DIY speaker building has come into full maturity in the last few years. There are more helpful tools available now then there ever has been before. With books and computer programs to help you wring the last bit of performance from your design.
How can the computer or PC help us build better speakers?
With the computer reaching such high speeds for processors and memory nearly anyone can own a computer able to run any design program imaginable. But that is just a beginning. Computers can help someone design their speakers, their room decor' or a host of other things.
Programs are becoming easier and simpler to use to the point that what took an engineering degree a few years ago the average person can actually learn how to use today. A friend of mine taught himself how to use CAD in few weeks time.
And the computer is quickly becoming a major part of the modern home theater. More and more consumers are fitting their theater rooms with HTPC's or controlling home lighting systems by PC. (the HTPC is a home theater personal computer.) These PC systems can be integrated into whole home automation systems as well.
Using the PC for Speaker Building Design
The benefits of using a computer for speaker design are many. Least of which is that it is easy to design and model in a CAD program. Of course not all of us have the ability to design cabinets in CAD. It takes a little time to teach yourself how to use such a program. But their are companies that do just that; design custom speaker cabinets for their customers. This may not be the most simple choice but I like that it is an elegant solution and can be done provided a person possesses the motivation to learn.
The excellent speaker company Magico has always designed their speakers in this way as the owner originally designed special systems for a select and wealthy customer base. Now he does it on a more commercial level with his first project the "Magico Mini" which quickly gained worldwide notoriety.
More recently; more and more companies are using computer aided design to model their new speaker projects. Honestly, I think they are following in the footsteps of Magico as this may have been one factor that added their success.
For DIY speaker building enthusiast, commissioning a unique speaker design is usually easy and affordable. There are many designs available that can be ordered for your specific building purposes.
Find a speaker project that looks easy for you to build. Use this as a beginning or learning experience and then try harder projects from there. As you gain skill and experience you can try more difficult projects.
DIY Speaker Building is fun and your computer can help make it even better!
The computer can be used for much more than just the design of a speaker system. It can be used to playback movies, music, and even control the lighting in your home. The PC is probably one of the most underused components in the modern home.
Beyond this, the PC can do even more;
Because you can also use your own computer to apply room correction, speaker crossovers and other functions you can have much more control over the outcome of your project. You probably use the PC to play back music files anyway. Why not use the PC do more complex functions in your audio playback system?
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