Quote:
Originally Posted by
kustomize
Okay so I have been reading around this thread, but you can't blame me with it having 100+ pages, I couldn't find a comparison between the Fusion or the HTM 10/12 by DIYSG, i am sure they sound better, maybe, but HOW much better?
Is it worth going through the extra effort to DIY (I hate DIY) & obviously the extra costs and time?
I currently have a pair of Zaph Audio 5.3T towers, and I am not happy with them. Can something like the Berries 215xl be a worthy upgrade to my zaphs? Running on Denon AVR-x2400H.
I am serioulsy considering either the HTM 12/Fusion(BY DIYSG), or the Berries 15's. Just want to know how much the difference is!
A buddy up in Jax, Mattcc22 has the HTM10's and is pretty good with speakers having built a few himself and heard lots of them too. He did pick up a pair to test out and I think it was the Berries but not sure if it was the 12's or 15's. He returned them and I can agree with that assessment. Maybe he'll chime in and give his thoughts.
While I never have directly compared the Berries and HTM's/Fusions in an A/B scenario, I've heard many of the DIYSG options, like Fusions10's, Volt6/10's. And I own the HTM12's and Concentric8's. I've also heard the pro speakers, Yammy's, QSC's, including the Berries in showroom stores. While they sound ok in there and can get loud, they never really gave me that "WOW" factor. And I think they would sound worse in a home use where usage is different and may have acoustically treated walls.
That said, if you're on a strict and absolutely non-negotiable budget, they'll do. But I feel the DIY options are way better and will last much longer. So hear me out...
I've heard and tested a lot of speakers in my life and feel the DIYSG options are probably the best bang for your buck around. Quality components that work great with each designed by well known guys on AVS. You would probably need to spend 3-4x their costs to find something comparable from a speaker company.
Also, this is something I've tried telling friends when they consider spending money on something. Few things in your home theater are not changed out too often due to technology advancements, costs, etc. Screens, seats and speakers are likely the top ones. So if you think about it, saving a little more and getting these DIYSG speakers and amortizing that over their life of say, 5, 10 or 20 years, is almost a negligible cost increase over the Berry's.
Lastly, I'll address your concerns of the DIY aspect of them. I too was very hesitant to go this route. I didn't have the time, tools or technical know-how to complete them. I had a busy schedule. Didn't know how to cut a lot of wood or have the tools for that. Nor enough clamps to glue all the pieces together. Also should mention I was doing 11 speakers at once, 3x HTM12's for LCR and 8x Concentric8's for Surrounds/ATMOS. I'm patient, but not enough to do one speakers at a time.
But, if there's a will, there's a way. Plenty of helpful and smart guys on here to give advice and Erich responds to questions pretty quick. Start a build thread and people will subscribe and help you out. And I was able to talk to Erich and figure out how to cut the most work out that I couldn't/didn't know how to do. Like he had all the cabinets assembled and then prepped and sanded. Didn't really cost much more either all things considered. So all I had to do was prime, paint and then install all the components which is really easy. I also ordered the Crossovers assembled and made sure I had all the required parts sent with the speakers. So you might be able to take a similar approach to help you.
Hope this helps.... or maybe make things worse.