http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/ Engadget Comments for JVC's build-it-yourself speaker set, but why would you? http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 1:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 1:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 1:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 2:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 1:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/This is a fantastic project with audiophile sound quality, costs about $130 without the cabinet:
http://www.rjbaudio.com/Microbe/microbe.html
Very impressive bass for only a 5" speaker, but you'll still probably want a small subwoofer to really fill in the low end. A good companion for these speakers is the "cerberus" subwoofer designed by the same guy. It's only a 6.5" speaker but it's very powerful for its size. $125 in parts: http://www.rjbaudio.com/Cerberus/cerberus.html

For a slightly larger project, this one is cheap and has excellent sound quality, although it will need a more robust amplifier than your typical sony reciever: http://www.zaphaudio.com/BAMTM.html

Parts for these projects can be found at partsexpress.com
and madisound.com

There are literally hundreds of projects out there to fit all shapes, sizes, and budgets. You usually get a cost/performance benefit of about 5X by building it yourself, meaning you'd have to spend five times as much in a store to by a speaker that had similar sound.
Here's links to some other projects:
htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=13154&page=1&pp=35
rjbaudio.com/projects.html
zaphaudio.com/
partsexpress.com/projectshowcase/projects.cfm

Help can be found here: pesupport.com/cgi-bin/config.pl
I post there regularly and there's a lot of really helpful guys.

Happy building!]]>Nov 18th 2007 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
http://www.axiomaudio.com/bookshelfspeakers.html ]]>Nov 18th 2007 7:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 1:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 1:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 3:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 1:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 1:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
I like how the article title judges the content for you rather than allowing the viewer to make their own decision. Thank you, impartial engadget reporters. Ughhh.....]]>Nov 18th 2007 1:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
You can take your sensible thoughts on a seemingly (to us) pointless product else where. We don't need folks of your ilk here. We want those that rush to judgment and fail to think critically about their own ideas.]]>Nov 18th 2007 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
Why do manufacturers make small speakers? Because of convenience. There is ALWAYS audio quality compromise when talking about very small speakers. And not even just that. Just look at Bose. Their marketing trumps all attempts at making the best compromise between quality and size, so a speaker company can be very successful in not just selling small speakers, but very sub-par ones too.

And the claim about Stradivarius? Man there is indeed so much BS running in the audio world. Is is "controversial"? Sounds to me like Intelligent Design Creationism-speak. There is no real controversy because there is no real science in there. There is no credible evidence provided besides some wild claim.]]>Nov 18th 2007 3:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/[IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/bonehead848/Picture002.jpg[/IMG]]]>Nov 18th 2007 1:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 8:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/bonehead848/Picture002.jpg]]>Nov 18th 2007 1:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 2:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 2:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
No, the size of the speaker does not make a speaker bad, or good for the matter of the fact. You are taking your personal opinion needing low freq out of a speaker and assuming a speaker is good or bad because of that.

Smaller speakers obviously are not meant for bass since they do not have the bass drivers due to size. This however does not mean they do not do a good job at producing sound. The idea of smaller speakers is just that, they are smaller. Supplementing them with a sub is where you get your bass from. You use this very example with car audio, why wouldn't it apply to home?

Personally, I rather take a speaker that sounds good in the mid to high and lacks bass and rather, buy a good high quality sub (SVS, Paradigm, Velodyne, etc...), or two to get my bass from. Rather than speakers that come with built in power subs, where the compartment for the bass is not ideal designed like it is in a true dedicated sub.

This is the vary reason I went with the Paradigm Studio 60s, rather than the 80s or 100s. I did not need the bass speakers built it, I get my bass from my PS-1000 and Servo-15.]]>Nov 18th 2007 2:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
I did a double-take on that. I thought I read:

"A band or symphony is incomplete without a DUMBASS"
]]>Nov 18th 2007 2:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 2:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 2:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 19th 2007 12:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/IKEA here in Sweden have been applying the same technique for years by the way, cutting down on assembly costs by letting the user mount the parts by him/herself.]]>Nov 18th 2007 2:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 2:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 3:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/>Being small does make a speaker bad. It limits a speaker's low range power significantly. The only reason I got 10-inch subs in my car was because the other speakers didn't play the low ranges. A band or symphony is incomplete without bass.
. No no it doesn't, just because a speaker is small doesn't mean it's Freq. response has to be small, it just all depends on the quality. That being said, these are actual WOOD cones and I know psb or someone (panisonic or some company starting with a P) was/has one in the works and has been for 20 years just experimenting with it in the labs. The tone and resonance of these wood coned speakers is supposed to be spectacular.

Zargon:
>Smaller speakers obviously are not meant for bass since they do not have the bass drivers due to size.
.Yes and no, a small driver and still re-produce a good amount of bass, it's just not as loud due to the reduced cone size.

Yem:
> Rear-ported bookshelf speakers. Genius.
. It is genius, the sound will be deeper/louder should the sound waves have something to bounce/resonate off of. Just like how bottom firing home theater subwoofers make the biggest boom compared to the ones with the sub cone facing the floor.

BigDaddyM:
>Why not also kill the DIY spirit with a title like that.
. I feel ya, everyone is used to EVERYTHING being made for them so they can take their hot little hands and scoop it up off the retail store shelves. No one knows what work actually goes into making great products, and this is a good start, although an actual DIY speaker driver where you actually have to put the driver and cone together would be even more fun.

My conclusion? I would definatly buy this if I had the extra cash because not only are they wood cones (I bet they sound wicked) but putting together something that actually works is fun and a learning experiance.

Sunday thing:

.I think that the editors use sunday as an excuse to slack off or not work at all. I've only seen a couple new posts today and I sure as hell know that if it were me on the editor team I would garentee a slew of (worthwhile) posts that would probably get you guys so much traffic there would be traffic jams (yeah, on the internet).]]>Nov 18th 2007 2:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
It is true that size doesn't necessarily mean no bass, but it's also true that there is no replacement for displacement. You always lose something when reducing the size. It could be the volume the speakers can play without distortion, it could be how low they can play, it could be how clear they sound. Also, the samller a speaker box gets, the more distortion you gte due to the sound waves bouncing around the inside of the speaker. These sound waves reflect back into the speaker cone but with a slight delay because of the distance traveled, and they muddy the sound. High end speakers are usually very deep and heavily stuffed with acoustic foam to absorb these rear sound waves.

If you really want to build something worth your money, look here:
http://www.partsexpress.com/projectshowcase/projects.cfm
http://www.rjbaudio.com (the microbe is great, costs $130 without the boxes)
http://www.zaphaudio.com (Bargain aluminum MTM is a great value)]]>Nov 18th 2007 3:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
Not too soft (buying it all made) and not too hard (starting from zero with dangerous tools and materials)]]>Nov 18th 2007 3:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 3:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 19th 2007 12:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Your reply to me and zargon basically said what I said. Of course these produce bass, it just isn't audible at normal listening distances. Any dumbass with headphones can test this for himself.
.And I suppose you've already bought these and listened to them yourself? Course you haven't and so don't even say shit about what they sound like until you actually have heard them play. They could sound like crap with barely or no bass or they could have a nice warm bass, while being a little light but they probably still reproduce the bass fairly well down to 120hz at least.

Please stop being dumb and wasting pixels on my computer monitor]]>Nov 19th 2007 11:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 3:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/. . . wouldn't wanna screw it up though.]]>Nov 18th 2007 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 18th 2007 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/i was quite relieved to find out that mittens the kitten was safely brought down from a tree by the fire department!]]>Nov 18th 2007 3:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/last time i checked, it's pretty expensive stuff and it's pretty well known for it's good audio qualities.
supposedly the cones made out of this stuff has much better quality that your typical polyolefine, but i have never been able to compare the two side by side.]]>Nov 18th 2007 3:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
Btw, deals can always be had even on major brands. I got my Klipsch Rf-82's for $500 directly from Klipsch through a reseller accomodation program. Not saying they're the greatest speakers, but they sure are one hell of a bang for the buck!]]>Nov 18th 2007 3:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=300-642 is currently less than half price and has a 6 1/2" driver AND a 1 1/8" tweeter. The Parts Express kit costs "$139.00 PR" on sale right now, but even when not on sale, $239 for the pair, the Parts Express speakers are better in the bass region. For less money.

Why does JVC bother?]]>Nov 18th 2007 7:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
1) smaller stuff sometimes costs more than bigger stuff (the partsexpress speaker kit for $139 must not be as good a deal as claimed if a 12" kit is available for less).

2) maybe some people actually don't mind spending more for something not made in china. the people that always complain how something should be cheaper, they're the ones that are buying everything lifestyle related made in china and making gas and everything else important more expensive here.

3) it's always good to have choices. more choices means more competition. and you can't possibly predict what other people's requirements are (maybe i have a space that is exactly the size of those speakers), so filling a niche can be important.

bah, at least i can enjoy the comments about "this is engadget, we only want people that rush to conclusions". someone should make a "jump to conclusions" mat or something.

]]>Nov 18th 2007 8:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/
2) The parts for these are still most likely made in china. And why would I spend more for something that is not put together? I can sell you a car for $5000, or I could sell you all the parts you need to make the car for $6500. Which would you like?

3) I agree with you that choices are important. In this case, the choice they have made for how much to sell it for will determine whether their product is commercially successful. Based on my experience with speaker building, these cost too much and offer too little. If you want something that sounds the same and costs under $100, try this: http://www.zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker18.html

4) Nice jump to conclusions mat reference.]]>Nov 18th 2007 9:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://fullrangedriver.com/]]>Nov 19th 2007 12:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Nov 19th 2007 5:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/18/jvcs-build-it-yourself-speaker-set-but-why-would-you/Dec 2nd 2007 1:59PM