Reasons for Building your own Loudspeaker

Updated 21 January 2024

by AudioPhil™

Audio Enthusiast & Vintage Gear Aficionado | Exploring the Past, Present & Future of Sound | #AudioTech #VintageAudio | Tap-tapping on the MPC One 🎧✨

Back in the classic era of Hi-Fi, it was well known that mass manufactured loudspeakers were both of lessor quality and wouldn't fit your decor. The cost can be prohibitive too. Electro-Voice had it right in 1970 when they said that you can build your own loudspeaker better than the big boys. And they put it in writing. Look at those drawings and gain inspiration from the exposed brick feature walls and custom cabinetry.

Introduction

Nowadays, Hi-Fi is a matter of going down to the local big box retailer and seeing what is on sale. Grabbing the biggest red-ticket reduction so to speak. The easiest way to buy high fidelity loudspeakers may not always be the best. True audiophiles see it differently. This advertisement from Electro-Voice guides prospective buyers down the path of custom built cabinetry. This is the lost art of vintage audio. You can build your own DIY loudspeaker the Electro-Voice way.

Building your vintage Hi-Fi system shouldn't be difficult and with a bit of elbow grease you can save a bit of dosh. This classic Electro-Voice advertisement shows a selection of quality horn tweeters, mid-range cones, a displacement woofer, and a configurable crossover panel. Using the manufacturer's cabinet volume recommendations, you too can build a custom vintage Hi-Fi to suit your installation. In reality it isn't that hard.

7 arguments to build your own loudspeaker

Note: This image is a reproduction of a vintage advertisement, originally published circa 1970. The brand(s) and advertisement is not specifically endorsed on webpage by their respective owner(s). This reproduction is shown for historical preservation purposes. All brands and trademarks are owned by their respctive owner(s).

Loudspeaker building is a personal story

Loudspeaker building is a craft, especially if you are looking to build your one of a kind speaker. The DIY loudspeaker should reflect who you are and what your design goals are. However, this is not to mean that your build should not seek inspiration from the past. Far from it in fact. I have found through the years that many current innovations are often decades old from their discovery. It is how you develop that innovation into your dream loudspeaker that will cherish forever.

It is by looking through old books, analysing designs, reviewing photos where you can identify perspectives that were developed but due to many reasons were never developed further. This is not because the idea or concept is bad. It is a reflection of how products are built. There are strict development timelines and budgets to adhere to. Sometimes the idea is ahead of its time and it has taken technology, modelling or just plain acceptance of the idea that makes it ripe to be developed into today's latest innovation. Countless great ideas have been forgotten over the passage of time and are ready to be further developed. As the self-building reasearcher, developer, carpenter, electrician and systems integrator, it is up to you to bring these ideas into a new light.

JBL's Life Like Sound

Did you know that a speaker must be mounted to produce bass tones?

A loudspeaker radiates sound from both sides of its cone. In an open box, at low frequencies, radiations from the front cancel out radiations from the back. Acoustical enclosures are designed to prevent this effect by isolating back waves from front radiations.

Acoustic lenses bend sound radiations

Did you know that lenses are made to bend sound radiations just as glass lenses bend light rays? JBL made lenses which are the acoustical equivelent of optical wide-angle projection lenses. The are used to conteract the tendency of high-frequency sound to form a narrow beam. Acoustical lenses project sound evenly and smoothly over a 90° angle with equal intensity, regardless of frequency.

Your ear is a high-fidelity instrument

Did you know that your ear is a high-fidelity measuring instrument. Distortion in the middle range of sound frequencies that is immediately apparent to your ear can only be detected by the finest scientific instruments. Mid-range is most important. Trust your ears when selectinng your speaker system. But beware of overly-emphasized highs and lows. Listen for smooth, even coverage throughout the audible range.

Loudspeaker Design Simulation

Loudspeaker modelling and simulation play a crucial role in audio engineering, offering insights into how speakers perform under various conditions without physical prototyping. This process involves using sophisticated software to replicate a loudspeaker's behavior, considering elements like the cone, coil, magnet, and enclosure. Simulations predict frequency response, distortion, and efficiency, guiding design choices for optimal sound quality. They enable designers to tweak materials, shapes, and sizes virtually, thus reducing costs and time-to-market. This technique has revolutionized loudspeaker design, allowing for precise tuning and innovation, ensuring that the final product delivers the desired acoustic performance.

I've primarily used WinISD for modeling and simulation, and it has served me well. The software offers sufficient accuracy for my needs and flexibly adapts to parameter changes. It's been instrumental in helping me analyze and comprehend the design strategies and compromises in commercial models. However, WinISD's major limitation is its age and lack of updates, making it somewhat outdated. I'm considering two main alternatives: VituixCAD and REW Room EQ Wizard. Both offer a broader range of features than I currently need, but switching software and mastering new tools can be a bit daunting.

1. WinISD - WinISD v0.50 from 2014 has given me the best results
2. REW Room EQ Wizard
3. VituixCAD - Loudspeaker Simulation CAD application