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Kit vs. Finished Speakers [message #79882] Mon, 28 April 2014 20:24 Go to next message
Satyaa is currently offline  Satyaa
Messages: 1
Registered: April 2014
Esquire
Hi all, I am new member on the forum and am researching speakers for HT setup for a 13' x 23' living room with cathedral ceiling.

I was hoping to buy a set of finished speakers for under $2K but it doesn't seem possible.

I am wondering whether I should buy the kits and build the speakers myself. I searched for 'kit vs finished' speakers on the forum and found nothing.

I have two questions...

1. How easy/difficult is it for a newbie to assemble speakers from these kits? I am new to cabinetry and was going to get into it for other things anyway. I can handle wiring connections/soldering/etc., but don't know anything about electronics.

2. The cost difference between kits and finished speakers is significant. Leaving the time and effort aside, how much would the material typically cost for decent cabinets (3 x Three Pi and 2 x Two Pi)?

If I go that route, I would have to spend a couple of months to get the cabinets ready and then order the kits when I am ready! That way, I won't have the kits sitting in the basement while I am learning to build cabinets.

Any advice from your experience is appreciated.

Thanks,
Satyaa


Researching for a new HT setup
Re: Kit vs. Finished Speakers [message #82676 is a reply to message #79882] Tue, 24 May 2016 04:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Csharp is currently offline  Csharp
Messages: 86
Registered: April 2012
Viscount
If you're still lurking.......or for anyone else who wants to know.....if you don't have experience then expect this project to take twice as long than if you did have experience. Learning as you go will make the clock move slower as they say, so you want to keep that in mind.
Re: Kit vs. Finished Speakers [message #82690 is a reply to message #82676] Tue, 24 May 2016 12:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mamoss is currently offline  mamoss
Messages: 185
Registered: May 2016
Master
Csharp wrote on Tue, 24 May 2016 04:27
If you're still lurking.......or for anyone else who wants to know.....if you don't have experience then expect this project to take twice as long than if you did have experience. Learning as you go will make the clock move slower as they say, so you want to keep that in mind.



I have to agree with you completely. Apart from assembly taking time, I believe doing this as a newbie may compromise the quality of the final product. I am one of those people who prefers to buy and learn along the way.
Re: Kit vs. Finished Speakers [message #82694 is a reply to message #82690] Tue, 24 May 2016 14:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gofar99 is currently offline  gofar99
Messages: 1895
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, One source of speakers I have found useful is Audio Advisor (on the web). PI speakers are great, but it may be difficult to fit your budget (ask Wayne). Audio Advisor often has closeouts of mid to high end speakers and they do a lot of HT systems. I snagged several high quality speakers off them for about 1/3 the original selling price.

Good Listening
Bruce
Re: Kit vs. Finished Speakers [message #82722 is a reply to message #82694] Wed, 25 May 2016 10:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

I think we talked about this via email. So I think this post has been answered privately.

But I'll throw in my 2ยข here anyway.

Speaker cabinets that are just a simple box aren't too expensive to have made by just about any cabinet shop. The customer can choose any wood veneer they want. If cost is an issue, then the cabinet can be painted instead of using an expensive wood veneer.

The components in the kit come in a number of quality levels. Onoe can choose an inexpensive kit costing less than a hundred bucks. Or they can choose a more high-end product that costs thousands.

So there are a wide range of products offered at just about any price point.

Re: Kit vs. Finished Speakers [message #83881 is a reply to message #82690] Fri, 04 November 2016 22:15 Go to previous message
Ssal is currently offline  Ssal
Messages: 67
Registered: October 2016
Viscount
As a newbie myself, I have to agree that it probably would be for the best to get the finished product for now. At least until you are confident enough to start doing things for yourself.
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