Hello Everyone,
Just wanted to share my AV-0 build with everyone. This is my 3rd DIY speaker build that I have done, the 2nd one with out a flat pack to build off of.
I was inspired to get this kit based off of the New Record Day video that Ron posted a month or so ago now. I have never thought of doing a omni directional speaker, originally I was going to get the encore kit (being that these are both in the same price range and within the current budget limitations I had at the time).
This was a very good learning experience for me. This was my first time using a circle cutting jig with my router (I don't know why I waited so long to get one...) and the first time doing a speaker this size.
All in all the build went smooth, the only real snafu that I ran into was that I ran out of brad nails... and dropped my speaker on the ground mid glue because the top slipped off
and some minor issues with my finishing. I had a hard time finding the red that I wanted, everything was too dark or too bright... but I eventually found one that worked for me. Also I attempted to use wipe on polly. I forgot to take into account that the coats are really thin and (on the back side at least) sanded through all the polly coats and into the paint (scuffing it up a bit). Next time I am going to use brush on, do several coats, and sand smooth.
As for the sound... I really do enjoy these speakers. This is my first run with omni directional speakers, I can see where Ron got really excited with these speakers. The AV-0s do really cool things with sound stage and depth of field, they feel really open. As compared to my other speakers (Elac B6.2s) the imaging is much more relaxed, everything is not as locked in and tight. This can lend to a more "natural" sound to music, I especially like how they handle acoustic guitar (Ana Vidović is my favorite).
Live performances are especially good on these, they give a real sense of the space that the performance is happening in. My favorite example is the music video to "Rooting For You" by London Grammar, they are preforming in a concert hall and you can really feel how large the space is. These speakers definitely have their own feel to them, I am still getting a sense as to what works well and what does not, they seem to be more picky about what type of music you put through them but by no means is anything "bad" just not as exciting as some.
If you have any questions let me know, here are some build pictures - hope you enjoy!
