Go to…. Guidelines Notes     SAF and value Kit suppliers 2-Way bookshelf 2-Way tower Multi-way bookshelf Multi-way tower     Array Full/wide range Horn/separate Subwoofer

Notes:

Many suppliers may offer the same design in more than one level of completeness, each at a different price. The prices noted are for the least expensive option. Typically, this will be for a parts kit with enclosure plans only. All driver vendor name abbreviations used in Section 8 are used here. All prices are in pairs, except for systems designated as center channel and subwoofer systems are for single systems which are priced as indivudual units. As with the drivers listed in Section 8, the presense of a ">" symbol in the left margin indicates a magnetically shielded design suitable for home theater applications. All quoted FR's are from the suppliers' specifications. The lower range is typically an in-room, not anechoic, response. The column labeled SAF represents the Spouse Acceptance Factor, an attempt to predict how acceptable the resulting system will be to your significant other. It's calculation and significance are discussed below. All quoted SAF values are based on the listed pricew, which may be per pair or per each as noted above. Powered subwoofers are denoted by the "Znom", "dB/2.83V/m", and "Power" fields left empty: In the case of plans, the price quoted is the actual cost as supplied. Since parts costs vary by supplier, crossover parts come in various grades, and the cost of cabinetry is up to the constructor, it is left to the reader to add appropriate amounts to complete the design. As noted, all kits in the section have been recommended - that is to say that it has been favorably reported by at least 50% of those reporting on it. The column labeled Rating attempts to further assign a subjective rating to each system as follows: Solid Rating Presumed Rating Percentage of positive responses * (*) 50% - 67% ** (**) 68% - 85% *** (***) 86% - 100% What is a Presumed Rating? In some cases, systems have been recommended for which I haven't received sufficient feedback to form a solid recommendation - even a rating of * implies that I received at least two responses. In other cases, I have received blanket recommendations, essentially recommending vendors and/or designers rather than specific kits. Although I'm much more circumspect about such recommendations, when they come from a reliable source, I have to lend credence to them. For these reasons, some kits have presumed ratings. Where I didn't receive comments from at least two respondents, or where I have received a credible blanket recommendation but no specific recommendation for a kit, I assign a presumed rating based on what information I do have. These are noted in the rating column by enlcosing them in parentheses as shown above.

Value and SAF:

The recommended kits cover an extremely wide range of prices, from free plans to multi-thousand dollar world-class high-end systems. In shopping for commercial systems, you don't always get what you pay for. In building kits, you don't always pay for what you get. A major question is, therefore, how can you choose between seemingly similar kits with wildly different prices. The only real answer is that all of the kits listed here have been recommended for their value as well as their sonic quality. This tells you that at least some people believe that the more expensive kits are worth their extra cost. In many (but not all) cases, the key to a higher price may be in the use of more expensive drivers. For example, there are no bargain kits using Scan-Speak or Seas Excel drivers simply because the drivers themselves are expensive. SAF represents the Spouse Acceptance Factor, an attempt to predict how acceptable the resulting system will be to your significant other. It's value is calculated as… SAF=30/sqrt(vol*sqrt(area)*price) …where: vol is the volume in cu.ft. area is the floor area in sq.ft. price is the price in USD. Values around 1 indicate acceptability. This is what you might expect from a reasonably-sized floor-standing 3-way design. Values greater than 1 indicate enhanced acceptability. For example, a modestly-priced 2-way bookshelf design works out to an SAF around 5. Values much below 1 may mean that you may have to choose between your hobby and your significant other. For example, a large, expensive subwoofer works out to around 0.3. This calculation is a strictly empirical attempt to quantify an abstract concept of human behavior. The factors most directly related to the acceptance of a DIY project in a domestic environment are size and cost. The SAF calculation therefore makes the following assumptions: The greater the volume of the box, the less acceptable the system. Given boxes of equal volume, the one with the smaller footprint will be the most acceptable. The more expensive the system, the less acceptable it will be. What SAF explicitly doesn't attempt to quantify are: Presentability. The ability of your kit system to fit in with your decor is often as much a factor of your woodworking or finishing skills as anything else. Only full kits, complete with finished cabinets, offer any assurance in advance of what the completed system will look like. The best kit in the world, poorly finished, will remain an eyesore and an irritant to your significant other long after you've finished with it. Design quality. As noted in the discussion of value above, there are few obvious correlations between a kit's price and gross design. As with any system, the final sound is determined by attention to a lot of details - most especially in the crossover design. Many times, these details and the expertise of the designer are what you're really paying for.

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