So I've recently completed my first several DIY speaker builds. First it was the Nexus MT from DIYsoundgroup:

I built these to go in the kitchen and provide background music while cooking or whatever. They work very well for this task although they seem to be a little bit quieter than the Energy in-ceiling speakers in the next room powered by the same onkyo amp (Energy's as speaker A and Nexus as speaker B). Prior to installing these in the kitchen I did do some dedicated listening to them and I thought they sounded very good, although this is the only amp I had to power them with at the time. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them before installing them in the kitchen.
Next up was a set of Overnight Sensations. I had of course been hearing about these speakers for a while, and all the positive reviews were honestly one of the main reasons I wanted to try DIY. I decided to try and knock up my own cabinets so I got a sheet of MDF and went to work. After a little cutting, gluing, and painting I had a set of cabinets ready to go so I ordered the guts. I decided to try the MTM for more volume. Here are some photos:




I decided that if I liked the way these sounded, I would go ahead and build a 5.1 OS system. Well, I do like these speakers so next up was the center channel:



This thing looks cool.
This speakers doesn't put out near the bass as the MTM does. I don't know why? Maybe the smaller driver size, or the sealed cabinet, or maybe I don't have enough stuffing in the box (any input here would be appreciated)?
So next up is the OS MT for the surrounds. I have not ordered parts yet but probably will soon.
With all that said, I'll get to the whole reason I'm posting here. All these speakers I've built sound really good, and I really enjoyed the building process. But, I don't feel like they are incredible. They definitely sound good, but they are not giving me the 'transcendent' listening experience I had hoped for.
Once, when I was a lot younger delivering appliances for a local box store, I dropped off a tv to someone who had racks full of audio gear in his living room. I made some comment about it and he offered a demonstration. I was blown away with how good it sounded. He had speakers all over the room but told me all the sound was coming from just two of them. Blew my mind how good it sounded. Everything was so clear. It didn't just sound like the band was right there playing in front of me, it sounded like I had been transported to a completely different environment along with the band. It was transcendent.
How do I get that kind of experience? I'm sure that part of my problem is the room my speakers are in. It's a 20' x 20' square with 8' ceilings and a huge window along one wall. I can hear test tones echoing around the room whenever I do the Audissey calibration with my receiver. So I'm sure the room needs some work.
Is another problem the specific speakers I'm building? The B4N drivers in the OS are only $15 each and the tweeters are only $8. I know price doesn't always reflect quality but if I build a speaker that uses $100 drivers will I notice a difference? If so what speaker should I build next? Amiga? Statements? Something else? (any recommendations?)
tl;dr - My OS speakers sound great but not quite fantastic. Is it just me?

I built these to go in the kitchen and provide background music while cooking or whatever. They work very well for this task although they seem to be a little bit quieter than the Energy in-ceiling speakers in the next room powered by the same onkyo amp (Energy's as speaker A and Nexus as speaker B). Prior to installing these in the kitchen I did do some dedicated listening to them and I thought they sounded very good, although this is the only amp I had to power them with at the time. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them before installing them in the kitchen.
Next up was a set of Overnight Sensations. I had of course been hearing about these speakers for a while, and all the positive reviews were honestly one of the main reasons I wanted to try DIY. I decided to try and knock up my own cabinets so I got a sheet of MDF and went to work. After a little cutting, gluing, and painting I had a set of cabinets ready to go so I ordered the guts. I decided to try the MTM for more volume. Here are some photos:




I decided that if I liked the way these sounded, I would go ahead and build a 5.1 OS system. Well, I do like these speakers so next up was the center channel:



This thing looks cool.
So next up is the OS MT for the surrounds. I have not ordered parts yet but probably will soon.
With all that said, I'll get to the whole reason I'm posting here. All these speakers I've built sound really good, and I really enjoyed the building process. But, I don't feel like they are incredible. They definitely sound good, but they are not giving me the 'transcendent' listening experience I had hoped for.
Once, when I was a lot younger delivering appliances for a local box store, I dropped off a tv to someone who had racks full of audio gear in his living room. I made some comment about it and he offered a demonstration. I was blown away with how good it sounded. He had speakers all over the room but told me all the sound was coming from just two of them. Blew my mind how good it sounded. Everything was so clear. It didn't just sound like the band was right there playing in front of me, it sounded like I had been transported to a completely different environment along with the band. It was transcendent.
How do I get that kind of experience? I'm sure that part of my problem is the room my speakers are in. It's a 20' x 20' square with 8' ceilings and a huge window along one wall. I can hear test tones echoing around the room whenever I do the Audissey calibration with my receiver. So I'm sure the room needs some work.
Is another problem the specific speakers I'm building? The B4N drivers in the OS are only $15 each and the tweeters are only $8. I know price doesn't always reflect quality but if I build a speaker that uses $100 drivers will I notice a difference? If so what speaker should I build next? Amiga? Statements? Something else? (any recommendations?)
tl;dr - My OS speakers sound great but not quite fantastic. Is it just me?