# what can I gain from DIY



## loopy (Feb 29, 2016)

I am making my 18 inch sub this will save me money.
what I want to ask is other than the satisfaction what do i gain from making my own speakers.
I am on a tight budget but have a very large room to fill 4000 cubic feet.
I was going to get me some ascend 340's for the front and 170s for the rear but my aver broke just before i ordered them.
With the sub being less expensive and maybe better than purchased can I make speakers that are as good and still save money?

I have very little audio experience so any help will be appreciated.

Thanks


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## dgmartin (Oct 29, 2011)

DIY gives satisfaction learning and understanding. You won't view commercial offerings the same way after. That said, in the price range you are looking at, by the time you buy the woodworking equipment, you are not going to save money on a single pair of speakers.


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## DqMcClain (Sep 16, 2015)

With a little bit of research, it is absolutely possible to build a better speaker than you can buy in any particular price point... to a point. If you're talking about speakers that cost less than ~$500/pr, in general those don't have anything in the way of technology, carpentry, or design that a savvy consumer can't pull off on their own. For $100-$400 in parts and a careful execution, you have the potential to outclass manufactured boxes for the same price as what you spent on those parts. This assumes you have all the tools... as stated above, if you have to factor all that into the price you're never going to compete. 

When you get into the higher end stuff, aside from the higher quality hardware you're paying for the expertise of the designers and the builders. There are subtleties of cabinet design (like port placement, time-alignment of drivers, bracing and damping, etc) that improve with experience, as with the electrical side (crossover design and layout, etc). Those things absolutely make a difference in the end product, and that's reflected (generally) in the price you pay.


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## loopy (Feb 29, 2016)

I have a router some clamps and a circular saw. I don't have the room for a table saw. I was looking at some fusion eight speakers any thoughts on those


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## DqMcClain (Sep 16, 2015)

I built a 12" box for my car using a Fusion 12" subwoofer... it did pretty well considering the almost comically low price. What exact model are you looking at? I can't find anything on their website at the moment that looks like a bare 8" driver. 

If you're reasonably proficient with your router and circular saw, it's not too difficult to build a decent box.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

loopy said:


> I am making my 18 inch sub this will save me money.
> what I want to ask is other than the satisfaction what do i gain from making my own speakers.
> I am on a tight budget but have a very large room to fill 4000 cubic feet.
> I was going to get me some ascend 340's for the front and 170s for the rear but my aver broke just before i ordered them.
> ...





loopy said:


> I am making my 18 inch sub this will save me money.
> what I want to ask is other than the satisfaction what do i gain from making my own speakers.
> I am on a tight budget but have a very large room to fill 4000 cubic feet.
> I was going to get me some ascend 340's for the front and 170s for the rear but my aver broke just before i ordered them.
> ...


You might consider adding 3-4 of these in your attic or crawl space... they are much less expensive than single 18's and from what Im reading really add some serious clean low end... and they save your floor space..

http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-ib385-8-15-infinite-baffle-subwoofer--295-455


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## loopy (Feb 29, 2016)

Any good plans for a 18 inch subs If i get two and then build some speakers it will save enough from getting flat packs to get a table saw.


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## loopy (Feb 29, 2016)

DqMcClain said:


> With a little bit of research, it is absolutely possible to build a better speaker than you can buy in any particular price point... to a point. If you're talking about speakers that cost less than ~$500/pr, in general those don't have anything in the way of technology, carpentry, or design that a savvy consumer can't pull off on their own. For $100-$400 in parts and a careful execution, you have the potential to outclass manufactured boxes for the same price as what you spent on those parts. This assumes you have all the tools... as stated above, if you have to factor all that into the price you're never going to compete.
> 
> When you get into the higher end stuff, aside from the higher quality hardware you're paying for the expertise of the designers and the builders. There are subtleties of cabinet design (like port placement, time-alignment of drivers, bracing and damping, etc) that improve with experience, as with the electrical side (crossover design and layout, etc). Those things absolutely make a difference in the end product, and that's reflected (generally) in the price you pay.



Are there any good plans I on this site that I can look at that will work good in a 4000 cubic foot room?

And sorry for the late reply I work a 12 hr swing shift and trying to figure this out before i get some good time off so i can use that time to start building something.


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## dgmartin (Oct 29, 2011)

loopy said:


> I have a router some clamps and a circular saw. I don't have the room for a table saw. I was looking at some fusion eight speakers any thoughts on those


I have no direct experience with the Fusion 8 speakers but my mains speakers are somewhat similar. IMO, with a subwoofer, it will be difficult to get that combination of dynamics & balance near that price point, DIY or commercial. You may want to try the stand mount first to confirm you like its character before investing into the floor standing.

You will be fine without a table saw. A router, a flush trim bit and some double sided tape can make up for it


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## DqMcClain (Sep 16, 2015)

So, in a nutshell... what is it you're trying to design?

18" Sub boxes?
Mains?
And what's the budget?


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## loopy (Feb 29, 2016)

I went ahead and got me a flat pack and 18 dayton HO sub with a Inuke 6000 DSP . The flat pack ate up the cost of the second sub so i will stay with one until I get the money to get a second one. One option if I can talk my wife into it is to go ported over sealed but two 18 inch ported subs are very large and I don't think she would be easy to sway. The ported would cover the area better. 4000 cubic feet


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