If you have the room and much of the proper equipment to do a good job of building the cabinet, then go for it with one of the established companies’ great kits. But economically, if you don’t already have all that fairly expensive equipment and know how to use it to good effect, then it doesn’t make much sense. Those who do can enjoy the building and view that as part of the "fun". I know a few people who build custom furniture for "fun". Are you willing to put off your gratification until you can get the speakers done and finished in a way that you or your wife are going to appreciate for a long while? But there is something nice about pointing to a great set of speakers and say "I built that."
At the end of the day, how much is your time worth? If you are going DIY to "save money", yet it takes you 100 hours of your dedicated time over a few weeks to build them and make them look pretty, is that 100 hours worth it to you?
I mean, there are people who build airplanes in their spare time, so speakers aren’t a big stretch for those who have the means and the time. If you do this, enjoy and good luck.
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?