a few amps knocking about

 

[Roland68]

Are these people your friends? Did you pay them or did they help you build these speakers for free?

How did you come up with such nonsense?
Unfortunately, the kits aren't available anymore.

I have a sense of unease that my speaker system hasn't been measured and might be underperforming. How are you addressing this issue?

What exactly do you mean by whether your DIY speakers match the measurements, or do you mean the measurements of DIY speakers in general? Many kits have good documentation and measurements, like the Purifi kit, or, for example, Heissmann Acoustics.

I don't have these problems because I have enough background knowledge and experience. For one thing, I used to work in commercial loudspeaker development and was also involved in the development of commercial DIY loudspeakers, and I also worked with driver manufacturers. But that was over 20 years ago.

Furthermore, it's not difficult to take measurements yourself.
Calibrated measurement microphones and an audio interface cost less than €200, calibrated USB measurement microphones even less, and REW is free. You can find instructions for this here in the forum. The equipment is also needed for room calibration, which has a significant impact on the sound.

Most people aren't even aware of how large and extensive the DIY speaker scene is, and that there are several thousand DIY speakers and kits worldwide. I wrote about this in post #94.

 

[DNCAgain]

How did you come up with such nonsense?
Unfortunately, the kits aren't available anymore

Sorry can't fully understand the meaning of those words because of my poor English

 

[DNCAgain]

What exactly do you mean by whether your DIY speakers match the measurements, or do you mean the measurements of DIY speakers in general?

I mean, can DIY speakers develop issues like inconsistent sound between the left and right channels due to steps such as soldering and assembly? Can a measurement microphone solve this?

 

[Multiway]

I mean, can DIY speakers develop issues like inconsistent sound between the left and right channels due to steps such as soldering and assembly? Can a measurement microphone solve this?

I would hope that anyone with the skills and capable of DIY'ing speakers could trouble shoot and fix such a basic problem.

Even fix faulty bought speakers

Subtle differences in SPL, phase etc.
Confirming crossover and filter choices, use of DSP, mitigating room modes..
Yes measuring mic at the ready.
Essential bit of kit.

 

[DNCAgain]

I would hope that anyone with the skills and capable of DIY'ing speakers could trouble shoot and fix such a basic problem.

Even fix faulty bought speakers

Subtle differences in SPL, phase etc.
Confirming crossover and filter choices, use of DSP, mitigating room modes..
Yes measuring mic at the ready.
Essential bit of kit.

Thanks for answering!I think it's time for me to start learning

 

[SSS]

I've recently become fascinated with the SPK16 kit—extremely low distortion, excellent horizontal directivity, deep bass extension, and so on.

I can't help but compare it to the speaker I once most desired, the KH150, whose measurements are also outstanding.

My question is, if the price is similar, can a DIY speaker made with drivers that have better specifications surpass one made by a large company? Or will DIY suffer in quality due to issues like consistency and lack of measurement?

Furthermore, if speakers like the KH150 are already good enough, how much progress does continuously innovating and developing better drivers actually bring? Will speakers using these drivers be significantly better?

My experience with building speakers DIY was not very good. Reason were not be able to make a good damped case, further no measurement of the result, just listining which was not bad but could not beat a good off the shelf speaker. If you do it for the first time you should have all woodwork tools and electrical stuff too. Of course if it is a proven DIY set result can be also good. But if you did not already hear the finished DIY kit then you don't know what will come out after all the work you will do.

 

[Flaesh]

My question is, if the price is similar, can a DIY speaker made with drivers that have better specifications surpass one made by a large company? Or will DIY suffer in quality due to issues like consistency and lack of measurement?

Furthermore, if speakers like the KH150 are already good enough

My DIY stereo system probably cost me about the same or less as a pair of KH150s. Boxes made from waste, Flex8, 5 Fosi V3 amplifiers now. (DCX464+SEOS24+15ND730)x2 and four 18" subs. I don't think I want any 6.5" speakers instead.
I hope this doesn't help. Even better if it helps.))

 

[Flaesh]

there are several thousand DIY speakers and kits worldwide. I wrote about this in post #94.

The link doesn't work. Although I've never assembled kits. Except for 8" FR speaker in a box with hole according to the manufacturer's drawings 25 years ago.
I'm not aware of any non-commercial DIY projects (except JBL M2))) that are completely ready to assemble, based on large or medium-sized compression drivers with a corresponding horn or waveguide. But people are assembling them using various parts.

What speakers did you make?

 

[Roland68]

The link doesn't work. Although I've never assembled kits. Except for 8" FR speaker in a box with hole according to the manufacturer's drawings 25 years ago.
I'm not aware of any non-commercial DIY projects (except JBL M2))) that are completely ready to assemble, based on large or medium-sized compression drivers with a corresponding horn or waveguide. But people are assembling them using various parts.

What speakers did you make?

I have no idea what happened there, here's the working link to the post again #94.

Over the past 40 years, I've built quite a few loudspeakers: various DIY projects (Visaton, Seas, Timmermans, etc.), kits that I helped develop myself, speakers I designed myself, and most recently the Satorique S1 and S4, which are unfortunately no longer in production. The Satorique S4 was actually the only one for which I bought a kit, and also the first time I ever bought a cabinet kit.

Unfortunately, the Satorique kits are no longer available.