Audiophile Speakers

Want to build 'audiophile speakers' that outperform the most expensive commercial loudspeakers out there?

Is this really possible? Can I really do this? In one word - Yes!

I was doubtful, too when I was looking for this type of kit because we usually tend to believe the hype in magazines and media so much. It took me a while to grasp why especially DIY audiophile speakers can potentially sound better than commercial ones and cost less, too.

First of all, audiophile retail loudspeakers are not produced in large quantities because the demand is generally lower. This requires higher markups on the premium parts used to make these loudspeakers. To justify higher prices, manufacturers wrap the drivers in expensive, stylish cabinets. And we haven't yet considered cost of labour which doesn't come cheap either.

So this explains why most reference loudspeakers have 5-digit price-tags...Ouch!

Being hobbyists, we don't need to care about markets, trends or cover manufacturing costs. What made me hooked on DIY audiophile speakers is the fact that you can buy the exactly same drivers and parts used in high-end loudspeakers directly from the manufacturer! And the kits I mention here were engineered by renowned specialist such as Sigfried Linkwitz, Joe D'appolito or Manfred Zoller. It's not just like buying factory-direct but rather like buying directly from the developer.

In other words, you could contact the guy who developed your loudspeakers and ask for help should you ever run into problems.
I have yet to see a commercial loudspeaker with this level of support.

So if your budget can stretch, say $1200 to $4000 a pair for an audiophile speaker kit, you can definitely build that no-compromise true reference speaker you've always been dreaming about. I assume you already have clear sonic preferences (e.g. fast, deep bass or high resolution) hence I recommend you carefully audition several speaker kits before spending that kind of money. Take your time, bring your favorite music and please resist that frantic urge to spend!

I have experienced that it can be quite challenging to sell expensive DIY speakers second hand for a good price just because you weren't satisfied with their sonics. And you shouldn't skimp on the cabinet build quality and finish of your speakers either. After all you're building reference speakers, aren't you?

Ask your kit dealer about return-policies, warranties and get in touch with others who have built the same speaker kit. You want to be sure your loudspeaker investment is going to last at least a couple of years.

Ok, let's find your dream audiophile speaker kit now! Before we continue, I want to summarize our requirements...

What to look for in an Audiophile Speaker?

You basically want a loudspeaker that masters one or a few areas of audio reproduction with highest perfection and without compromises:

Undistorted, lifelike reproduction of voices and musical instruments- Reveals even tiny details in your recordings- Dynamic, effortless playback and precise bass

Kit Price Ranges

Audiophile speaker kits matching these requirements are available in various designsand price ranges from approximately $1200 up to about $4000. Often severalkit upgrades are available such as better (and thus pricier) crossover components.

What Does a Kit Contain?

In this price category expect only premium drivers and crossover components.Many speaker kits contain expensive, top-of-the-line drivers from Seas Excel or Peerlessor sophisticated ribbon tweeter constructions. Additionally, more exotic crossover parts with better precision or elitist cables for internal speaker wiring are included.Cabinets are not included but you can build one according to the construction planor have someone build it for you at reasonable cost. It's not at all difficult.

Audiophile Speaker Kit Recommendations:

My list of recommended kits is not nearly complete. It's all based on personal listening experiences and positive reviews of other customers.

Zoller Ultimate Solution (from $4000/pair)If you love the airiness of electrostatic speakers with a fluid midrangeand crystal-clear treble plus great bass, Manfred Zoller's Ultimate Solution speaker kit should be on your hotlist. While this is still an insiders' tip, several audiophiles are ranking this speaker among the absolute best loudspeakers on this planetregardless of price. Two paper midrange woofers frame a sophisticated ribbon tweeter in a D'Appolito arrangement. You can use this speaker in fullrange stereoor home theater applications. Add an additional subwoofer for very large rooms or more slam although I doubt that you're going to need one for normal playback levels.I love the fact that this speaker was designed with time-pase coherency perfection in mind. Thus each driver is housed in its own cabinet, completely adjustable on the vertical angle and decoupled from vibrations. Active and passive crossover versions are available.Although Manfred's Kit is more expensive, I bet it'll be difficult to find a commercial loudspeaker that comes close to its performance.

Zoller Temptation Reloaded (from $2200/pair)I personally built and own this loudspeaker so I can tell you a lot about its sonic properties.Manfred's Temptation Reloaded is basically a scaled-down version of his Ultimate Solution kit. It's suitable for smaller rooms (<20m2). I couldn't afford the Ultimate Solution kit and wanted an audiophile speaker that performs great in smaller rooms. This loudspeaker kit comeswith a smaller ribbon tweeter of similar quality and the same paper-midrange woofer that's being usedin the Ultimate Solution project, however it only employs a single midrange driver per speaker.Two 7 inch woofers per speaker reproduce the bass. Like its bigger brother, the Temptationrelies on Manfred's "stacked cabinet" philosophy. The woofers are housed in a bass-reflex cabinet while midrange driver and tweeter share a single cabinet. It looks like a small monitor or satellite speaker positioned on top of the woofer cabinet. I use spikes to decouple both cabinets. I was surprised how easy it is to build this cabinet - even for a novice woodworker like me.As for the sound...wow. I still get goosebumps every time they start singing. The loudspeakers just seem to disappear and let me enjoy what I'd call the best midrange and treble I have ever heard. I even use them for 2-channel home theater. My wife is still shocked when our telephone suddenly ringsand it actually turns out to be on the recording :) I have probably listened to almost every commercial high-end loudspeaker out there but find the Temptation Reloaded a steal for their asking price. I would definitely build them again. I should also note that they are extremely frugal when it comes to power consumption. I once hooked them up to a 20W tube amplifier and they still sound terrific.

Selah Audio Alexandrite/XT8 line array speaker kits (from $3850/pair)If you fancy big tower speakers for larger listening rooms and love lifelike dynamics,why not give Rick Craig's Alexandrite or XT8 a listen? He combines a whopping eight ribbon tweeters and 7 inch Seas Excel midrange woofers in a truly impressive line array. And their high sensitivity allows them to be driven by tube amps, too. Line array speakers provide a highly consistent sound field allowing a performance comparable to a live event whereas other speakers often only sound good when sitting within their "sweet spot" area. I would say it's simply a matter of taste because line arrays definitely sound different.

Linkwitz Orion (from $1500/pair) Developed by speaker-designer Sigfried Linkwitz (yes, he's the guy who co-developed the famous Linkwitz-Reilly crossover), the Orion is a unique open-baffle 3-way speaker.Open-baffle means the backside of the cabinet is open (except for the woofers) and rearwall reflections are desired. The Orion is operated by an active crossover so you are going to need one power amplifier per driver. Because there are eight drivers altogether, I recommend either getting a good 8-channel amplifier or buying additional amplifiers (in case you already have one or two that can be reused for this project). You may also get away cheaper by building a few LM3886 "Gainclones" or looking for second-hand amplifiers. Just make sure the voltage gain of your amplifiers is identical. Orion speakers combine Seas' prestigious Millenium dome tweeters with a neodymium based magnet system and an 8" Seas midrange woofer. Two 10" Peerless woofers per speaker provide the necessary bass slam.Orion speakers are not only extremely revealing, airy and punchy - they also make a great home theater frontend! I love this kit because the active crossover allows experimenting with different amplifiers. You can virtually customize this speaker to your taste. And Sigfried Linkwitz lets you choose how much you actually want to do yourself. Completely assembled crossovers and even complete Orion speakers are available. Any skill level is covered so you should be able to successfully build your own reference audiophile speaker.

Seas Thor (from $1075/pair)This speaker kit combines the cream of the crop both in engineering and driver quality. It's intended as a showcase project for Seas showing the sonic potential of their top-of-the line Millenium drivers when properly implemented. Dr. Joseph D'Appolito has personally developed this speaker for Seas. It's a transmissionline construction (a folded air-duct inside the loudspeaker is used to compound low frequencies as opposed to bassreflex) employing two Seas W18E001 woofers and one renowned Millennium tweeter per speaker in a D'Appolito configuration.This loudspeaker kit results in a speaker with great overall performance and you can even buy beautiful pre-built cabinets for them. It's a good choice if you want to build a reference speaker with little time investment because so many aspects can be bought as "plug-and-play" components.


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