Is This Amazon DIY Speaker Kit A Winner? Let's Build The HiVi Swans 3-Way Kit!

In this video we will build & measure the HiVi Swans 3-way kit. Thanks for watching!

[@walterbkeen]

Absolutely loved building these... Also left my crossover stock but rounded over all of the corners with a 1/2" round over bit, and painted the modified cabinets with Gliddon's Maxi-Flex Gloss White (highly recommended). Ditched the included terminal cup for Dayton Audio's 5-way gold binding posts. Looks much cleaner, but was quite a bit of work to plug the hole with some scrap mdf and erased the imperfections with automotive body filler. Now working on building a set of custom subwoofer stands to match with dual Dayton Audio MX10-22 drivers for each stand powered with a Crown XLS 2502.

[@JR-ho5qm]

Good job on the finish! I’m a Autobody painter and also do some wood finishing on the side. Lacquer really does have its own unique look. If your not already I highly recommend using a catalized version. Sherwin Williams makes a catalized lacquer called a medium rubbed effect that I think looks fantastic and lays absolutely flat. No orange peel whatsoever 👍🏻 I much prefer my wood finishes to have more of a satin look over a gloss. To me the gloss looks dated, cheap and homemade

[@DIYhyfy]

Thanks, I will look into it! What can you recommend for hvlp auto finish? What paint & clear would be best? Thanks!

[@JR-ho5qm]

@@DIYhyfy hey! I use a high end paint from Axalta called Standox, but it is quite expensive, and allot of what you are paying for in a high end paint is color match technology and warranty. Most of the lower line paints can be pretty good they just don’t come with the same backing as the expensive lines. I would just find a reputable paint store and work with them. I do recommend when purchasing your clearcoat that you ask for a high solids glamour clear or show clear. Also be sure to use a 2K high build primer under everything to seal it all down. Good luck!

[@walterbkeen]

Really liked the Glidden Maxi-Flex line for small projects. Glidden is owned by PPG, and from what I understand the Maxi-Flex line is a Laquer finish. Granted nothing beats a 2-part layed down with a decent gun in a controlled environment, but very few have access to that.

[@Nickporter17]

You're definitely right about that! Have you ever tried using tung oil? For something like a speaker that doesn't really need protection I'd recommend tung oil over anything else. The beautiful matte depth it gives to the wood is unlike anything else.

[@magichand72]

Built them 2 years ago including upgrading the crossovers. After breaking in they sound almost as transparent as my Dynaudios...They are the best bang for the $ 29 speakers in my house they are one of my favorites

[@DIYhyfy]

You're absolutely right!

[@DurokSubaka]

When spraying add Flood Floetrol to your paint make smooth finishes easy.

[@aitchr8770]

@DIYhyfy change the orientation of one of the inductors at the back, I'd recommend flipping the rear right front 90%, chamfer the edge of the plastic reel so it sits on the board. It will now be out of the plane orientation of the other two aircore inductors. You will be surprised how much inductors interfere with one another.

[@C-man553]

Get a good table saw if able. You’ll fall in love with it. I bought a 1500$ Foxshop, 3 hp cabinet saw 15 years ago and it is indispensable, though the fence needs some TLC. Watch your fingers. It will take your leg off.

[@scottlowell493]

Both Cello and ADS used dome mids like that. Excellent drivers. I like the AMT , they play lower and integrate better than a ribbon tweeter.

[@MichelLinschoten]

Planar tweeters , I am sure

[@Weneedpeople]

Those are not AMT... they are a ribbon tweeter, don't know why he keeps saying AMT

[@FOH3663]

Yes, these are planars right? Not an AMT, not a ribbon.

[@nickmorrow3829]

Rotate the woofers 90 degrees so all the speakers are aligned for looks. Use either Howard Feed N Wax or Formbys Tung oil finish on you next build.

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

Thanks for the vid. I love you do testing. Data with subjective opinions makes for a great review channel.

[@nicksimko9160]

These look awesome! So awesome that I just ordered the kit myself and I can't wait to hear them in action!

[@DIYhyfy]

Whoa! That's awesome, let me know how they go!

[@danrussell9357]

Liked the video - especially enjoyed the comments at the end!

[@DIYhyfy]

Thanks!!

[@danrussell9357]

Now that you have some speaker-build videos, are you planning do build any amps?@@DIYhyfy

[@CharlesDowiot-qv7pp]

Beautiful ✨️ love the wood color nice speakers

[@middleearthltd]

Looked like a Morel midrange. Those are nice tweeters, mids and drivers and a decent crossover For the $$$ that is an impressive value with quality parts

[@roverdad]

Lol, i have a big box with these in my living room. Need to build them soon. I have the parts for the Sehlin crossover mod. Thanks for sharing.😊

[@AudioTekAdventures-ph9ke]

Thank you for this review and all your great content😃 They looks great, keep up the good work!

[@arturomty9969]

They looks great, keep up the good work!!!

[@DIYhyfy]

Thank you!

[@quikspecv4d]

These look great! I have the powered version of these. Swan M2A. I love them. I totally agree with you on the awesome soundstage. I’m pretty sure the dome midrange contributes to that quite a lot.

[@DIYhyfy]

Yep, when there are male vocals they are much lower (at the height of the dome) where females are usually around 6-7ft high in the soundstage

[@eksine]

Nice finish. I just bought these and theres a promotion to get a free mtm in wall 5.25" woofer speaker. Weirdly after i placed the order it shows the in wall speakers out of stock. They still have the 5" one.

[@Preowner]

That looks like a planar tweeter to me not an AMT. Planars have that distinct cellular look aligned down vertical openings, and are a flat kapton ribbon with the "coil" printed on it. AMT is a pleated ribbon that you can usually see the vertical pleats across horizontal openings.

[@DIYhyfy]

You're right. It's an isodynamic ribbon. Don't know where I got the idea that they were AMTs. Probably because I'm constantly shopping for them!

[@Gator11178]

I've been looking forward to this one

[@purplerider2362]

I’m actually looking to get these. I recently put together a 2.2a diy kit. And they are superior to my other speakers. They even sound better than my klipsh reference towers. Amazing sound. I really couldn’t believe it because the price was so cheap. For reference I’ve built a few kits from parts express that were almost double the price. They do not sound as good as these. The tweeter especially is great. The bass is full and loud. I’m pretty disappointed in parts express. I built the morel ardons. They are bookshelves and each are 230. The teeter on them Is horrible. The drivers lack bass. Anyway I’ve been really happy with these speakers. So now I wanna build these. Good video

[@DIYhyfy]

I highly encourage you to do so. The ribbon tweeter on these is incredible. They image like the performer is in the room with you. I use a high-pass on mine at 96hz, but running full range, they put out a lot of bass. They really are very special. Thanks for watching!

[@Victrola777]

I absolutely had to reduce the midrange and tweeter outbut by seveal db. I am now thinking of replacing the woofer for one with more output.

[@DIYhyfy]

I run mine highpassed at 95hz. This means the bass from them isn't very important for me. I would rather have less distortion, and let subwoofers handle the low end.

[@bactanite]

Amazon is selling these for $788.24 in Canada.

[@fredrikastrom9372]

the coils on the crossover should be turned 90 degrees to eachother, or they will affect eachother

[@DIYhyfy]

Yes I'm aware. I built this as it's laid out. The coils are far enough apart to be fine.

[@fredrikastrom9372]

do you have a link to the kit, or the midranges? @@DIYhyfy

[@Obsfucation]

That’s a bit too much damping foam. In a vented enclosure you should have a moderate amount just to suppress the reflections of any midrange signal from the woofer. If you have too much it will absorb the lower frequencies and will dampen out the tuned resonance which makes a vented design effective at extending the bass response down. In this case, more is definitely not better. Also, with this being a three way with a sealed midrange the frequency range that you’re attempting to dampen isn’t really there.

[@DIYhyfy]

​@@fredrikastrom9372HiVi-Swans DIY 3 Way Passive Bookshelf Speakers Pair - DIY Speaker Kit-Peak Power 120 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers for Surrounds or Front a.co/d/dsoKPsa

[@DIYhyfy]

​@Obsfucation Thanks, I may try removing some and measure again.

[@lukasgayer5393]

Those two upper speaker that overlap are giving me anxiety :D

[@MichelLinschoten]

It's to get as close as possible to a favorable acoustical center ...

[@davidjudd951]

I've seen high dollar manufacturers do it that way.

[@HomeTheatre101]

Nicely done! ✅

[@DIYhyfy]

Thanks for watching!

[@DarioEspina]

Just a quick think, the inductors at the crossover need to be in a different "plane" each of other, this is to reduce the magnetic disturbances

[@DIYhyfy]

This is true, however the coils are quite small, and far apart. I wanted to build this the way it was designed. Hopefully to help someone who is looking for a guide on assembly.

[@paulb4661]

Try getting all the drivers flush next time, I understand you're trying to keep acoustic centres close, especially with the high upper xover frequency, but that step and diffraction is not a price worth paying. Line the internals wit some open cell foam, keep some loose wool fibres in the centre, but as others pointed, those massive slabs right against the diaphragm on the inside are damaging. Well done!

[@davidjudd951]

Are you referring to the internal braces?

[@paulb4661]

@@davidjudd951 Slabs of foam to the left and right; had positive outcome employing B&W matrix derived internal structure of interconnected chambers, supporting constrained layer damping cabinet walls, internally lined with lead sheet, back in the day. You could say, it's internal bracing taken to extreme.

[@davidjudd951]

@@paulb4661 Thank you. I recently glued internal bracing inside some budget floor speakers. Wasn't sure if it was done properly.

[@dippitydoinit]

I've had so many frustrating moments with gaskets on speakers and parts that I've started dabbing some super glue in a few spots to hold them on while I install the part.

[@DIYhyfy]

Not a bad idea!

[@Gator11178]

Did you encounter any noise from having the inductions all in the same orientation?

[@DIYhyfy]

That's actually a good question. To be completely honest, it never even crossed my mind. It would be interesting to reorient and measure again (both freq & imp). Maybe an idea for a future video! P.S. when are you starting your channel?

[@Frozen_in_Carbonite]

Thanks for the informative video. I might have to snag a pair of these for a winter build project. You mention that your high-pass is set to around 95Hz. Try setting it a around 60.Hz Being that you are covering the lows with 18" and a 21" subs, you might get a better transition at the lower setting. On a related note, where do you have the low-pass set for the subs? Just my $0.02.

[@DIYhyfy]

Hey unfortunately I can't control the highpass (to my knowledge). It's set by my pre amp in hardware. I don't have a constant low pass. But it's usually somewhere in the 80-100 range. But I adjust to taste often.

[@billsmith5166]

I'm the guy that suggested using an old AV receiver yesterday (bad idea). Just wondering if you've ever considered bi or tri-amping a two or three driver speaker with an equalizer instead of a crossover on each driver? I'm thinking about building some speakers - the first in 15 to 20 years, and I'm kind of stuck on the idea. I'm finding bits and pieces on the idea around the internet but no solid leads. I'm sure you're a bit too busy to respond to this sort of comment, but I just thought I'd throw it out in the ether.. By the way, thanks for the video!

[@DIYhyfy]

I'm not big on bi amping and such. There may be some benefits, but the cost is much higher. That said, DSP is a great alternative to passive crossovers. However this requires one channel of amplification per driver. I would like to build around DSP in the future, but will stay with passive filters for now.

[@johnjust2502]

How did you trim the veneer over the shallow tweeter relief area? Which router bit?

[@DIYhyfy]

There are special shallow bits for router, but I generally use my hand & a razor blade for shallow recesses.

[@dannyblaha9344]

good video thanks

[@northa4021]

There appears to quite a boost in the high frequency, is it not overly harsh?

[@DIYhyfy]

Yes there is a big rise. They never come off harsh to me. It's possible this is also in part the ummik1 problem

[@Openeyesopenheart42]

Measurement should have been done at between mid and treble driver, as you measured on axis to tweeter, the measurements are hotter in the top end than in actual use.

[@Weneedpeople]

Not a great curve... would love to send them to GR-research for tweeking

[@Reversestereo]

Sweet..!

[@layton7430]

Do they have good bass? I'm looking for a speaker build that has built-in sub woofers so I don't have to have 4 speakers 2 is better. Also why does it have 4 posts?

[@DIYhyfy]

If you are wanting true full range, check out @toidsdiyaudio Epique build. These have really great bass, even more so for a bookshelf. With that said, I prefer using them with a subwoofer, but could live without one and be happy. Dont mind the binding posts on the back. Those are used for multi-amp setups. They come connected stock; this makes them function as a single set.

[@cliffordpurk18]

Do you think these boxes could handle more power while using full range?

[@DIYhyfy]

Yea these boxes are really sturdy. Mostly because of their size, being so small.

[@cliffordpurk18]

@@DIYhyfy Awesome, thank you for the response!

[@llee4225]

The freq response looks very uneven and bright treble? Wondering if the mike was too close and directly at the tweeter. I though most are measured 1M away?

[@DIYhyfy]

There a several ways to measure a speaker. This is a very solid method. That said, it is definitely the speaker itself. They're known to be very bright. I may do a mod in the future to rectify this. Thanks for watching!

[@crossoverchef]

the frequency response.............? you need to do something with the crossover to fix that.

[@DIYhyfy]

I use EQ to bring the top end down a bit. I may mod the xover in the future. But for now, I wanted to build them for people interested in building them stock. It's pretty bright as is lol

[@Weneedpeople]

While those ARE nice tweeters, they are not AMT, they are planar magnetic RIBBON tweeters. Nice speakers, if I felt confident I could make the cabinets look nice, I would buy some... I don't feel confident.

[@altops4490]

Stop using steel parts in the sig al path for maximum quality sound, no steel binding post,tube connectors only. no sandcast resistors-mills only, direct solder, all connections, with polywire. Your missing sooo much.

[@Yessssz]

Anyone know the sensitivity on these? Looking for something for 9w 300b

[@DIYhyfy]

I am not certain these would be a good fit for an amp like this. I have not measured sensitivity, but these are a bit easier to drive than a pair of Elac DB5.2s. The volume hovers around the same area where most of my other typical box-style speakers stay.

[@Yessssz]

Thanks for the input!

[@forbeginnersandbeyond6089]

Just a suggestion on your camera movement. Make it steady. Your video is hard to watch because you move the camera in and out constantly. Makes me dizzy.

[@DIYhyfy]

Appreciate the tip. I have been thinking of using a steady cam. I think I will use one going forward. I figured it was an issue for some.

[@Mark-rw3kw]

How to Stain Wood Evenly Without Getting Blotches and Dark Spots (note, this is not an endorsement of any one brand. Other brands will work fine and other similar methods may be effective also): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJ2whmuoaMaplc0

[@davidjudd951]

A quality sanding sealer helps with blotching.

[@richardburfoot461]

Oh no. Another interesting (maybe) video spoilt by awful background noise - why??

[@Rebel9668]

I'd have to be really bored and wealthy before I'd spend $350.00 bucks on a pair of bookshelf speakers I had to assemble and finish myself, lol. But then, I refinish and restore old tube radios so who am I to talk? On the plus side, I can find a lot of old radios for 350 bucks.

[@bbfoto7248]

@Rebel9668 Some folks enjoy doing the woodworking and finishing themselves in order to get exactly the performance and aesthetic look they want, just like you enjoy restoring the old tube radios. When the Crossovers are modified and properly sorted out on these loudspeakers, they will perform like $1500+ off-the-shelf speakers from some of the more popular brands, and loudspeakers are the final interface between your ears and the music, so a well-designed pair of loudspeakers can make a night & day difference in your listening experience.

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

I think you'll be doing this eventually... You don't know what you're missing out on!

[@davidjudd951]

It's more about the hobby, and satisfaction and joy of doing the project. After all, most hobbies aren't money makers, or about profit. They're a great way to reduce stress, and learn, and shoot the bull with other hobbyists. And sometimes show off our projects.

[@C-man553]

Gen Z I assume.

[@davidjudd951]

For some, it's a hobby thing. And like most hobbies, they're not money makers.

[@steverogers7611]

Looks like my wharfdale evo 2.2

[@learnonedooneteachone3822]

Well done. Your backing track is too loud. It made it hard to hear you.

[@DIYhyfy]

Thanks, sorry about the music. I think it's resolved in my newer videos moving forward. Thanks for watching!