# Dayton UA721 kits ?



## dradius (Sep 10, 2008)

I'm thinking about picking up three of these for my L/C/R. Right now I use some low-end mismatched speakers, so these should definitely be an improvement. I have 3 subs, (2 18" sonotubes and a 15" cube.) My HT is in an unfinished basement with no walls. 40% music / 40% movies / 20% games. 
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=302-780
http://www.parts-express.com/project...project=USHERs

My receiver is an Onkyo 674. I assume it won't have a problem with these 4ohm speakers, but I'm not sure

I'm also thinking about ordering the kits w/out the cabinets, which knocks them from $430 to $297 each. I'm not the best woodworker, but $133 x 3 = $399. I already have 1 and 1/2 sheets of MDF laying around, and can probably get screws, liquid nails, etc. for $50 or so. That's some considerable savings, which would be very nice.
http://www.parts-express.com/project...imensions1.gif

They also sell this kit for $455 with curved cabinets. I assume the $25 price difference between the square and curved cabs is just because the curved ones look better? (I do not care whatsoever what they look like, I probably won't even paint the mdf if I build them myself.)

I searched around but haven't seen many reviews on these at all. Any input/thoughts is appreciated. Thanks.


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## Mario (Jun 2, 2009)

I don't know how extensive your speaker building experience is, but personally I would just buy the cabinets. One of the advantages of pre-made kits is professional looking cabinets with pre-cut baffles. You wouldn't need to touch any of your power tools. That's A LOT of saved time. And don't forget to include the cost of veneering/painting in your estimates. The savings would be less than you think. 

If you are still determined to build cabinets yourself I would suggest looking at more options before you make your decision. There are other designs that will give you more bang for your buck. You can check here: 
http://www.htguide.com/forum/forumdisplay.php4?f=39 and here 
http://www.zaphaudio.com/.


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## dradius (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks for the info and links Mario. My speaker building experience is very low. However, I definitely won't veneer them and most likely won't even paint them. Looks don't mean anything to me for this project. And, I don't mind working with tools and have much more spare time than I do spare money 

the boxes look fairly easy to build, and while I haven't found dimensions of what parts express uses for their baffle, I'm sure I can come up with something that works.


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## Mario (Jun 2, 2009)

If looks don't matter than things would indeed get much simpler. Unfinished MDF is not pretty though. I would recommend a removable front baffle so you can paint/veneer them later if you decide to. 

And again, I suggest considering other designs, such as ZDT3.5. It will cost you less than the Dayton kit, but most likely provide a better sound quality since it's a 3.5 design. That's especially important for the center channel (due to differences in horizontal polar response). You also get detailed cabinet plans. The only drawback is that it's a little bit more complicated than a MTM build. And you need to build your own crossovers. 

If you still want to go with the Dayton kit then make sure you build the box to their dimensions: 22" H x 9" W x 13.5" D (external dimensions, I assume). Don't forget about bracing, damping and room for crossovers. And good luck!


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## dradius (Sep 10, 2008)

thanks again. the ZDT 3.5 definitely looks awesome. actually, the entire site is very nice. the guy has done some very cool projects. i have to say, my knowledge of this stuff is pretty low and building the crossovers intimidates the hell out of me. but, i'm not going to rule it out. i'm not in a rush and am going to read read read before i buy anything


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