My friends think it’s pretty cool that I build my own and (not to toot my own horns) are impressed with my results. However, they often point out that DIY tends to have very low resale value, so brand name products are better investments.

Here’s my line of thinking. And comments are welcome. The $700 I spent in parts and material for my 3PI gave me a set of speakers that sound as good if not better than speakers I’ve heard in the $3000+ range. From what I’ve seen, audio equipment tends to lose 1/3 of their value in the resale market after a few years. Therefore, the use of these $3,000 speakers would cost me $1,000 over the course of 4 years (if I decide to resell). As for the 3PI, even if I can’t give it away (unlikely) and end up tossing it out into the trash, it’s still just $700 spent.

Thoughts?

I'd argue your point about not saving any money. The amount spend is not chump change and I'd have to admit that I always end up spending more than planned. But compared to what you'd have to spend on brand name equipment to get equivalent performance, the gap is huge.

Let me phrase it another way. I've been following the preamp group build on and off. Very impressive with the quality of parts selected. At what price point would you begin to see brand name equipment with components close to that quality level (for example, capacitors the size of a six pack)? I can't see myself being able to afford that level of manufactured equipment, but with the proper know-how, it can be DIY'ed for a fraction of the cost.

I think second-hand is probably the best way to go if cost is the primary factor. However, like you said, you're stuck with a vintage design. On the other hand, DIY makes it very affordable to upgrade and change the system every few years to follow the latest trend.

I have bought and resold dozens of drivers and horns in trying various combinations. If I buy used drivers, I usually come very close to selling at the price I paid at resale. If I buy new, I have usually gotten 60% or so of the original price.