To Buy or to DIY, here is my question

@johnk --

"If you have no skills are lazy or have no time then off the shelf is what you get. If you have skills an open mind and are craving something unique then DIY is the way to go. Kits are fine but it's not like going your own way. And those who say DIY can not look good are only interested in what the mass market gives them. Anything that's different is perceived as wrong they crave the boring imported rectangles and cubes. A toaster must look like a toaster."

Well said. Regarding looks it's also disheartening seeing veneered cabinets being covered in freakin' layers of shiny lacquer, to such degree even that any semblance with actual wood is mostly gone. Isn't that somehow analogous with the sonic imprinting of "off the shelf" speakers in general and what's typically preferred here; something "shiny" and covering the real texture and organic feel of what's being reproduced? To me at least a DIY approach or what otherwise eschews the usual, pre-assembled product can be the better way to accommodate said texture and organic feel of something real, both one way and the other. 

Just my 2 cent opinion, Here ya go, worlds best midrange My 1955 Puccini Turnadot Erede as conductor La Scala UNREALL, No xover speaker in the universe will touch this midrange. Even unto Wilson’s 800K design. Dual FR rules. I’ve heard many a speaker in my 40 yrs, nothing comes even close to a DIY dual FR. In midrange Got another tweeter in the plans. 

 

 

@oldschoolsound, Zilch was the backbone of that long thread and his passing a big loss.  My current speakers are some cheap OB jobs but when finished house repairs I will try Tannoy MG15 OB with helper woofer/s below.

The last speaker I built with a waveguide used the 18 Sound alloy unit with, I think, an Eminence 10" below which were sold to a mate and later rebuilt as floorstanders. Every time he upgraded amps or cables the speakers came to the party and revealed the superior components. With some encouragement from me he installed some room treatment and these things now sing along beautifully. When we switched temporarily back to some Missions he had they sounded ... well they were very quickly removed.

The econowave or similar style using either the cheap but excellent JBL $9.99 waveguide or the more recently developed SEOS waveguide come in at about 97dB sensitivity, so with low power amps can fill the room easily and because these components are from the pro-sound sector 😲 can blow you out the room with 500W amps.

Another unmentioned advantage is the unusually wide sweet spot created when these waveguide speakers are severely toed in, because of the proximity effect.   

Another unmentioned advantage is the unusually wide sweet spot created when these waveguide speakers are severely toed in, because of the proximity effect. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ what kind of snakeoil is this. ??? ***wave guide**??? Trying to reinvent the wheel, Speakers all started back in late 1920's, FULL RANGE. xovers are nothing but distortion. Tweeters are not made to go below,,, or lets say tweeters perform BEST 5k hz . Below 5k, you are asking for distortion/breakups. Opera w soloists, chorus, orchestra all going off at once, Tweeters below 5khz sound like crapola

chorus,

Not to get off subject, but if you’re going to have your tools out anyway, a simpler DIY project with much higher return on investment vs. store bought is building your own acoustic panels since the room dimensions and how it’s acoustically treated will have the biggest influence on how your speakers end up sounding.

GIK Acoustics carries Knauf’s ECOSE material, much better to work with than fiberglass, and some Guilford of Maine acoustic fabric gives you top quality components.  For frames, use premium pine one-by (3/4” actual thickness) trim the appropriate width and assembled with glue and pocket screws.  Get fancy and add some gussets in the corners to help position and hold the material and you’re good to go for absorption treatment.

 

lemonhaze,

Very impressive cabinet build - no plain wooden boxes there!  Enjoy your Tannoy project.