To Buy or to DIY, here is my question


If I buy the speakers that appear closest to what I desire

they are $11k new and $8k used.

If I buy the raw speakers and build it 

the speakers alone are $2.2k.

That is a 3 way system.

Still must add costs of XOs and cabs.

 

Assume the total custom build cost would be about $3k.

The $8k speakers used are Proac D40Rs.

The raw components would be from ScanSpeak and SB acoustics

and include 10" woofer, 4.5" Mid and a planar ribbon tweeter.

MadiSound provides XO advice. 

 

Comments???

 

chorus

@jonwatches1, thanks for the compliment. I built those about 10/11 years ago but was not that happy with the finish. I used Woodoc Antique Wax but it came out a little blotchy so I rebuilt them as floorstanders which looked better and gained a few Hz down low.

That's my dear old Dad's Black and Decker alloy bodied drill lying on the floor which is about 50 years old, the drill that is, not the floor. 😀  Can't easily get that quality today. 

Buying a factory built set of speakers while you are building your own is good advice. Way back when I was in high school it took me months to build the Speakerlab Khorns. It was good to build like that. I couldn't get in a rush for the next step. The result was crazy amazing for the bass and treble, but the midrange was not good to my ears. OTOH, I have built several different speakers since then with varying results, mostly fantastic. It helps to work with an engineer who gets the design side of things while I get woodworking side of the task.

 No doubt, they always end up costing more money and time as well.

   After seeing commercial cabinets, there are VERY FEW that build worth a crap, regardless of price/outward appearance.