# DIY project?



## treepmeyer (Dec 30, 2013)

Hi - I am new to the DIY audio world, but it looks interesting. I recently blew the woofers (I think - they are very muddy at the low end) in an old pair of Celestion 100 2-way speakers. The cabinets are beautiful cherry wood. 

Also, I has two 12" Dayton subwoofers (one was in use with the Celestions) that lightening damaged. I know that they are amazingly inexpensive, but I also thought of just replacing the damaged components.

I've was nosing around the DIY Sound Group website and was really amazed at what is available. Too much for a newbie to digest. Should I just buy an HTM kit or play around with the salvaged equipment I have? Thanks.

Tom


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## treepmeyer (Dec 30, 2013)

OK, I've decided to junk the old speakers. What is available as inexpensive kits is nothing short of amazing: Overnight Sensation MTM, Chane A1.4, HTM 6 or 10, Fusion 6 or 8, even the Elusive 1099. There are no doubt others. I'll go over the Home Theater threads, but any recommendations are welcome. Thanks.


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## fusseli (May 1, 2007)

Glad you found a solution so quickly, I will move your thread to the speaker DIY area for more attention.


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## jororaitchev (Jan 24, 2017)

When starting a "DIY" project, You need to clarify the following details :
budget, the room where you listen to music / volume /, these boxes will use them temporarily, and then I will do better, the appearance is not / or is / important and many other little things.
One advice from me:
- invest in quality speakers- the electronics / amplifier/ can always be chainge.
Joro


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## treepmeyer (Dec 30, 2013)

The room is about 15x15 feet with a fieldstone fireplace on one wall and wood paneling on the others. The speakers will go on a paneled wall with two easy chairs and a bay window across from them (the fieldstone to the left). Budget? Well, say between $500 and $1000. We play mostly blues (e.g., Muddy Waters), vintage rock (Van Morrison), strict-tempo ballroom dance (not big band!, think Frank Sinatra), Argentine Tango and some classical. Unlikely to ever really crank it up. Driven by 25 year-old Harmon Kardon Signature pre & power amps. Replacing Celeston 100's and a Dayton 12" subwoofer. I don't need to impress anyone, I just want some nice clean sound. I think it would be fun to assemble a kit, but I am not up for building a cabinet from scratch.

In reading about speakers on my short list (Overnight Sensation MTM, Chane A1.4, HTM-6 or 10, Fusion 6 or 8, Elusive 1099), it's not clear to me whether some should be supplemented with a subwoofer or whether they would all be sufficient for my application. Any and all comments are welcome.


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## jororaitchev (Jan 24, 2017)

With this limited budget, you can buy buckshell conventional speakers with low quality.
I do not know what your expectations are from this forum, but I'm sure you not to get great offers.And this moment with your unwillingness to build the speaker cabinets themselves In person...!!!
You have to ask yourself, what is the "DIY"?
Joro


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## treepmeyer (Dec 30, 2013)

Jororaichev - Evidently you are of the opinion that all of the speakers I listed (Overnight Sensation, HTM, Fusion, Cinema Speakers and Chane) are "low quality," as you put it. You are entitled to your opinion, but there are plenty of comments on this web site that are very favorable.

Evidently, you also think that assembling a kit from the DIY Sound Group does not count as do-it-yourself speaker building. Perhaps. If this forum is only for those who purchase individual components and parts from Parts Express then I guess I don't belong here. I will admit that I need the experience and expertise of people like Paul Carmody to select the components and parts that will work best together. As I wrote, I think it would be fun to build one of the kits offered by the DIY Sound Group. If this forum is not for kit builders then I apologize for posting here, but I would just point out that this thread was put in the DIY forum by the moderator, fusseli, not by me.

With respect to the cabinet, I do not have the skill or the equipment to mill wood. Thus I was glad to see that the DIY Sound Group offers flat packs specifically intended for their various kits. Again, that evidently falls outside your definition of what constitutes do-it-yourself, but not mine or, I think, others.

Finally, with respect to my expectations, all I hoped for was advice on choosing between the speakers I listed above. 

I had hoped that the Home Theater Shack community would not be snobbish and denigrate someone who likes good sound but is not an audiophile, or denigrate someone who doesn't have the need to spend thousands of dollars on audio equipment or get into the weeds of speaker design. Perhaps, though, I was wrong.


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## jororaitchev (Jan 24, 2017)

treepmeyer said:


> Jororaichev - Evidently you are of the opinion that all of the speakers I listed (Overnight Sensation, HTM, Fusion, Cinema Speakers and Chane) are "low quality," as you put it. You are entitled to your opinion, but there are plenty of comments on this web site that are very favorable.
> 
> Evidently, you also think that assembling a kit from the DIY Sound Group does not count as do-it-yourself speaker building. Perhaps. If this forum is only for those who purchase individual components and parts from Parts Express then I guess I don't belong here. I will admit that I need the experience and expertise of people like Paul Carmody to select the components and parts that will work best together. As I wrote, I think it would be fun to build one of the kits offered by the DIY Sound Group. If this forum is not for kit builders then I apologize for posting here, but I would just point out that this thread was put in the DIY forum by the moderator, fusseli, not by me.
> 
> ...


Perhaps there is a language barrier, my English is not good, I apologize!I, as an adult, are accustomed to giving more advice than to accept...Sorry if I offended you with something!
My understanding of an investment is clearly out of line with your budget of 1K.You live in a country with the lowest prices of such goods and with yours at the American standard, i do not really understand why you do not dive into deep waters?
Good luck!


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## 123Toid (Mar 21, 2017)

You might consider adding in the Denham MTM to your list. They were created by Jeff Bagby for a recording studio to reproduce realistic sound reproduction. That type of sound should lend itself well to your jazz music. Those go down to 38hz, so you may not "need" a subwoofer. Most of us would still add one. But you can always start with the MTM's see how they sound in your room and the decide if you want to invest more in a subwoofer.


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## Wicken Darrow (Oct 19, 2017)

As for salvaging ... If you liked the old sound, I reckon it would always be cheaper to just buy the drivers anew and install them. Were there any crossovers that were fried in the process as well?
You could even improve your sound (80+ Hz) by adding different speakers to your boxes, chosen wisely you can even gain performance and it has little to no DYI work.

I guess the benefits of a kit are always the fact that it's like a puzzle, indeed .. You don't have to make a puzzle of your own. However I believe they are more intended towards people who want to do more and just want to catch a glimpse of what's waiting ahead. That being said, there is a certain impact on value versus performance but I deem it highly varying - unstable.


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## treepmeyer (Dec 30, 2013)

An update: On the advise if Erich at the DIY Speaker Group I purchased the Hitmaker kit. Many thanks to Erich. They turned out fine, but I will add a subwoofer. I finished them with a coat of Kilz-All sealer followed by several coats of Rustoleum bronze metallic spray. The project was fun and the sound is very nice.:smile:


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## 123Toid (Mar 21, 2017)

That is great to hear! Do you have any pictures? We always love seeing the completed projects.


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## BoomieMCT (Dec 11, 2006)

Good job on your speakers! Now that you have built one set, has the bug bit you to build more?


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