Looking for suggestion of high quality speaker kit with cabinets. I do not have the woodworking space, skills or tools to build my own cabinets and I can't find anyone in Houston to agree to build one for me either. So if you know of a kit that comes with cabinets that is truly exceptional, please let me know.
Budget: ~$2K
Budget: ~$2K
Try the kit from CSS. Highly regarded by reviewers.
Flat pack enclosure is brainless to assemble. Pay a local cabinet maker to veneer them.
SHOP | css-audio
YouTube
Flat pack enclosure is brainless to assemble. Pay a local cabinet maker to veneer them.
SHOP | css-audio
YouTube
You can go to DIY Soundgroup, they have plenty of kits and flatpacks,
I am assuming you don't know how to solder crossovers together? If so, they can build the crossovers for you. The only thing you'll have to do is get around 8 clamps or so from Harbor Freight, some wood glue and glue/clamp the pre-cut flat pack boxes together. Yes, you'll need to screw the drivers in, install the crossover board, slide in the ports and install the input terminals and wiring yourself. About as close to Ikea as you can get!
Which kit to get? That depends on your wants/needs or desires. Everything from a small 2-way bookshelf to the upcoming Titan 818 which uses a compression driver tweeter horn, an 8" sealed back midrange mounted in a horn which is laid on top of the 18" woofer box. That Titan is not small but very accurate, very efficient' handles a ton of power and can generate far higher SPLs in typical homes than you can stand and do it cleanly.
Just going to the extreme with the Titan kits 🙂 Click around and you'll find more typical smaller speakers or medium sized types along with the monsters. Another option if those designs work for you... more options are always good thing. (unless you have kids)
Good luck
I am assuming you don't know how to solder crossovers together? If so, they can build the crossovers for you. The only thing you'll have to do is get around 8 clamps or so from Harbor Freight, some wood glue and glue/clamp the pre-cut flat pack boxes together. Yes, you'll need to screw the drivers in, install the crossover board, slide in the ports and install the input terminals and wiring yourself. About as close to Ikea as you can get!
Which kit to get? That depends on your wants/needs or desires. Everything from a small 2-way bookshelf to the upcoming Titan 818 which uses a compression driver tweeter horn, an 8" sealed back midrange mounted in a horn which is laid on top of the 18" woofer box. That Titan is not small but very accurate, very efficient' handles a ton of power and can generate far higher SPLs in typical homes than you can stand and do it cleanly.
Just going to the extreme with the Titan kits 🙂 Click around and you'll find more typical smaller speakers or medium sized types along with the monsters. Another option if those designs work for you... more options are always good thing. (unless you have kids)
Good luck
Parts Express also has a few kits with flatpack cabinets. I built the TL version of the TriTrix for one of my children, who liked it. Also, the Solstice design by the late Jeff Bagby has received good reviews - there's a thread about it somewhere around here.
Solstice MLTL Reference Tower Speaker Kit
Solstice MLTL Reference Tower Speaker Kit
My choice would be the new GR-Research NX Studio. Without bas-reflex, 70 Hz at -3 dB. With one or two subwoofers.
Tyson's NX-Studio Monitor Review
Tyson's NX-Studio Monitor Review
It would be smart to model your room and placement options, and read tech info on different speaker designs(horn, dipole, MTM, sealed, transmission line...). This will allow you to logically select the best format for your room and soundstage goals, and also get accurate diyAudio advice on what to purchase.
You could spend a couple months looking for a good used speaker with fair resale value.
You could spend a couple months looking for a good used speaker with fair resale value.
I'd build one of the CSS Kits. I've heard them and they are excellent and very well designed. Extremely newbie friendly too. If on a budget I'd do one of the DIYsoundgroup kits or the better designed PE kits, like the Solstice..
How about the LXmini Linkwitz Lab Speaker Kit:
LXmini Linkwitz Lab Speaker Kit, PAIR: Madisound Speaker Components.
They say:"No woodwork required to assemble this kit if purchasing with wood parts option!"
It IS for bi-amp only but you should do that anyway, as IMO it's the best way to get the most from a system.
LXmini Linkwitz Lab Speaker Kit, PAIR: Madisound Speaker Components.
They say:"No woodwork required to assemble this kit if purchasing with wood parts option!"
It IS for bi-amp only but you should do that anyway, as IMO it's the best way to get the most from a system.