A mate has recently got on loan a pair of Celestion DL6 speakers and stands.
Not surprisingly, they sound rather a lot better than the little bookshelf
speakers he was using previously (if such things are quantifiable, the
improvement seems to me to be between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude).

He's already realised that, when the Celestions are returned (probably in a
few months), he'll find it very difficult to go back to the original
speakers and is consequently looking into possible replacements. Budget
isn't huge, maybe £100-150, and he's looking at stuff in Richer Sounds.

Allowing for Richer Sounds discount, is he likely to find something of
similar quality for that kind of money? For a similar spend, would it be
worthwhile considering DIY, and if so, what drivers would be up to the job?
(I suggested he take a look at Wilmslow Audio's site.)


--
Wally
www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk
On webcam: Black Cat In Coal Cellar

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 21:33:06 -0000, Wally wrote:

Allowing for Richer Sounds discount, is he likely to find something of
similar quality for that kind of money? For a similar spend, would it be
worthwhile considering DIY, and if so, what drivers would be up to the job?
(I suggested he take a look at Wilmslow Audio's site.)

My first set of loudspeakers, when I was a young teenager, were
built by my father from a kit (this was in the early 1970s and kit
building was very common then), as was my amplifier, a Mullard Unilex.
They were absolutely superb, and outperformed most other loudspeakers
that I heard, including the (I believe Rogers or Harbeth) loudspeakers
in the music room at our school. I seem to recall that Wilmslow
Audio actually have premises where some of the built loudspeakers
can be auditioned; it might be worth a trip up there for a listen?

--
Anthony Edwards

In article ,
Anthony Edwards wrote:
They were absolutely superb, and outperformed most other loudspeakers
that I heard, including the (I believe Rogers or Harbeth) loudspeakers
in the music room at our school.

Think you'd have to define 'outperform'. Rogers and Harbeth made(make)
some very fine speakers indeed. The ones your school used were very likely
based on the BBC design which also created the Spendor BC1 - still a
highly regarded speaker.

--
*Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

In article ,
Anthony Edwards wrote:
They were absolutely superb, and outperformed most other loudspeakers
that I heard, including the (I believe Rogers or Harbeth) loudspeakers
in the music room at our school.

Think you'd have to define 'outperform'. Rogers and Harbeth made(make)
some very fine speakers indeed. The ones your school used were very likely
based on the BBC design which also created the Spendor BC1 - still a
highly regarded speaker.

--
*Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

"Anthony Edwards" wrote

My first set of loudspeakers, when I was a young teenager, were
built by my father from a kit (this was in the early 1970s and kit
building was very common then), as was my amplifier, a Mullard Unilex.
They were absolutely superb, and outperformed most other loudspeakers
that I heard, including the (I believe Rogers or Harbeth) loudspeakers
in the music room at our school.


This is most interesting - I'm an absolute convert to kit-building, having
managed to throw a WAD kit together myself with great success and, more
importantly, maintain it despite having bugger-all knowledge and experience!

The important thing, other than the obvious personal satisfaction and
'emotional attachment' to the amp (fruit of my own soldering iron kinda
thing :-), is that it really is a very good-sounding amp anyway. Also, it
cost about a quarter of an equivalent 'ready made' amp with a fancy name on
it and still less than half the price of an Oriental cheapie. I think kits
are on the up atm and would encourage just about anyone to give one a go.

Was your own gear particularly 'special' because your father had built it or
was that just too commonplace practice those days?

(Needless to say, my own kit amp is most definitely not in my planned
'amplifier cull'!! :-)

"Anthony Edwards" wrote

My first set of loudspeakers, when I was a young teenager, were
built by my father from a kit (this was in the early 1970s and kit
building was very common then), as was my amplifier, a Mullard Unilex.
They were absolutely superb, and outperformed most other loudspeakers
that I heard, including the (I believe Rogers or Harbeth) loudspeakers
in the music room at our school.


This is most interesting - I'm an absolute convert to kit-building, having
managed to throw a WAD kit together myself with great success and, more
importantly, maintain it despite having bugger-all knowledge and experience!

The important thing, other than the obvious personal satisfaction and
'emotional attachment' to the amp (fruit of my own soldering iron kinda
thing :-), is that it really is a very good-sounding amp anyway. Also, it
cost about a quarter of an equivalent 'ready made' amp with a fancy name on
it and still less than half the price of an Oriental cheapie. I think kits
are on the up atm and would encourage just about anyone to give one a go.

Was your own gear particularly 'special' because your father had built it or
was that just too commonplace practice those days?

(Needless to say, my own kit amp is most definitely not in my planned
'amplifier cull'!! :-)

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 21:33:06 -0000, Wally wrote:

Allowing for Richer Sounds discount, is he likely to find something of
similar quality for that kind of money? For a similar spend, would it be
worthwhile considering DIY, and if so, what drivers would be up to the job?
(I suggested he take a look at Wilmslow Audio's site.)

My first set of loudspeakers, when I was a young teenager, were
built by my father from a kit (this was in the early 1970s and kit
building was very common then), as was my amplifier, a Mullard Unilex.
They were absolutely superb, and outperformed most other loudspeakers
that I heard, including the (I believe Rogers or Harbeth) loudspeakers
in the music room at our school. I seem to recall that Wilmslow
Audio actually have premises where some of the built loudspeakers
can be auditioned; it might be worth a trip up there for a listen?

--
Anthony Edwards

"Wally" wrote in message
...
A mate has recently got on loan a pair of Celestion DL6 speakers and
stands.
Not surprisingly, they sound rather a lot better than the little bookshelf
speakers he was using previously (if such things are quantifiable, the
improvement seems to me to be between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude).

He's already realised that, when the Celestions are returned (probably in
a
few months), he'll find it very difficult to go back to the original
speakers and is consequently looking into possible replacements. Budget
isn't huge, maybe £100-150, and he's looking at stuff in Richer Sounds.

Allowing for Richer Sounds discount, is he likely to find something of
similar quality for that kind of money? For a similar spend, would it be
worthwhile considering DIY, and if so, what drivers would be up to the
job?
(I suggested he take a look at Wilmslow Audio's site.)


--
Wally
www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk
On webcam: Black Cat In Coal Cellar




If he is 'doing' Richers then he should try to go to a branch with a
listening room. Gale are owned by Richer but don't dismiss them for that -
they are often quite pleasant. Otherwise consider the TDL speakers that they
also sell. Don't know who makes TDL now since they went bust a couple of
years back, but their small boxes, especially their Near Field Monitors,
were always highly regarded.


--

Woody

"Wally" wrote in message
...
A mate has recently got on loan a pair of Celestion DL6 speakers and
stands.
Not surprisingly, they sound rather a lot better than the little bookshelf
speakers he was using previously (if such things are quantifiable, the
improvement seems to me to be between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude).

He's already realised that, when the Celestions are returned (probably in
a
few months), he'll find it very difficult to go back to the original
speakers and is consequently looking into possible replacements. Budget
isn't huge, maybe £100-150, and he's looking at stuff in Richer Sounds.

Allowing for Richer Sounds discount, is he likely to find something of
similar quality for that kind of money? For a similar spend, would it be
worthwhile considering DIY, and if so, what drivers would be up to the
job?
(I suggested he take a look at Wilmslow Audio's site.)


--
Wally
www.art-gallery.myby.co.uk
On webcam: Black Cat In Coal Cellar




If he is 'doing' Richers then he should try to go to a branch with a
listening room. Gale are owned by Richer but don't dismiss them for that -
they are often quite pleasant. Otherwise consider the TDL speakers that they
also sell. Don't know who makes TDL now since they went bust a couple of
years back, but their small boxes, especially their Near Field Monitors,
were always highly regarded.


--

Woody