1. Home
    2. >
  2. Forum
    3. >
  3. Home Audio Forum
    4. >
  4. Speakers Forum
    5. >
  5. Archive through December 23, 2003 Forum
    6. >

DIY Home theatre system

 

Dumb Speaker Guy
Posted on   
I am looking to build my own "Surround Sound" system. My father is a cabinet maker & i have plenty of material(MDF) and tools to do pretty much all of it but i need some plans for the boxes and what speakers to put in them. I don't have a lot of $$$$ but i think i could come up with about $400 for the drivers, other than that i dont really know what i need and dont know much about home audio so speak in dumb terms :) if you know a site i can go to with some nice plans or if you have some please contact me at mpww@mvp.net.
I already have a powered sub and i do have a pair of old technics 3-way, but i'm looking for plans for a pair of 3-way front speakers, a pair of maybe 2-way rear speakers, and a center channel if possible.
 

Derek
Posted on   
These days it's not worth building your own speakers unless;

1. You know what your are doing in the cross-over design department and have the measurment equipment to prove your theories or...

2. You want very deep, clean bass and have the space for large cabinets. Most manufacturers do not make large speakers because the materials and shipping will make them too expensive.

If you realy want to do it, pick up "The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook". Amazon.com and Partsexpress.com both sell it. You will probably end up buying raw drivers from Madisound or Solen (Partsexpress sell some mid-fi drivers as well). Dynaudio and Vifa make some of the best drivers available. Otherwise give Paradigm, Mission, Monitor Audio and Now Hear This a listen. They make great speakers in the $400 (and up) per pair range.

Hope this helps.
 

Miguel
Posted on   
Couldn't agree more. When building speakers you are more or less guessing unless you get help or have experience. There are lots of decent speaker manufacurers out there that build budget speakers that aren't half bad. Just heard the new Klipsch Reference speakers and you could do worse with your buck. Thanks for the tip on the book, Derek, I may have to check it out.
 

John Just
Posted on   
Wrong, wrong, wrong. DIY is the only way to go if you have basic cabinet building skills. You do not have to design anything. First rate, tested and evaluated designs are available online from speaker experts. Try www.madisound.com and check the Audax home theater. Superb value.
 

timn8ter
Posted on   
I'm with John, but I'll repeat it anyway. Wrong, wrong, wrong. You obviously have Internet access. Do a little research. You'll find tons of information on DIY loudspeakers. IMO, it's the best way to go, especially on a limited budget. We're not talking about "designing" your own speakers. We're talking about getting plans and following them. Somebody else has already done the driver matching, enclosure and crossover design work. I'll give you a list in addition to Madisound.
www.adireaudio.com
www.creativesound.ca
www.stryke.com
www.gr-research.com
www.diysubwoofers.org
www.partsexpress.com
BTW, if in the future you decide to try designing your own speakers, don't buy the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook. It's a great book but it's not for beginners. Try "Design, Build and Test Your Own Loudspeakers" or "The Great Sound Stereo Speaker Manual".
 

timn8ter
Posted on   
One other thing since this subject is "near and dear to my heart". If nothing else, at least build your own sub. It's amazingly simple as you'll see at the diysubwoofer site. For less than $300 you can build a sub that will seriously kick the butt of subs costing twice as much. Here's an example; Creative Sound is selling the Adire DPL-12 driver for $125. You can get an amp at Parts Express for another $100-$125. This combination is capable of easily hitting 20Hz at 95+ db and staying flat all the way up to 100+ Hz with the ability to hit 115 db if you want. You'll have dishes falling on the floor but it can be done. But it's not just SPL. These subs are tight and accurate. Let's see that with a $300 store bought sub!
« Previous Thread Next Thread »



Main Forums

Today's Posts

Forum Help

Follow Us