building my own speakers

[Wodgy]

The GR Research AV-1s are 8 ohm speakers.

 

[binkgle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodgy The GR Research AV-1s are 8 ohm speakers.

... i was sure i read that they were 4 and the a/v-2s were 8... i'll check again

edit: you're right. well, then i won't be getting the av-2s

. now do decide between some pis and the av-1s. opinions?

 

[Wodgy]

I would go for the AV-1, no question. Danny Richie is a good designer, they measure well, they have a lot of good feedback, and they'll be easier to resell if you decide you want to upgrade to something else.

Though, I will say, if your aim is to save money rather than the fun of building speakers yourself, you should consider the new AV123 speakers also designed by Danny:
http://www.av123.com/products_produc...s&product=82.1
Similar (slightly larger) woofer, different (not necessarily better or worse) tweeter.

That said, I would encourage you to try speaker building. It's a *huge* amount of fun. But you won't save money, especially on your first project, unless you already have woodworking skills and all the tools. Cabinets, veneering, and finishing are where the money really disappears. Still, it's worth it for the fun and satisfaction of making something yourself. I got hooked and am going to be starting my third speaker project next week.

 

[binkgle]

i'm definitely set on building the speakers myself. thankfully my younger brother loves metalwork and has a lot of power tools in the basement which he also uses for cutting wood sometimes. i'll need to buy a soldering iron, some mdf, and some thin sheets of nicer wood for veneering (i assume that veneering is sticking the nicer panels on top of the mdf?)

 

[Wodgy]

Sounds good. Yes, veneers are the very thin sheets of wood you use to cover the MDF. There are a lot of good veneering sites, but just for interest's sake here's one with a lot of picture samples of various woods:
http://www.oakwoodveneer.com/samples.html

If your brother enjoys metalworking, perhaps you might be interested in doing your speaker edge roundovers in stainless steel or polished aluminum, similar to the Tannoy TD8:
http://tannoy.com/td8
Just an idea. I like that look.

 

[binkgle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodgy Sounds good. Yes, veneers are the very thin sheets of wood you use to cover the MDF. There are a lot of good veneering sites, but just for interest's sake here's one with a lot of picture samples of various woods: http://www.oakwoodveneer.com/samples.html If your brother enjoys metalworking, perhaps you might be interested in doing your speaker edge roundovers in stainless steel or polished aluminum, similar to the Tannoy TD8: http://tannoy.com/td8 Just an idea. I like that look.

thx for the veneering site.

as much as my bro likes metalwork, it's not the kind needed for something as refined as this. he built himself a forge and likes bashing metal blacksmith-style. not good for diy audio work, though sometimes with some pretty cool results, especially for a 15-year-old

i think i'll be building the a/v-1s during my march vacation. thx so much for your help, guys. a thread of desperation about how muh i've screwed up may be appearing here in the second half of march

 

[69CamaroSS396]

If you don't screw up a DIY effort, or at least a part of one, you will be a rare bird indeed. Any DIYer who says they haven't made some mistakes, silly or otherwise, is either perfect or lying. Good Luck!!