The performance and cost advantage for DIY is probably greatest for subs. I was part of the Shiva initial order and Avatar/Adire Audio has only provided high quality products with good value for me. I built a ~4 ft^3 enclosure for my subwoofer out of 1" MDF. I think the advantages of Sonotube...
I know there is a woodshop in the basement of the old architecture building. It is only open certain hours and has semi-restricted use. It has a resonable amount of equipment, but I didn't get to look closely. If you wanted to go for complete overkill you could try to get access to the...
Just for your information Adire is having a big sale starting next week. They are running a group buy on their 281 and 81 kits for $150 and $125 respectively. Running from April 8 - 22 this price is available with shipment happening in May. This group buy was posted on hometheatertalk. Even as I...
They have a front page up now that says
"The website will be down for the next two weeks.
We are updating servers, email, phones, and drivers."
They might have an OEM customer or just have huge overload of new products and business expansion projects. It is odd for an internet only company...
I found these at Apex Jr. 2 dual banannas for $5. A friend tried to purchase from a Portuguese company that lists prices of $1.24 in US dollars, but they never responded. They seem to have some of the cheapest prices on nice looking bananna plugs if you can get a reply (and buy 100 pieces)...
I have the Santa Cruz card and am satisfied with it. The digital output is in the standard S/PDIF. You can also hook up 5.1 channel analog. I have not used the digital output but the analog outputs have almost no noise even with the gain all the way up on computer and reciever. It should be...
I noticed someone was selling a K2 pretty cheaply over on ProSoundWeb. K2 for sale Since that amp is so popular on this board I thought I would pass it along.
I am not sure how file sharing is affecting CD sales. I find myself buying some CDs from groups I would have heard no other way, and I have delayed purchases because I have an mp3. There is a large group of people who either don't care or don't have the equipment to even notice the difference in...
I am torn between seeing Sevendust or System of a Down tomorrow. Sevendust is playing at their cd release party at Earthlink live(very small venue) for free. This event is being recorded for a live X which is a series of live sets 99X airs. I have Sevendust before and they were awesome. I like...
Yes, retail markup on drivers specifically most car audio is ridiculous. MTX sells their 8000s series 15" for $299 retail dealer is $64. Which is only 10 bucks more than the 10" and 12" cost. Their retail price is separated by $100 though. They do sell an extreme RFL152 (you can guess what...
When you think about it how much will you actually miss that corner space in exchange for deep bass? Hoffman's Iron law dictates there is a tradeoff between box size, efficiency, and low frequency extension. You can make a small box but then you will have to get a massive amp to get the same...
I would suggest getting Master Handbook of Acoustics by F. Alton Everest first. This book covers everything you need to know about acoustics including a chapter on acoustics of listening rooms. Good acoustics are a combination of absorbtion and reflection. The solutions can be tube traps...
From what I have gathered SAE was a very respected amplifier company. I used to own a GAS Son of Ampzilla which was one of the companies spun off from SAE. I think the mark line was from the 70s which were some of the glory days for 2 channel audio. Check out...
I am experimenting with the stryke driver which has proven to be more difficult to mount than expected. The shielding cup on the magnet is actually wider than the frame at the face. In a test setup they sounded quite good crossed over around 500Hz. These drivers are not capable of semifull range...
Well since I am guessing your DVD player like most consumer electronics has a switching power supply it will probably work fine. This web site explains how they work better than I could. On the other hand there is a chance you could damage/destroy the device. The manufacturer should list on the...
For home theater I would suggest an EBS alignment. In the world of bass there is no free lunch; hoffman's iron law says there is a tradeoff for efficiency, box size, and extension. This alignment will start to roll off at a lower frequency and be safer for movie tracks with a lot of subsonic...
I have an extra pair of factory refurbished Sennheiser HD570 headphones for sale. These headphones just sound awesome. These headphones are so comfortable I can wear them for hours and not even notice. It is unique to listen to music on these because of their excellent frequency response...
By active I assume you mean powered and hopefully with crossover. In that case all you need is a mini-phono/3.5mm-RCA cable to run from an open set of line outs to the sub's amp. This soundcard also has a digital output to hook up to a HT reciever which could decode the signal and hook the sub...
Vifa is generally regarded as some of the best drivers for a diy to experiment with. They perform quite respectably for the price, and by not being the bleeding edge of technology it is easier to implement crossovers/system design. One of the best sites out there covering different drivers...