To the OP: I am willing to assemble a pair of NX studio cabinets for you if you are driving distance from Sacramento, CA, more specifically zip 95747. You would need to purchase and have shipped either a pair of front baffles if they are available (and I'll cut the rest of the cabinet for you), or you can purchase a complete flat pack, but I don't offer either of those for sale. The NX-series does have a specifically designed waveguide incorporated into the baffle so you have less options in comparison with an X-series front baffle which anyone can readily cut for you.
My labor to cut and assemble an unpainted cabinet is very low, and would be mostly donated, if you are willing to perform the finishing, and just want an assembled and sanded cabinet. However, you would have to be close enough to me for in-person pickup. If you want something completely finished, that's an entirely different conversation, and would depend on the type and degree of finish. To be clear, I'm not soliciting customers for cabinet assembly. I simply don't have the time for that on any continual basis. What I'm offering is to lend a hand and donate a few hours towards cutting and/or gluing a cabinet for a "friend" if they are close enough for in-person pickup.
The bottom line is if you see a flat pack available, that is likely your easiest and cheapest entry level option. If you see someone offering a complete assembly, than that pricing is relevant and should be seen as an entry point. That pricing is likely already leveraging a certain degree of mass-operation to keep the cost reasonable, such as cutting panels for several cabinets at one time to minimize setup time and reduce material waste.
For clarity, for anyone going down the path of seeking labor assistance for a "DIY" build, it is important that you realize the labor always involves more hours of work than any newcomer would anticipate. The only way to fully appreciate how much labor is involved is to have done it before.
Trying to find someone to build a single pair of cabinets for cheaper than someone already doing that labor in batches,
Is generally going to be unrealistic in any for-profit labor arrangement. The exception to that is if you have someone willing to donate a portion of their time, which is not a normal situation. As the quality of a worker's skill goes up, so does their labor price. As you consider types of finishes, keep in mind that the labor hours to apply veneer are much less than the labor hours for a professional quality paint finish. Adding any type of high gloss or polished finish adds even more labor to either of those options.
As someone else mentioned, I also agree that it is time for a "sticky" thread pointing to some of those individuals that are offering cabinet assembly and to summarize the available flat packs, or other labor components. Partly to identify who they are, but also to answer some of the frequent questions, and dispel the misconceptions that naturally arise from those that are new to woodworking and DIY speaker assembly.
In my own experience and from conversation with highly experienced cabinet builders such as Peter Rawlings and others, a couple of those frequent questions or misconceptions include:
Question:
"I See that there is a flat pack available for $____, that seems like a lot of money, can you cut me a pair of cabinets for less, or make some customizations for near the same price?"
Answer= No. There is a lot of development and labor already invested into that flat-pack, as well as the sharing of setup time, and efficiency of material usage, with those costs being spread out between multiple sets cut together in batches.
Question:
"I see that there is an assembled cabinet being offered with veneer applied, for $____. I know veneer can be expensive. Can you build me a cabinet and just paint it so that I'm not adding another $60 material cost for veneer?"
Answer= No. Veneer is added as a baseline because it's less labor than paint. The only way I can save you the $60 veneer cost is by charging you an additional $250 for paint prep and labor.
Bottom line is the cost savings of DIY only apply if you DIY. Paying someone to handle all aspects of the build is going to get you, as the saying goes, no more than 2 of the following 3: high-quality, cheap, or, fast. Depending on what you prioritize, you might only get 1 of those. The higher the quality, the less likely you get either of the remaining 2. Regardless, the cost/value ratio can still be very worthwhile. Having to pay someone to build your DIY speakers doesn't mean their performance won't be worth that cost, it just might cost more than you anticipate.
There is absolutely a market for and a value to high-end custom assemblies of DIY designs, and those builders can be identified. However, as any high-end builder will tell you, most people casually seeking that end result are unfortunately wanting to get there on a mass-produced and lower-end budget.
Disclaimer to avoid anyone getting unnecessarily offended. None of the above statements are targeted at anyone including the OP, but are generalizations. As with any generalization, it may not apply to everyone. I love this hobby. I love building and I love being of service. However, when DIY gets contracted out, it is no longer "DIY" and can get very expensive.
