[Bryce22]

So I have long been a fan of high end audio and wanted to go the route of DIY one day on a set of speakers.  Well today the wife gave me the green light so looking get my feet wet.  Big fan of GR Research but still lots to learn before I can pull the trigger.  Looking forward to the community help.

[FullRangeMan]

Welcome 
OB speakers always good sound.

[Phil A]

Welcome!

[JLM]

Here goes the cold water...

Many DIY speakers, use old technology and second rate drivers.  Hard to audition before hand, even in kit form.  And they are extremely subject to proud papa bias.  Your best bet for DIY speakers may be copies of vintage speakers, really old technology but at least you can audition before hand and know that they were once upon a time, classics.  Most DIY recipes come from lone ranger guys who couldn't get a job with a respected speaker company and so do it primarily as a sideline.  Compared to a company like Dynaudio or JBL, who have long histories, teams of R&D staff, and deep manufacturing resources, those DIY speakers and guys are jokes. 

If you want high-end speakers, look into active monitors that studio professionals use to record, mix, and master the music you listen to.  Toionp end pros don't tolerate fools well, they do this for a living and can't waste time guessing on the sound or tolerating colorations that entertain audiophiles.  They don't value fancy veneers or expensive cables.  They need the factual sound of the original performance which active monitors are known to provide.  Actives use low voltage crossovers to feed one channel of amplification for each driver which is a vastly superior technology.  Better design > fewer cabinets > lower cost > better sound (startling dynamics, flatter frequency response, improved imaging, and gobsmackingly deep/full bass).

A modern speaker development is controlled directivity that provides better imaging while reducing room interactions.  Look into Genelec, Neumann, Amphion, or Buchardt for examples.  Another recent realization is the importance of the room itself.  Check out audiosciencereviews.com for how various speakers hold up in this regard.  Suggest reading Floyd Toole's "Sound Reproduction" 3rd edition which is the consummate primer for audiophiles to learn how speakers/subwoofers behave in-room.  In it you'll learn that bass has inherent peaks/dips of up to 30 dB in-room and that the best way to deal with them is via subs (active designs BTW). 

[Bryce22]

No cold water at all JLM.  So I am working to a budget and feel that active speakers would work against that plus another constraint that I have which is that these would be in my living space and likely have veneer.     I have followed a number of yt channels and understand the strengths of such speakers.  All appreciate sound advice.

[ArthurDent]

Greetings & Welcome to AC Bryce   

[JLM]

Active speakers are cheaper than equivalent passives + amps.  JBL 305 Mk2 are wonderful at $300/pair for small/mid-sized spaces (if you have balanced gear which can be found rather inexpensively as well).  Kali Audio makes some very well reviewed $300-800/pair speakers that connect to single ended or balanced gear.   Decent DIY speakers would cost at least that much and as I stated don't compare to active offerings from a respected manufacturer. 

Never understood the need audiophiles have for veneered speaker cabinets, especially for the prices charged, but I'm a form should follow function purist.  Except for large speakers we enthusiasts, for the most part, have weaned ourselves from wooden cabinets on the rest of our audio/video gear over the past 70 years. 

[dB Cooper]

But if you've already got the electronics, maybe not. Agree that most homebrew speakers sound like most homebrew beers taste. Speaker design involves plenty of art and plenty of science. It's the science that hobbyist efforts fall down on. Analyzing and designing out flaws require resources like JLM speaks of. Most hobbyists don't have them.

I draw a distinction between DIY (which to me means 'from scratch' inclusing the design) and kit options. GR is a good example, as the OP mentioned. They have a track record and a lot of happy customers. The engineering is done but you get the fun and savings of doing the build. All you have to do is assemble it right. Want to save even more, use a painted rather than veneered cabinet. There are a few other kit options but I haven't been in the speaker market so can't name names.

Actives have their advantages but that is a separate conversation. 'Assembling the system' is an audiophile ritual and actives 'wall off' part of that process. There will always be a market for passives (or passives with electronic x-overs and biamping) but economics and scale of production will drive the bulk of the market to actives, which will be derided as 'mid-fi' by the faithful.

As far as the room goes, these problems were solved almost 50 years ago by Roy Allison, although his work has seeming been largely misunderstood or forgotten. The only mfr working with the same scientific principles I know of today is Larsen Speakers. Swarms of subwoofers, used to even out the room effects, are more of a profit maker though so it isn't surprising that's the direction the market seems to be heading. I actually wrote to Mr. Toole on his Facebook page asking him what his thoughts were on the Allison approach but never got a reply.

[S Clark]

Kits are a better option than real DIY, which is far more difficult to do well than you can imagine. 
Also, be aware that JLM is probably by far the biggest fan of active speakers on this site.  They can be excellent, but they aren't the answer to every question. 

[Speedskater]

Yep, active speakers, or at least active DSP crossovers are the way to go.

[diyman]

Active speakers are cheaper than equivalent passives + amps.  JBL 305 Mk2 are wonderful at $300/pair for small/mid-sized spaces (if you have balanced gear which can be found rather inexpensively as well).  Kali Audio makes some very well reviewed $300-800/pair speakers that connect to single ended or balanced gear.   Decent DIY speakers would cost at least that much and as I stated don't compare to active offerings from a respected manufacturer. 

Never understood the need audiophiles have for veneered speaker cabinets, especially for the prices charged, but I'm a form should follow function purist.  Except for large speakers we enthusiasts, for the most part, have weaned ourselves from wooden cabinets on the rest of our audio/video gear over the past 70 years.

This is a terrible idea unless you would be satisfied with 3% THD, which is what you get with the $300 per pair Kali LP-6.  I doubt that many people here would accept it.

[jcsperson]

Never understood the need audiophiles have for veneered speaker cabinets, especially for the prices charged, but I'm a form should follow function purist.

Total harmonic WAF is one of the most critical audio specifications.