I love my tunes. When I go to do a job, there are certain tools that ALWAYS go along, whether I think I’ll need them or not. Among them are a cordless drill or impact driver; an oscillating multi-tool; a work light; and my old battery-powered radio. It ain’t pretty, and the sound is, well, crap. It works, though, and having tunes on the job makes me a happier human. For those who like their sound components to be a bit easier on the eyes and ears, Rockler recently came out with a DIY speaker kit that lets you add some custom style to YOUR tunes!
I first built a set of speaker enclosures when I was in my teens. They were made out of bare plywood, and the speakers definitely weren’t high-end audiophile stuff. When I cranked ‘em up, though, I thought they sounded pretty sweet! I’m still inclined to crank up the volume, at least when my wife isn’t around. Now that I’m (theoretically) grown up, though, the plywood speaker boxes aren’t allowed inside anymore; apparently they’re not classy enough! We now have better speakers, and they sound OK. They’re all black, though, and they don’t match anything else in the house.
As the folks at Rockler point out, store-bought speakers are often clad in bland, boring cabinets, and they rarely match the rest of your furniture and decor. That’s true for our current speakers, even though they aren’t made out of bare plywood. The Rockler DIY speaker kit solves the problem by providing you with all of the necessary speakers, interior wiring and electronic components, but letting you build the cabinets.
Rockler offers the kit with a pair of either 5” or 6.5” woofers. The DIY speaker kit also includes two 1” silk dome tweeters, terminal cups with clips, capacitors, the necessary internal wiring and hardware for installation, a pack of Polyfil insulation, and an instruction booklet. The 6.5” kit also includes two 2” tubular ports. You’ll need to provide the external speaker wire, along with the wood to build your sporty new cabinets. Full performance specs on the components are available on Rockler’s site.
Design Your DIY Speaker Kit (Bare Plywood Discouraged)
Whether you want the speakers to blend in or stand out, this DIY speaker kit will let you achieve your goal. Experiment with exotic veneers for a stunning look. Mix and match some contrasting species of wood, or maybe put a slick decorative edge on them. Here’s a quick video, showing how you can use one of Rockler’s new spline jigs to add a cool touch to the corners of your speaker box (as seen in the lead photo):
For a real custom touch, you can even build the speakers into your entertainment center or the architecture of your home. The included instructions (which you can view online through the product description page) will guide you in designing your cabinets to optimize the frequency response. The Rockler DIY speaker kit gives you a unique opportunity to showcase your woodworking skill, and to hear your favorite tunes through something WAY classier than bare plywood! If you’re in need of inspiration, or some beautiful, kick-ass wood to work with, Rockler stocks an amazing variety of species.
If you’re after a unique look for your sound system, or if someone is pressuring you to upgrade your classic plywood creations, it’s time to face the music and check out a DIY speaker kit from Rockler. The 5” woofer kit retails for $149.99; the 6-½” kit is $199.99, and both are covered by a one-year warranty.
Even high end speaker makers use MDF to construct their cabinets (finished with quality veneers) for a reason. Acoustic and physical properties of solid wood make it an extremely poor choice of material for speaker cabinets. Much can be read online regarding why MDF is far superior. Just my 2 cents before people start investing in high quality woods for these kits.
If you actually care about how your music sounds, you might be happier with a kit from Madisound, which has kits at every price level, and offers name-brand drivers, including the very finest Seas and Scan-Speak drivers from Denmark.
Rockler offers no information at all on its kit about how its speakers would perform. They do mention the drivers are from “MB Sound,” only because somebody asked. I can find no information about an MB Sound that makes speakers drivers.