[Trafford]

I am interested in building a pair of very good speakers. I have never done this before but I have done lots of building, mostly home remodeling (3 homes so far, top to bottom). I have a 10" compound miter saw, a table saw, a band saw and most hand power tools. I do not yet have a router.

I just bought an Onix CD-5 player and really enjoy CD's and HDCD's through this machine more than I thought I would. I always thought digital was digital until I got this. I run it through an old Proton D540 amp and a pair of Sound Dynamics RT3's. It sounds good to me but I know there is so much more that I am missing. I would like to get a small two way monitor to use in the living room where this system sits. The speakers must be small and fit in with the medium stained oak furniture to secure the necessary WAF. My budget is $500 to $800 but I might be able to stretch it a little. I plan to get a Class-D amp later to replace the D540. I am concerned about counter-sinking the speakers for flush mounting and working with the MDF. I have worked with plywood frequently but have only done some minor finish type work (refinish furniture, new top for table, etc.). The speakers need to be finished in wood to achieve the WAF.

Here are the kits I am looking at. You can see some include cabinets or the front face and some require building the cabinets from scratch. I love tight bass and clear highs. Can anyone tell me which of these kits give the best bang for the buck and are not a killer to make for a reasonably coordinated/talented diy'er for his first foray into the world of make your own audio?

Ellis Audio 1801b, GR Research A/V-1, RAW Acoustics RAV1X,  Selah Audio SA-1, Exodus Audio 61 or 261.

Is there another kit I should consider?

Thanks for any input.

[PaulHilgeman]

Not a kit, but the Murphy Blaster MB-OW1 is a great little speaker, but it does require a flush mount tweeter.

If you are in Chicago I'd be glad to assist.

[S Clark]

The AV-1's are giant killers.  For a few bucks more you can buy the front baffle precut with grill cover to make the cabinet building a snap.  I have heard this speaker and variations of it many times and you just can't go wrong with it.  I also agree with the Dennis Murphy MBOW-1 as a high quality option, just a bit more expensive because of the $$ tweeter.
Most of all, I hope you enjoy becoming a DIY builder!

[TomW16]

I have built the Ellis 1801s and they have exactly what you are after: airy highs and tight bass.  You might find a different speaker but it is hard to believe that you can find better.  Unless the baffles are pre cut on a kit, you'll likely require a router for the speaker cut outs and recess.  I have a hand held router and a tablesaw mounted router and I find them indispensable.

Have fun!

Tom

[Trafford]

Wow, thanks for all of the input. I am in western PA. I will check out the Murphy Blaster. I am not completely without help on this since my brother is a millwright and I may be able to persuade him to help me with the routing work.

I have two home theater set-ups. One with Onix Rockets and one with NHT VS-2's. I also have a small set-up with Athena AS-B2's. The Rockets seem a little laid back to me and I would like to get some more detail in the music. I like the Athena's but the bass seems muddy to me. I heard some Ohm Walsh 4's several years ago and I really liked that sound.

I was leaning towards the 1801b's but the RAV1X and the A/V-1's offer the front baffle as an option. That would solve my router problem. I was just unsure how these speakers all compare performance-wise. Can anyone tell me what commercial speakers these kits compare to?

I have never worked with veneer and that will be a requirement of "the boss" since all things in the living room must match. I will need to cover whatever I make in oak and then stain it to reasonably match the other furniture. Are there any good sources of info on working with veneer?