Which DIY speakers would you like to see reviewed?

[rongon]

Thanks and welcome to ASR!

These speakers are larger than we currently support for testing, but hopefully a current owner may provide. I think they would be an interesting addition to the ASR speaker database. Once the pandemic subsides, will see if they are back in stock and if nobody has already submitted, may reconsider.

Just FYI, the HT-8 assembled each would measure 16.75" H x 12.5" W x 7.5" D, which is 'bookshelf speaker' size. Perhaps that fits within your size window? Hopefully...
Thanks.

 

[thunderchicken]

I'd like to offer my little DIY gems up again- designed by Troels, and the main bonus is that I'm in the local area! No shipping!

 

[Rick Sykora]

Just FYI, the HT-8 assembled each would measure 16.75" H x 12.5" W x 7.5" D, which is 'bookshelf speaker' size. Perhaps that fits within your size window? Hopefully...
Thanks.

Think we will get there, but currently we are topping out at about half a cubic foot. The HT-8 is about a cubic foot.

After packaging to protect it, its big enough that the shipping charges are a large portion of the cost to build. We will see as once the pandemic subsides, may have more options.

 

[Rick Sykora]

I'd like to offer my little DIY gems up again- designed by Troels, and the main bonus is that I'm in the local area! No shipping!

Sorry, your offer was earlier on and was not clear on whether Amir or I would handle. I think your build is worthy of consideration, but as you are close, your best bet is to contact Amir directly via the forum conversation feature.

 

[dfuller]

I'd like to see the Dayton BR-1s. Probably the easiest speakers out there to build, and pretty decent sounding to boot.

 

[lashto]

Hello Jack,
i have build the DXT MON a few months ago. This Speaker works now really fine in combination with my Yamaha A-S2100. Front end is a Benchmark DAC2-D, connected by USB to an older MacBook Pro. Sounds perfect.
The Cabinets are from the manufacture Thomann. Perfect fit and all the 45°-Edges well made. Fits without any problems. Material is 19mm baltic birch as you can see. The Cabinets are oiled and polished to a fine finish. First placement were on the bass-boxes of my 2nd speakers (AOS Studio 24XL with Scan-Speak 22W8851T00 in a closed cabinet) but the bass speakers are not in operation while listening to the famos DXT-MON.
highly recommend.
Greetings, Walter

p.s. excuse me for my bad English. I'm from Austria ;-)

Had a look at DXT MON, pretty impressive stuff. The company even provides ASR-quality measurements for all kits, e.g. https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/dxt-mon/.
Even more impressive, the (passive) DXT-MON measure in the same league as the (active) Neumann KH120. That is top/reference quality.
https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/dxt-mon-vs-neumann-kh-120a/

Looks like those are not the usual diy-for-fun kits but champions-league speakers for junior-league prices. They even look quite decent.
If the measurements are confirmed in an independent test, those will be the best ROI speakers. By a wide margin!

 

[Rick Sykora]

I'd like to see the Dayton BR-1s. Probably the easiest speakers out there to build, and pretty decent sounding to boot.

Thanks! Will see if there is other interest...

I have been trying to go more upscale designs like the Samba, but these are a step in the right direction.

 

[Rick Sykora]

Thanks! Will see if there is other interest...

I have been trying to go more upscale designs like the Samba, but these are a step in the right direction.

Will say if one is looking for a kit to learn about speaker design, the BR1 has much better documentation than most other DIY speakers.

 

[Rick Sykora]

I contacted Eric at Diysoundgroup about sending in one of theirs.l He mentioned possible the HTM12.
https://www.diysoundgroup.com/home-...-series/home-theater-monitors/htm-12-kit.html
The make a good effort to do quite a lot of measurements.
http://www.hificircuit.com/community/threads/htm-speaker-kits.609/

fyi, Erin just posted his review.

 

[DWPress]

Mine! However at 172 liters and 160 lbs it would have to go freight and Amir would never lift it on the Klippel!

 

[EXIF68]

Had a look at DXT MON, pretty impressive stuff. The company even provides ASR-quality measurements for all kits, e.g. https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/dxt-mon/.
Even more impressive, the (passive) DXT-MON measure in the same league as the (active) Neumann KH120. That is top/reference quality.
https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/dxt-mon-vs-neumann-kh-120a/

Looks like those are not the usual diy-for-fun kits but champions-league speakers for junior-league prices. They even look quite decent.
If the measurements are confirmed in an independent test, those will be the best ROI speakers. By a wide margin!

For my opinion a speaker like DXT-MON doesn't need to be tested here because there are exact measurements available by the distributor. And for the sound I can say: This speaker is sounding excellent. I can hear them more or less every day and as longer I listen to them the better gets the sound quality.
So, I think it would be better to test here high graded DIY-Speaker for which no measurements available like this one her:
https://www.aos-lautsprecher.de/lautsprecherkits/monitor/cm18/

 

[Rick Sykora]

I would like some of the DIYSoundGroup designs like the Elusive 1099. I'd like to see how something popular like that compares to retail designs.

Erin has them teed up for review!

 

[egellings]

Commercial kits would not be do-it-yourself. I see DIY as designing, as well as building a speaker or some other audio device. A kit is a repeatable commercial device in which the buyer adds the last step or so, according to instructions, to the realization of a product. For any particular product, they'd all sound the same, since they are the same, if the builder does not get creative in its assembly.

 

[BobPM]

I've built two designs. The Zaph L18 was a crossover schematic and a baffle plan. The Selah Fedeles were more of a kit with the drivers and crossover coming from the seller--it still required cutting the baffle and assembly. For ASR purposes, I don't think there is much merit to testing those entirely DIY crossover designs as they are not something readers can obtain or build for themselves.

For me, I'd like to see more small three ways like the Speaker Design Works Traveler, or one of the Troels classic designs. I'd add the BMR, but its been mentioned frequently and has been tested elsewhere. I also would note that speakerhardware.com has Baltic birch flatpacks for many popular designs including the Traveler and the BMR. Its to bad that the Modulas and Natalie P from Jon Marsh use outdated divers since they were quite popular a few years ago.

 

[Ericglo]

I've built two designs. The Zaph L18 was a crossover schematic and a baffle plan. The Selah Fedeles were more of a kit with the drivers and crossover coming from the seller--it still required cutting the baffle and assembly. For ASR purposes, I don't think there is much merit to testing those entirely DIY crossover designs as they are not something readers can obtain or build for themselves.

For me, I'd like to see more small three ways like the Speaker Design Works Traveler, or one of the Troels classic designs. I'd add the BMR, but its been mentioned frequently and has been tested elsewhere. I also would note that speakerhardware.com has Baltic birch flatpacks for many popular designs including the Traveler and the BMR. Its to bad that the Modulas and Natalie P from Jon Marsh use outdated divers since they were quite popular a few years ago.

Erin tested the BMRs last year. I don't think Dennis has any plans to send him the towers, but they aren't DIY anyway.

I wouldn't mind seeing one of Marsh's designs. What is his latest speakers?

 

[xarkkon]

Commercial kits would not be do-it-yourself. I see DIY as designing, as well as building a speaker or some other audio device. A kit is a repeatable commercial device in which the buyer adds the last step or so, according to instructions, to the realization of a product. For any particular product, they'd all sound the same, since they are the same, if the builder does not get creative in its assembly.

so if i follow a recipe from a cookbook, does that not make me a cook? if i put together an ikea cabinet following their instructions and using their equipment, am i still not doing it myself? the D in DIY can mean many things, no need to restrict it to such a specifically narrow definition. sure, self-designed speakers are on an entirely different level from kits, but i don't see a need to take kits out from the same terminology.

 

[egellings]

You'd be a cook, maybe, but not a chef. As for DIY, it can mean what you want it to, from adding just one final step to a product, to designing it, procuring the materials to make it, making it, testing it, and declaring it finished. More than one iteration may be attempted to get the desired final result. My personal preference, and that's all it is, is to to be involved in as much of that chain as possible if I decide to DIY something and then claim that I did that. It's more unique that way, and I value uniqueness when it comes to my own creations. If you, for example, want to cable a commercially available preamp to a power and and then declare that you built an integrated amp, well, I 'spoze.

 

[hardisj]

Erin has them teed up for review!

On deck.

 

[Rick Sykora]

On deck.

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Lol, it is literally teed up! Had not considered that you might test tower speakers on their side. Does the Klippel readily support the axis swap?

 

[hardisj]

Cool, had not considered that you might test tower speakers on their side. Does the Klippel readily support the axis change?

Yep. No issues at all. You just tell it the orientation vector and that's it. Basically, "up" is "left" in this case. I measured the JBL HDI-3800s the same way.