[PixelPusher15]

Here's the deal, I've got these B&Ws and a bad case of upgraditis. I know I don't have the budget to go retail to beat them but from everything I've heard, DIY can easily eclipse them. I'd like to upgrade my LCR and have them be sensitive enough that I don't need the Emotiva XPA-3 I have for the B&Ws. Whether the B&Ws need the amp is another story. I have a Denon AVR-X3700h in a room that is 10.5x15x7 and I don't listen at ridiculous volumes. -24 on the ol' Denon is about our average, -18 for when it's just me lol. Here's some considerations that may or may not make a difference. I have these speakers in an alcove behind the screen so they are right next to a side wall and not a huge gap behind, although the actual first reflection point wall is about 16-20" away. I want a larger soundstage if possible in my tiny room. Taking off the front panels that I had originally helped with this, but even more immersion would be great.

I have been eyeing the DIYSG HT-8s and Erich recommended those for my room in an email exchange. Problem is when will they be in stock?! My upgraditis is getting really bad over here and I need some medicine. Budget is probably around $600 for the 3 because that's what I can get for the B&Ws if I'm a good salesman. Oh, that doesn't include the box supplies, I'll buy those separately. A nice front baffle being included like the HT-8s would be preferred. If I factor in the sale of the XPA-3 then my budget could go up but you're going to have to make a good case because I could always put that mula toward a second boom boom.

So, should I just try to be patient and wait for the HT-8s or do you have something else for me to ponder?

Some pics of my space:

 

[asarose247]

this won't help . . . much
but look around here-they may or may not have some of the same supply chain issues

Speaker Kits - Meniscus Audio

Have fun building one of our easy to assemble speaker kits. You get a complete DIY loudspeaker kit package at affordable prices.

meniscusaudio.com

but we all like to keep thinking "what if?"
and why not!
as an owner of a pair of HTM6's is a 10-ish x 10 ish room,
imo HT 8's will be a good fit, room wise and budget wise

 

[Craig S King]

If you upgrade your LCRs, you might as well upgrade your subwoofer setup too.

 

[PixelPusher15]

If you upgrade your LCRs, you might as well upgrade your subwoofer setup too.

Already planned. Trying to decide between the MX15 and UM15 for my first DIY sub. I actually need to figure out which speakers I want first so I know how big my sub box can be in my alcove. That we’ll help me settle on the driver too.

 

[asarose247]

that avr has audyxt32 so it's a plus.
at the risk of sounding old school,
you should have REW and the calibrated mike,
while awaiting supply chain delays
you could get some constructive work done is establishing a baseline of just what the heck is going on with the stuff and room you have . .
it may provide some clues / priorities to support a more fail-roof upgrade route
in the meantime tho, you might be able to save a little bit more every now and then to ready when the iron's hot
chance favors the prepared . .

 

[asarose247]

inother news . .
that's a narrow room
and SS space is premium, to avoid hot spotting
planning ahead . .Volt8's IB in the walls . .
maybe
As I sit about 7-ish feet from the HTM6's,
in stereo mode, some more than moderate toe-in will create a
soundstage of quality clarity, detail, and immersion.
the SEOS horn project scienced the livin' daylights outta getting great sound . .

 

[PixelPusher15]

that avr has audyxt32 so it's a plus.
at the risk of sounding old school,
you should have REW and the calibrated mike,
while awaiting supply chain delays
you could get some constructive work done is establishing a baseline of just what the heck is going on with the stuff and room you have . .
it may provide some clues / priorities to support a more fail-roof upgrade route
in the meantime tho, you might be able to save a little bit more every now and then to ready when the iron's hot
chance favors the prepared . .

Not a bad idea. I did just get in the UMIK-1 that I've been putting off buying. Plan is to do exactly that, get familiar with REW and see what I can learn. I'm also going to test a bunch of AT screen samples and thought that would be a great first foray into REW since I just need to make comparisons.

What do you mean by SS space is premium? Volt8s where? I've got my surrounds with 4 Monoprice 8" in walls that I'm decently happy with. I do wish I went with either bipoles or something with much wider dispersion since they are a bit too easy to locate unless sitting right in the middle of the room.

 

[smcmillan2]

I have been eyeing the DIYSG HT-8s and Erich recommended those for my room in an email exchange. Problem is when will they be in stock?! My upgraditis is getting really bad over here and I need some medicine.

Yet another post asking "when can I get X"?

I just can't fathom why people don't understand there is a supply chain issue with almost everything right now. Lumber, automotive, computer, (obviously here speaker/crossover components), etc.

Time to sit tight, get what you can get (sounds like subs might be first thing as drivers are available?) and wait it out.

[/rant]

 

[brettus]

@PixelPusher15 Why not go Monoprice speakers for the fronts also? I know you said that you don't have the budget but if you like the sound why not continue with it especially if it's for an AT screen...

@smcmillan2 If you want to whinge like a 10yr old then Facebook may be the place for you as it's unwarranted here!

 

[PixelPusher15]

Yet another post asking "when can I get X"?

I just can't fathom why people don't understand there is a supply chain issue with almost everything right now. Lumber, automotive, computer, (obviously here speaker/crossover components), etc.

Time to sit tight, get what you can get (sounds like subs might be first thing as drivers are available?) and wait it out.

[/rant]

I fully admitted my impatience and this isn't really a "when will it be available?" post as much as a "is there anything else out there?" post. I know there are some DIY kits available out there, the XL-S Encores are, but I have no clue how those compare to the HT-8s and if it should even be on my radar. Thus the reason I asked those that have more knowledge than me. If your feedback is that the HT-8s are probably my best DIY option out there then fine, I'll be patient and wait. But if there are other things to consider, then please let me know.

@PixelPusher15 Why not go Monoprice speakers for the fronts also? I know you said that you don't have the budget but if you like the sound why not continue with it especially if it's for an AT screen...

Eh, I'm not so happy with the Monoprice speakers that I want to replicate it to the front. They're fine for surrounds but I'd rather have something better for the fronts. Maybe their Monolith THX-365T speakers would be good enough but not only are the $450 each they have the built-in atmos speaker that I wouldn't use and that'd just be stupid. The THX-265B is better at $300 each but again, the atmos speaker.

 

[smcmillan2]

@smcmillan2 If you want to whinge like a 10yr old then Facebook may be the place for you as it's unwarranted here!

Ehhh, what? Did you read my post? I assure you, I am well past 10 years old, and I do not engage in any social media. In my estimation your response was more in line with what you've described.

As you are in another country you may not be experiencing the same supply chain issues we have here. Lumber, electronics, et al are in short supply here in the US, meaning finished products (such as the DIYSG kits) aren't available, and nobody knows when they will be. Simple facts.

I fully admitted my impatience and this isn't really a "when will it be available?" post as much as a "is there anything else out there?" post. I know there are some DIY kits available out there, the XL-S Encores are, but I have no clue how those compare to the HT-8s and if it should even be on my radar. Thus the reason I asked those that have more knowledge than me. If your feedback is that the HT-8s are probably my best DIY option out there then fine, I'll be patient and wait. But if there are other things to consider, then please let me know.

Understood, but only you can determine whether X speaker would give you an advantage over Y speaker.

You need to determine (as asarose alluded to) what you're missing, if anything, with measurements. Most sound issues are due to the room, those may be overcome with positioning/treatments. If you generally like the sound of your B&Ws then it would be to your benefit to try different placement/room treatments. If not, I understand wanting to get into a different speaker, but you would have to describe what you don't like about your current setup.

ETA: After another look at the pic of your setup, have you tried pulling the LCR further forward?

 

[Tinysota]

I have a similar-sized room and I recently enjoyed a subwoofer upgrade (Martin Logan dynamo 1000 to hsu vtf-3 mk5) and added a mini-dsp hd to get a flat subwoofer response. Significant upgrade for me, I think you’ll find the same

 

[brettus]

Eh, I'm not so happy with the Monoprice speakers that I want to replicate it to the front. They're fine for surrounds but I'd rather have something better for the fronts. Maybe their Monolith THX-365T speakers would be good enough but not only are the $450 each they have the built-in atmos speaker that I wouldn't use and that'd just be stupid. The THX-265B is better at $300 each but again, the atmos speaker.

I just went off the fact you wrote "I've got my surrounds with 4 Monoprice 8" in walls that I'm decently happy with." so I took nothing else into consideration and why I recommended Monoprice. I've never heard there sound but figured if you enjoyed there "sound signature" that you would more than likely enjoy the others in their lineup.

As for diy then doesn't @mtg90 have a website with his own builds based from some of Erich's designs, vice versa or not at all similar?
Here's the link -
MTG Designs - DIY Speaker Plans

@smcmillan2 I came across to harsh there so I apologise. I just see the same reply in every other thread that the OP's are only asking for help so I guess my attack on you was also a rant about everyone else posting the same thing...
As for shortages am not in the trade or don't currently need lumber of any sort. There are reports about Australian shortages both local and imported but housing in estates where I live still seem to be going up and renovations also seem unphased wrt time frames.
I guess I'll find out on Monday when I head to my local Bunnings...

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

If you want to get to building now, I'd settle on HT8s when they're in stock and get to cracking on the sub now based on their dimensions.

That said, I'm not seeing enough room for a sub or subs in that alcove along with 3x HT8s unless you use the entire width/depth and ~16" of height... then stack the HT8s upside down on top of it. That might net you ~6-7cuft which would work well with a single MX15 tuned to ~20hz. The combination of subs and HT8s upside down on top would make very efficient use of the alcove space IF you still have enough depth in the upper section of the alcove.

 

[rcduck-3]

I'm kind of in the same spot as you. I have a really nice pair of B&W 805's that I love for music. But I have been infected with the upgrade bug for my home theater, more of a bonus room than dedicated theater. I have been wanting to build a pair of 1099 Elusives for what feels like forever. I'm looking for a more efficient speaker for my setup. Enough about me...
What I found might be something.
Pi audio Pi4. It's ugly but you can hide then behind your screen. And last I checked. They are obtainable.

Pi Speaker Kits, four Pi kit

15" woofer horn tweeter uniform directivity high-efficiency 600 watt speaker kit This driver kit contains the speaker drivers, waveguide, crossover, connector panel, hook up wires, "π" logo decal and a printed copy of the plans. A flat-pack kit is available for this model, which contains all the...

www.pispeakers.com

Just an option.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[PixelPusher15]

Ehhh, what? Did you read my post? I assure you, I am well past 10 years old, and I do not engage in any social media. In my estimation your response was more in line with what you've described.

As you are in another country you may not be experiencing the same supply chain issues we have here. Lumber, electronics, et al are in short supply here in the US, meaning finished products (such as the DIYSG kits) aren't available, and nobody knows when they will be. Simple facts.


Understood, but only you can determine whether X speaker would give you an advantage over Y speaker.

You need to determine (as asarose alluded to) what you're missing, if anything, with measurements. Most sound issues are due to the room, those may be overcome with positioning/treatments. If you generally like the sound of your B&Ws then it would be to your benefit to try different placement/room treatments. If not, I understand wanting to get into a different speaker, but you would have to describe what you don't like about your current setup.

ETA: After another look at the pic of your setup, have you tried pulling the LCR further forward?

I have a similar-sized room and I recently enjoyed a subwoofer upgrade (Martin Logan dynamo 1000 to hsu vtf-3 mk5) and added a mini-dsp hd to get a flat subwoofer response. Significant upgrade for me, I think you’ll find the same

If you want to get to building now, I'd settle on HT8s when they're in stock and get to cracking on the sub now based on their dimensions.

That said, I'm not seeing enough room for a sub or subs in that alcove along with 3x HT8s unless you use the entire width/depth and ~16" of height... then stack the HT8s upside down on top of it. That might net you ~6-7cuft which would work well with a single MX15 tuned to ~20hz. The combination of subs and HT8s upside down on top would make very efficient use of the alcove space IF you still have enough depth in the upper section of the alcove.

Alright alright alright. Thanks for the input, friends. Sounds like a combination of waiting, measuring, and building a sub is the plan. I've got the UMIK-1 so I best figure out what's going on and what I would like to go on...need to do some learning there. And, I know I want the sub so why not build that first? Good points. I'll plan on the HT-8s and to buy some room for now I can rotate my center to be vertical. I actually have juuust enough room to squeeze a 6cu ft sub box between a center/right HT-8. Between the L/C I may only be able to do 5.85 or so due to the power and speaker jacks on the wall.

Quick question since I got all y'all. Do I need the MiniDSP 2x4 HD to EQ my sub if I have REW to measure and then the Audyssey app to implement tweaks? I'm sure the MiniDSP would be better/easier but is it essential? Am I missing something?

 

[johnson636]

If you will be building a sealed sub, then you may be able to utilize REW and Audyssey app. However, if you will be building a ported sub. you'll need a device (minidsp 2x4 hd) to set a HPF.

 

[Daboyle82]

Buy used, youll be surprised what you can get. Since the speakers are hidden, you can get some speakers that are chipped or scratched and save significantly. How much room do you have to the back of the wall behind the speaker cabinet. You may be significantly hindering your speakers by the distance from the back, depending on the design of the speaker. invest in a better center for sure. For heaven's sake get the sub out of that space- you are really doing a disservice to it. And upgrade to a much much larger sub, that alone will serve a bigger impact than upgrading your bookshelf speakers. Since you have hidden speakers have you considered commercial studio monitors ?? Yamaha, Mackie and JBL make some great ones. You can then have an exact match for all 3 speakers

 

[Bass Face]

Check out PSA offerings.

 

[BIGmouthinDC]

Wayne Parham’s 4pi speakers, two way with 15 inch woofer and compression driver