How hard is it to build your own speakers?

By full range, do you mean single driver, or full range multi way?

Building a speaker can be just about as easy as a sub, or as complex as a NASA science experiment. Diysoundgroup has various kits at various prices, but you'll still have to solder a cross over. That's usually the trickiest part for someone asking this type of question. Doable though if you can follow directions.

If you don't need a kit, you still need to find a design that suits your needs. And you'll be a little more on your own.

You can design your own, but be prepared for about 5 years of learning and experimenting before you try.

You are really talking about 2 completely different things here.

There are people who can design a good speaker-but lack the tools or skills to build a quality cabinet.

Then there are the people who can build a quality cabinet-but have no idea what goes into a design-there is A LOT.

Then there are people who have done a lot of experimenting over the years and combine that with gained knowledge and skills learned building other cabinets-and they end up with a quality product

Building a speaker and have it make sound is one thing. Having make a GOOD sound is a whole different story.

It is multiple skill sets.

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?219617-The-Speaker-Building-Bible

Your Speaker building supply needs:

http://www.parts-express.com/


Cabinets building:
MDF
PL Premium for glue
Screws
Jig saw
hole cutter
clamps - lots of clamps
table saw
EXCEL Spreadsheet
SOFTWARE for cabinet displacement and crossover design.


Do your homework and build what you want. Thats what I did and have been blown away by the results.

Know what Ohm your going to run the speakers in - check your amp.
Learn about small vs large and how you want to setup your system. - learn speaker configuration and benefits/drawbacks.
Crossover's are a pain to learn.

Thats just a few things off the top of my head. FYI - I spent 2 years planning and learning. I reached out to many companies to understand small vs large and speaker configuration. Then I incorporated all this information and designed my own cabinets based off end-goal and sub performance.

Google "Troels Gravsen"

His Classic 3 way with SEAS drivers is excellent.

Or... 4PI by Wayne Parham

A center something like this?

MDF can "technically" be a better material for cabinets but I do not suggest using this material unless you are working outdoors or have access to very good dust (and fume) collecting equipment. I hated it. Good quality plywood is much more enjoyable to work with and healthier.

Table saws are great but you can do a lot with a cheap circular saw and a clamp-on guide, or even just a straight board and clamps.

A router is great for cutting circles and I've even used mine (with a guide board) to trim or straighten cuts i've made with other tools. But you can get buy with a jigsaw, too.

safety: you will need earplugs, safety glasses, and a plan to minimize the amount of dust breathed. Warm weather and climates are great for woodwork because you can let the breeze carry away the worst of the dust.


read read read....about others' project builds, many times folks will discuss their successes as well as what they did wrong or mistakes made



Have you considered building a sonotube subwoofer (not sure what you had in mind) these are super easy if you can cut circles...since normally there is no bracing required.

Sounds like an LCR consisting of the following SEOS designs would be a good place to start


http://www.diysoundgroup.com/forum/index.php?topic=11.0


http://www.diysoundgroup.com/forum/index.php?topic=10.0

They also come available in convenient flat pack kits

http://www.diysoundgroup.com/waveguide-speaker-kits/seos-dayton-ds4-kit.html

http://www.diysoundgroup.com/waveguide-speaker-kits/seos-designer12-kit.html

Why?

 

For home theater you really can't beat these kits

http://www.diysoundgroup.com/waveguide-speaker-kits.html

I have built quite a few speakers in the last few years, but as kits sent out by reputable designers.
My way of thinking is that these guys have spent their lives on a passion....design.
Why not take advantage of their expertise and time spent, usually many years.
In my mind this is the best of both worlds...their time, my woodworking
and a product produced for....sometimes...many thousands less than retail.
For the price of a good pair of bookshelves you can build killer floorstanders.
Or a whole HT system that is amazing, for the cost of a average one.