I want to build some decent home theater speakers. Where to start?

Question

I'm not an audiophile, but I want to build some decent 5.1 or 6.1 speakers. Can someone point me to a resource?

I picked up "Loudspeaker Design Cookbook" by Vance Dickason, but it is way, way too advanced. I'm a noob, so I need something that speaks to me at the noob level.

Answer 1

I built a pair of these speakers for my home stereo that are rated "Construction Degree of Difficulty: 7" & I found them quite easy to build & I don't even own a table saw.
"David" floor standing speaker
http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/David.html

I also built a pair of these subwoofers for my PA system.
"Construction Degree of Difficulty: 5"
Tuba 36 subwoofer
http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/T36.html

It does take a lot of patience though, building speakers is not a project you're going to finish in one day.


http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/

"Our DIY speakers offer performance features not available on store-bought speakers, yet they cost less, saving as much as 75% over off-the-shelf speakers that don't perform half as well. Building your own speakers is easy when you order plans from Bill Fitzmaurice Loudspeakers. All plans include a complete set of instructions and step-by-step photos of the construction process."

"ALL THUMBS?
If you can't build your own click on the Cabinet Builders link for a list of builders who can custom craft speakers for you, at prices well below what you'd have to pay for commercial speakers of lesser quality."



TLAH Home Theater Mains
http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/TLAH.html
Construction Degree of Difficulty: 5

SLA Home Theater Center
http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/SLA.html
"Construction Degree of Difficulty: 4"

Table Tuba Home Theater Subwoofer
http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/TT.html
"Construction Degree of Difficulty: 3"

Answer 2

There are many great instructional books and software out there covering the subject of building enclosures. Building your own speaker enclosures can be a lengthy and tedious endeavor.

There are several factors involving mathematical equations dependent on your individual speaker drivers used. These measurements are very critical in overall performance of frequency response and dispersion. All dimensions and construction of the enclosure must be exact and air tight if you are building a bass reflex cabinet. (typically used in theater audio applications)

I use to build speakers a few decades ago when cabinet size was not a factor. Attempting to build something compact with good response and output is difficult at best!

Unless you have a shop full of woodworking equipment and plenty of time on your hands, an unlimited budget and you really want to just build your own; your best bet would to just buy something already manufactured. There are so many choices these days in all price ranges, it’s difficult to support anyone attempting to home build.


(Sports, convention and entertainment sound engineer)

Answer 3

Hi Joseph,

The easiest approach is to purchase some quality on-wall, bookshelf, or free-standing speakers like those in the Linn Komponent range, for example, at http://www.cleverhome.com.au/products/Linn-Komponent-Loudspeaker-System-104-106-110-120.shtml .

If you want to be more involved in the construction, or want a more aesthetically subtle visual impact, then you can use some of the soon-to-be release Linn Custom 2K in-wall/ceiling loudspeakers. There is a preview of these at http://www.cleverhome.com.au/products/Linn-Custom-2K-loudspeakers-106C-104C-R-S.shtml .

You can achieve really good results taking this approach without knowing much about loudspeaker enclosure design and construction. Following the installation tips in associated installation manuals is usually sufficient.

Producing a good subwoofer can be very challenging, and it is by far easiest to buy a free-standing subwoofer. Failing this, you can purchase a custom version of a subwoofer that includes all components except the cabinet, if you want to build it into a deep wall cavity or a very sturdy cabinet.

This way you can be confident of achieving a satisfying result that you will enjoy for years to come.

Answer 4

That book is a little much for basic speakers. I don't know of a simpler source for knowledge but for parts http://www.partsexpress.com/ is a good place to start.

Answer 5

I am going to second the faux homemade speaker idea. You are going to run into needing to build crossovers, which if you are having issues with box volume, crosover design is considerably more technically challenging.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

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Answer 8

find speaker building for dummies.
no seriously. to be basic you need to know how much air space your woofers need. then you would need to make sure the box has the approiate volume. also you need to know the focal point so that the listening point is in the correct spot.

Answer 9

how about a compromise... You don't have to engineer them but you can tell everyone you built them....


http://www.speakerlab.com/speakerkits.htm

http://www.madisound.com/kits.html

http://www.goldsound.net/kit.htm

http://www.rawacoustics.com

http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?WebPage_ID=209

Answer 10

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