Who does DIY?

[richidoo]

I like the idea of having a system that I made everything myself. It will be a while before I make a CDP or headphones,  but speakers, amps and preamps are on the to do list. Even if they suck, it is fun and cheap to try again and maybe learn something. 

Who else is interested in rolling your own?   What are you working on now?

I am working on acoustic treatments today, making folding room dividers with FG inside for soundproofing and to kill midrange echos.  I have a car stereo 4 channel chip amp soldered together, waiting to be put in the box and fired up. I have wood and plans for a new Feastrex cabinet from planet10, called Maiko 2, ready to start that later today. I tweak my preamp caps occasionally, and radio. My DIY wishlist is too long to write.

Rich

[shep]

I love it but have a very uneven track record. My best effort was a vintage 1979 BIG Hitachi integrated. I tore it apart and used only the power amp part and the on/of; rewired, better caps etc. Not only did it work to my amazement but continues to this day and sounds great. It totally wiped out a Jean Hiraga amp of a later generation. I think it had a very innovative circuit, very good transformers and special transistors, and I sometimes wish I hadn't sold it. I prefer to give my stuff to more knowledgeable people to tweak (which isn't quite the same thing as your topic)

[mdconnelly]

With the recent devaluation of the minute (now officially worth only 19.4 seconds) coupled with my employer's firm belief that we must all do more with less (more work, less life I suspect), I find little energy to take on DIY projects these days.  (Not sure how long the material for those acoustic panels will be sitting in my basement before I get around to that)  

Be that as it may, in a prior life I did put together a Hafler amp from kit and gave serious thought to taking on a K & K phono pre kit (but ultimately popped for Bill's EE Minimax instead).  Two lives ago I actually had a well appointed wood-working shop and built furniture as a hobby.  

[mgalusha]

I've gotten to the point where I really like how my system sounds, so I build stuff just because I like to. That doesn't stop me from tying new things and I need to fix my preamp tonight after the horror I turned it into yesterday.

Love the image Rich, that is perfect.

mike

[BobM]

I've done what I call pseudo-DIY. I've upgraded components and experimented with some changes and took on a pretty sophisticated project from someone else's schematics and instructions, but I've never really DIY'ed from a complete design perspective. Some of my projects included, from simple to harder:

- DIY interconnects
- DIY power cables
- DIY speaker cables
- teflon coupling cap upgrades in my preamp and phono preamp
- DIY racks using sand boxes as built in isolation devices for each shelf
- power conditioners using multiple methods
- complete rebuild of my speakers, including wiring, crossover components, & other voicing
- DIY turntable using a Corian plinth, Moerch DP6 arm and VPI platter and bearing and motor
- large scale DIY tweaks to an Art DI/O DAC
- larger scale DIY tweaks and upgrades, including an output stage rebuild, to a Zhaolu 2.5C DAC
- complete recapping of a 30 year old NAD 3155 integrated amp (sounds wonderful again)
- complete amp rebuild on a McCormack DNA .5 Deluxe (bringing it to near rev-A)
- Mark Kelly turntable motor controller (this one was a bear, but it works now and is truly amazing)

So I guess I'm a DIY kind of guy. Or maybe I'm just interested in seeing how things work and how I can make them better, or how a change modulates and interacts with the overall sound.

I still haven't taken on building a tube amp from a plan/kit, but never say never.

Bob

[mgalusha]

I wouldn't call that pseudo diy, lots of nice projects in there.

There are lots of folks who should not use a soldering iron. For those folks replacing a fuse is DIY.

[richidoo]

Good point Mike, to each his own DIY.  The more you do it, the more you learn and the more you feel comfortable taking on. The fun of it is in the learning, so over time the projects have to get harder to stay fun.

Why is it that whenever am ready to go cut wood, either the temperature rises to 100F, or the temperature drops below 40F? Rain or snow is never the problem, its always the temp. I guess I need to plan to be "ready" when the weather is good. Heat index 105+ here today.

[shep]

  " Heat index 105+ here today " yuck

[Bob in St. Louis]

As much as I'd like to get into the DIY/modding of electronics, for one reason or another, I've not "gotten there" yet. I can wield a soldering iron, but as Mike said, not so sure I belong inside a tube amp with one.
Although, I do have a strong desire to crack into my Behringer DCX2496 and mod the heck out of it.
Almost all of my DIYing has been speakers. Either for myself of other forum members.

So far this year, I've made > THESE < sand filled open baffle speakers for myself. Note the SqueezeBox mounted in the center channel.



Then I made just > THESE < sand filled open baffles for a forum fellow. He installed the drivers after he got home.
{They're the black one's}



Currently, I'm building > THIS < pair of sand filled open baffle "Trios" (three 15" drivers per side) with a matching center channel from solid cherry. The photo is from the progress as of today....Note the temperary legs. The center channel isn't far enough along to show off just yet.



So that's what I've done with my summer vacation. 

Bob

[richidoo]

Gorgeous work Bob. Love the SB in the baffle, and the paint colors. And the tidy workbench. You don't wanna see my workbench... which is a good thing because it's buried anyway.   

All Hawthorne drivers I assume? I still haven't heard them for myself. Someday... They sure look nice.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thank you for the complements Rich

Regarding the tidy workbench, that's just an illusion. I try to get most of the junk out of the way for photographs.  It's pretty trashed right now, but I have been known to vacuum the carpet in there from time to time.
Yes, all drivers are 15" Hawthorne Coaxials and Augies. The Trios I'm building right now should tip the scales at an even 100 pounds each when all is said and done. 
If you're ever in the area, let me know. I'd love to have you over for a listen.

Bob

[BobM]

Here's a link to my one DIY project that actually paid off ... literally. This article funded my purchase of the Moerch DP6 tonearm. It's actually kind of funny that a digital DIY project paid for my analogue upgrade. 

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/gadgets/tweaks-for-geeks

[richidoo]

I would love to hear your rig Bob. There is so much going on in your area. One of the audio hot spots of the country. Thanks for the invite.

BobM, I have read your article before, already had it bookmarked and on the to do list for a year now!   I have the samsung HD-841, I use it to feed my Altmann DAC. Nicely written and fun to read, just like your posts.   Now when it doesn't work I know who to ask for help   

It's almost 9am, I have 2 hours to make sawdust before the heat hits 98+. 

[mdconnelly]

Cooler weather starting tomorrow, Rich!   Expecting lots of DIY productivity 

[richidoo]

Yes, that is gonna be good... Hopefully rain will hold off until tomorrow afternoon. Should be enough to finish the cuts. I'm almost done now, but the compound angle cuts are coming.    Usually that means I will ruin all the  wood and need to go buy more.