Is it something about it that satisfies your creativity, your quest for knowledge, pride of accomplishment or seeking truth in a sea of subjectivity?
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Basically, I like solving problems, and DIY shows me problems every step of the way. And I like the satisfaction of building something nice.
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It started with penny pinching and a love of music. I’ve learned a lot since the beginning.
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Why not…?!
Seriously, I started building speakers after being underwhelmed by commercial offerings and the damage requested for what you got, plus almost everything was black.
I can’t remember when exactly, but about 12 years ago we needed a new pair of speakers. I googled ‘DIY speakers’, discovered PETT, then the various sites like Paul C’s and Curt’s. I find it immensely satisfying to build something which sounds good and is great value, even if the aesthetics of my later efforts leave much to be desired.
I find the whole subject fascinating and fora like this one are a great resource.
Geoff
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It’s an artistic outlet that touches on a lot of things. Speakers have acoustics, electronics, and fabrication. It’s a great mental stimulus.
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I’ve always been a tinkerer with a love for audio equipment. I got that from my dad. Speaker building definitely helps keep my brain engaged. It hits on all the things that interest me: HiFi, Music, woodworking, Technology, Electronics, and a great group of guys who share the same passions. It’s a logical extension to my live-sound days, but without the late nights, aching back and continued hearing damage.
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I enjoy listening to music, and good-sounding speakers are expensive. DIY lets me mitigate the cost and experience more speakers per dollar. It also overlaps with my love of CNC, woodworking, and electronics.
Some of you might not know this, but I have built multiple CNC machines and enjoy seeing them come to life almost as much as I like building speakers. I have worked in the electronics field for over 20 years and still love learning new things.
Woodworking has been a hobby for as long as I can remember. Since middle school, I have been in the shop doing whatever I could to learn more and get better. These days, I don’t do as much woodworking because I can CNC a cabinet so much faster, but I still go old-school on projects pretty often.
Digging into psychoacoustics is pretty fun, too. There are some things that we cannot measure but can hear—possibly only with our eyes. Building a speaker that measures great and has great directivity is almost an expectation at this point, but we can still hear very distinct differences between different types of tweeters: metal, silk, AMT, planar, etc.
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I build speakers because my wife lets me.
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I have heard it said and I agree that we should voluntarily expose ourselves, in measured doses, to that which we are afraid of. I do not enjoy public speaking, not even a small group. So trying to talk somewhat technically in front of a lot of smart guys should be helpful to me. Also I build speakers because I have the tools and the interest and a supporting wife.
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I’ve enjoyed speaker designing and building as a great mix of hands on art and science. Two of my most enjoyable subjects in HS (but then I went off into business ???). The art side lets one be creative (I go through reams of graph paper) the science side brings you back a bit to reality. With each build having its new goals and bringing its own challenges. Making something with my head and hands, and when it’s done it actually plays music.
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The very basic answer is that we build speakers because it bridges the brain’s craving for chemical rewards (dopamine) with the deeply human needs to create value and human connection.
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Because it is a great nondestructive outlet for my OCD…
You’ll learn it’s CDO eventually, alphabetical order you see… 
I’m not sure why I do it. I like some of the design and build process and typically hate other parts of it. I really don’t like screwing things up (which happens relatively frequently, of course) and that can derail and delay projects for extended periods.
I like starting projects but have a hard time finishing them because I want them to be perfect. I’m trying to move past that.
I kind of wonder if I do it now just because I have the momentum of having done it for 20 years it feels weird to ‘not’ do it.
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It helps me to remind myself that perfection is impossible but it is important to try. Maybe it’s progression towards perfection.
Ever since I got my first stereo, an old Denon, that came with some 6x9 car speakers stuck in a box, when I was about 10yrs old, I had a desire to build my own set. I figured I could build them nicer and better sounding. Life happened and I didn’t get to realize that dream until 32 yrs later. By then I had the space, the woodworking tools, the time, and the money to make it a reality. Since then its become a challenge to make unique looking speakers that sound great. I’ve also become comfortable with making what I like the looks of, and not worrying about what others think. So, the designs are different, but I enjoy looking at them while I listen. For me its about marrying my artistic side with my technical side. It also encompasses my love of music. To me, there are few things better than sitting down with a delicious beer, selecting music that fits my mood, setting the right volume, and listening on speakers that I built. The satisfaction and peace in those moments ranks way up there. Plus it continues to push me. How can I make the next set of speakers look better, sound better, and improve my woodworking skills. Not to mention, that going to speaker events means I get to meet some really great people who share many of the same passions.
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Spoken like an artist coming into his prime . . . Love it!
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