How much? Where from? How do I go about starting a project like this?

These are some of the questions I could really do with answers to. Can you buy speaker kits, or do you get all the bits seperately?

Are there any good online places to buy from?

I live in England by the way, so american sites are a bit pointless thanks!

The actual construction shouldn't be a problem. I' a very "buildy" person and my Dad used to build his own speakers when he was younger so I can ask him for some tips if I have any problems bulding.

Thanks!

There are loads of sites online with good tutorials, kits and everything you need to get started with building speakers. As a start Dennis Murphy has some great designs, Madisound make some good budget kits, as do GR Research. These are all in the states, but there are many similar places in Britain.

If I was to choose a first set to build now, I would choose Dennis Murphy's MB20. He doesn't supply kits, but the cabinet making is simple and the sound great.

You may wanna take a look at Cyburgs Needle. It can be equipped with a Visaton FRS8 driver or a Tangband W3-871S. I built a pair for my girlfriend for 70€ and I'm very pleased with the sound quality.
Also visit http://www.lautsprechershop.de. Website is available in english. You don't need to order from them, but they give you a very nice overview and offer all speakers developed by the german DIY magazines Klang+Ton and HobbyHIFI.

I have been building speakers for years. Unless you dont plan to make this your hobby, don't do it. The potential savings is practically zero today, not worth the huge work. Buy a pair of factory made speakers when there is a big dicount on them.

Best and cheapest way to get good speakers is by buying them used. You can get a pair of 5,000- US$ speakers for less than 500 bucks sometimes, for this money you will NEVER EVER be able to build something similar sounding by yourself. Just make sure the membranes are allright and buy them from a dealer with some 6 months warranty.

Christian
matroska project admin

my friend and i have built three sets of the Alpha Line Source speakers found at GR Research. Each are a little unique (type of veneer, crossovers, etc) but are a fantastic value. very much recommended.

Interesting that you mention this design, I was planning to build a set of these next month, along with a small subwoofer.
This is true. You probably won't end up saving money, will take a lot of time and effort and might catch the DIY bug. However, building a good set of speakers is a really rewarding experience, if you are into it.

I used to build speakers back in the late 70s, early 80s. Back then it was a relatively simple thing for the average joe to do and you could save some serious money. But the technology has changed a lot since then and I would have to agree with Christian that it's probably not worth the effort unless you plan to make a serious hobby out of it. If you just want to build yourself 1 or 2 pairs to save some money, forget about it and follow Christian's advice instead.