At 13 I built 6" reflecting telescope and mount, and a Dynaco ST-400 when I was 14. After college I built transmission line speakers, which sounded great with my home brewed beer. In between I rebuilt my 240-Z engine and suspension. It'd be a bit of a stretch to say I built the home I live in, but only a stretch and not a total fabrication. My turntable, equipment rack, and most recently distributed bass array subs were all built right here at home by me.
Which is why I know you guys are absolutely right when you say DIY is great if you just plain enjoy doing it. That alone will justify it. As if it ever needed justifying. DIY is worth doing simply for the sense of accomplishment and if not that, even if you totally botch it, still worth it for the virtue of the pursuit of self-sufficiency. You got a real good chance of learning to understand how things work a whole lot better. Maybe even gain some appreciation for just how much work and planning goes into professionally manufactured products.
Indeed, it is hard to think of anything bad to say about DIY. For the record, I sure can't. I highly recommend DIY. Often. Twice just today in fact! One tone arm/plinth, one speaker stand.
What I don't understand and what does bug me is when instead of focusing on the genuine benefits of DIY people talk about benefits that just don't exist.
Like, you are not usually gonna save money. Well, sometimes. A turntable sand box, speaker stand or rack, a few things like that IF you already have all the tools and stuff. Even then probably not if you truly match finished quality. Certainly not when including your time.
But there are plenty of things where you just cannot come even halfways close to what you could buy for parts costs alone, yet DIY'ers can't resist talking about saving money. While assuming "just as good." Spare me. I've tried, and seen plenty of others try. Look at it this way. Caelin, the guy who runs Shunyata? Dude toiled away for YEARS before he came up with anything anyone would actually think is worth some money. Ted Denney (Synergistic Research)? Same deal. On and on. But you're the exception? Spare me.
By the same token, I also don't see anything in DIY that entitles one to act all superior, like you are the one who figured it all out. Those other poor saps, 95% of them anyway, don't know what they're hearing. They're just throwing their money away.
Right.
There's plenty of really good reasons to DIY. Why not just stick with those?
Which is why I know you guys are absolutely right when you say DIY is great if you just plain enjoy doing it. That alone will justify it. As if it ever needed justifying. DIY is worth doing simply for the sense of accomplishment and if not that, even if you totally botch it, still worth it for the virtue of the pursuit of self-sufficiency. You got a real good chance of learning to understand how things work a whole lot better. Maybe even gain some appreciation for just how much work and planning goes into professionally manufactured products.
Indeed, it is hard to think of anything bad to say about DIY. For the record, I sure can't. I highly recommend DIY. Often. Twice just today in fact! One tone arm/plinth, one speaker stand.
What I don't understand and what does bug me is when instead of focusing on the genuine benefits of DIY people talk about benefits that just don't exist.
Like, you are not usually gonna save money. Well, sometimes. A turntable sand box, speaker stand or rack, a few things like that IF you already have all the tools and stuff. Even then probably not if you truly match finished quality. Certainly not when including your time.
But there are plenty of things where you just cannot come even halfways close to what you could buy for parts costs alone, yet DIY'ers can't resist talking about saving money. While assuming "just as good." Spare me. I've tried, and seen plenty of others try. Look at it this way. Caelin, the guy who runs Shunyata? Dude toiled away for YEARS before he came up with anything anyone would actually think is worth some money. Ted Denney (Synergistic Research)? Same deal. On and on. But you're the exception? Spare me.
By the same token, I also don't see anything in DIY that entitles one to act all superior, like you are the one who figured it all out. Those other poor saps, 95% of them anyway, don't know what they're hearing. They're just throwing their money away.
Right.
There's plenty of really good reasons to DIY. Why not just stick with those?