I built a speaker for the same reason I build amps — to understand better how they work. At the same time, I’ve been pleasantly surprised how well they work. I’m talking Pass diy electronics and a Parts Express-sourced speaker. All the Pass diy stuff is fairly low power, from 8 watts to about 15 watts. That meant the diy speaker needed to be high sensitivity, and I went with a full range driver rated at just under 95 dB, then put it in an appropriate box that came as a precut flat pack. I’ve done woodworking, but I can’t match CNC machinery precision. You can find everything you need regarding internal volume, ports, resonance, stuffing and other specs online or in one of the speakers building books. A member of our local audiophiles club has the X-Otica speaker kit from GR Research and it is outstanding, not to mention a beauty. (He had it painted Ferrari red — just the paint cost more than my speaker project!), Finally, a word about Mark Audio. Nelson Pass himself is a diy speaker maker. He has designed a small EQ circuit aimed at fullrange drivers aimed at improving frequency response, and I use it. But in a post on DIYAudio, he noted that if you’re using a Mark Audio driver, don’t bother with EQ. They don’t usually need any help, he said. Quite a compliment, I’d say.
DIY Speaker Kits, a good idea?
Looking at the high quality of drive units in DIY loudspeaker kits like from Madisound, GR Research, SEAS, etc., it easily looks like a sonic bargain.
However, the typical audiophile mantra is to demo for yourself to find what subjectively “resonates” with you. Can’t do this with a kit. But a kit could be a sonic jackpot for one on a tight budget. Also seems fun to build.
What’s your opinion?