VISATON EXPERIENCE V20

[Discharge]

I did a quick search and I didnt pick up on anything posted already, so I thought I would pop a post up before I buy this kit: https://wilmslowaudio.co.uk/visaton-speaker-kits/visaton-experience-v20

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this speaker and if VISATON are well regarded?

I listen to quite a wide range of music:

Stanley Clarke
Khruangbin
RHCP
Jimi Hendrix
Joe Satriani
Meshuggah
Mick Gordon

Currently I have a vintage NAD 3030/Wiim Ulta through JBL L36.

I want to try something very different as the JBL/NAD which arent so great for Joe Satriani/Meshuggah/Mick Gordon end of my music taste, i'll probably get something like the Musical Fidelity M6si to run the V20.

Are there any other kits I should consider? max budget is £1.2K

 

[Vuki]

I listened to v20 some 30 years ago. I remember they sounded surprisingly excellent. IIRC I reviewed them for Croatian Hifi magazine. I'll check....

 

[Discharge]

I listened to v20 some 30 years ago. I remember they sounded surprisingly excellent. IIRC I reviewed them for Croatian Hifi magazine. I'll check....

That's cool, so the design has been around for a long time?

I'm guessing the electronics/drivers...etc would have changed though?

 

[voodooless]

I'm guessing the electronics/drivers...etc would have changed though?

Nope. These designs are pretty much ancient by now. The drivers are of their budget series, but are pretty well regarded for what they are.

I would probably opt for a more up-to-date design.

 

[Discharge]

Nope. These designs are pretty much ancient by now. The drivers are of their budget series, but are pretty well regarded for what they are.

I would probably opt for a more up-to-date design.

Crap, but I'm glad I asked here first!

I'm very much new to the DIY market, is there another which you would be able to recommend to me?

 

[dfuller]

Crap, but I'm glad I asked here first!

I'm very much new to the DIY market, is there another which you would be able to recommend to me?

The Seas kits are generally pretty good. The king is the KingRo4y active 3 way but it's definitely expensive.

 

[kemmler3D]

IMO you should not spend more on the amp than the speakers. There are surprisingly good, cheap amps and DACs these days. Check out some of the reviews on here to see what I mean.

Purifi just came out with a 2-way kit (SPK 16) that seems really SOTA but it will probably nearly double your budget. On the other hand it's hard to think of many speakers that measure better with such wide and even directivity.

 

[MediumRare]

The L36 should sound great for the usic you mentioned? Have you replaced the surrounds and capacitors? Optimized the placement and EQ for your room?

 

[Discharge]

IMO you should not spend more on the amp than the speakers. There are surprisingly good, cheap amps and DACs these days. Check out some of the reviews on here to see what I mean.

Purifi just came out with a 2-way kit (SPK 16) that seems really SOTA but it will probably nearly double your budget. On the other hand it's hard to think of many speakers that measure better with such wide and even directivity.

Yeah I was thinking that because it was a DIY kit, that it would perform much better than an equivilently priced regular speaker

I think the SPK 16 would be out of my level of skill, Im confident I could put a kit with panels together but not cutting the panels too as I dont have the gear/experiance.

The L36 should sound great for the usic you mentioned? Have you replaced the surrounds and capacitors? Optimized the placement and EQ for your room?

Ive tried messing around with location and eq, basically it feels like theres too much bass and not enough treble for Progressive Metal.

The speakers have been refoamed but I dont know about the caps, whats the best way to check if they need replacing?

 

[MediumRare]

Yeah I was thinking that because it was a DIY kit, that it would perform much better than an equivilently priced regular speaker

I think the SPK 16 would be out of my level of skill, Im confident I could put a kit with panels together but not cutting the panels too as I dont have the gear/experiance.



Ive tried messing around with location and eq, basically it feels like theres too much bass and not enough treble for Progressive Metal.

The speakers have been refoamed but I dont know about the caps, whats the best way to check if they need replacing?

Exactly as you’ve described. If they’re original they almost certainly need to be replaced. Those speakers are actually known for brightness, that’s why they have a treble adjustment feature. Take them to a quality repair shop. Caps are cheap. https://specap.com/resources/blog/electrolytic-capacitor-degradation-speaker-crossovers

 

[kemmler3D]

Yeah I was thinking that because it was a DIY kit, that it would perform much better than an equivilently priced regular speaker

Sometimes this is true, many times not really. Big manufacturers get better deals on their parts than we do... The SPK16 is probably the most demanding DIY kit I've seen, but the recommendation is to get the panels cut at a professional shop... Costs more but they provide CAD files and everything so it's probably hard to mess up that part, anyway...

Even so I wouldn't really recommend it unless you're confident in your assembly skills. I'm working on a 3D printable version but that still leaves you to put it together.

The Audio First Cadentia is a more normal speaker kit and it measures excellent, arguably in the same league as the SPK16 but it's also a bit past your price range. I do think it's got bang for buck though.

 

[tjjrx7]

I have never had any experience with a visaton kit, but I regularly use their drivers. Their full range drivers are incredible. Even the little 4 inch driver in an open baffle will embarrass half of the hifi speaker market.

Before you build some crazy ass speaker, I think you should get a pair of the BG-20s and play around with them first. They are seriously hard to beat even with a open baffle. Put them in a TL, and you are going to be asking yourself what in the hell is wrong with most speaker manufacturers on the market.

 

[Waxx]

Visaton is all old tech drivers, most of their designs are +20 years old and not up to par with modern drivers. Their diy kit's idem. But back in the days they were very good, and have a huge reputation in Europe (on which they still capitalise). Today they are outdated compared to modern drivers, and often also to expensive for what they deliver. Another brand like that is Monacor, with a similar story.

Kits with more modern drivers that are well studied and documented are a better id. An example is the Satori Helios 9.5" 2-Way Speaker Kit designed by Jeff Bagby & Javad Shadzi. It's fully documented on thei facebook page and there is a kit for sale at Madisound. It's a known and highly rated kit in the diy world, enough documented to make it an easy build even for non experienced people.

There are more kits like that from those designers, and others that are well documented and use modern drivers from reputed brands like SB. If the Helios don't fit, go search further on this FB page, here, or on diyaudio.com. But make sure it's well documented and measures good (well documented designs have measurements availeble).

 

[Waxx]

And for the panels, go with the 3D drawings to a local cnc shop and they will do the cutting for you. Many woodshops here have a cnc machine for that, and they cut all for a price. I did that many times when i was living in a small appartment in the city. I did not have a workshop at all, just some tools and i build quiet a few speakers like that from scratch (own designs).

 

[Mart68]

And for the panels, go with the 3D drawings to a local cnc shop and they will do the cutting for you. Many woodshops here have a cnc machine for that, and they cut all for a price. I did that many times when i was living in a small appartment in the city. I did not have a workshop at all, just some tools and i build quiet a few speakers like that from scratch (own designs).

Likewise, used a local place called Howarth Timber. Bloke in a grey coat with a flat cap and eternal cigarette stuck in the corner of his mouth. 'I don't suppose thee've got a cutting list for me have thee lad?'

Fag nearly dropped out of his mouth when I produced one.