Forced to DIY

DIY since I retired. Can't afford a $250,000 table, but I can get the same or better performance with a little thought and lots of research. All it takes is time, that and willingness to compromise on non-essentials. So my table doesn't have a pretty chassis machined from one piece of stainless, but it does have air in three dimensions for contactless motion, which puts it in rarified company.

So buy off-the shelf when you can, make it when you can't, and contract out when you would need a 15" lathe. And search those surplus sites - you never know when you're going to need a 25,000 pF vacuum cap or two (works wonders, wonders in my RIAA).

When I owned four motorcycles the two that gave me joy to work on were the '93 Ducati 900SS and the '75 Moto Guzzi 850-T. But aside from oil changes, the other two, '96 BMW K1100RS and '04 Kawasaki ZX11-R got the "Visa Wrench". They simply were not fun to work on. Especially the ZX11...

Same with most plumbing jobs. I couldn't sweat a joint to save my life. 🤣

Small electrical jobs around the house, I do. I'm not afraid of electricity, but I respect it for sure.

My seldom driven Toyota goes to the dealer. They always do a good job.

If something needs built from wood though, I love it. 

Audio? If it needs a soldering iron, I let a pro handle it. When my SP3a needed work on the power supply, I found a pro who worked on tube gear and he did a great job.

Happy listening...

My smallest DIY audio projects was replacing transformer in my vintage Marantz tuner couple years ago and 30 years ago I installed better stereo with acoustic in my car. The biggest home project was trimming 60ft tall trees at my backyard. I bought all necessary climbing and safety equipment which cost me around $300.. Tree Service estimates was $8K - $12K, so I decided it would be nice chance for good workout and saving at the same time:)

Yes, loudspeaker manufacturers don't use the most advanced transducers and build products to consume. I want what never will exist in the market. I don't just want a product to consume and forget.