It's all good.

Non I can think of.

All I can say is that these speakers "ROCK OUT". Easy to obtain parts, easy to put together and bang, super sound. I used the 5ohm resistor, and the bass responce is unreal. I have never heard a speaker this size sound like this.

Similar Products Used:

KEF Q series(kicks it's ass)

Incredible sound, inexpensive and fun to build.

None

I would give these speakers a 6 if I could. When I read the reviews for these speakers, I thought, "I'm sure they are fine speakers, but come on guys!" So, I built a pair. I made the cabinets myself, read everything I could find on the internet, followed all the advice I encountered, asked a few questions on the discussion boards. When I finally hooked them up, I couldn't believe it. They sounded way better than I expected. I am no audiophile. I have no fancy measuring equipment. I have them hooked up to mid-fi components. I don't know from imaging and the rest, but I do know that they give me chills when I listen to my tired old CD collection, and I am losing sleep because I would rather lay on the couch and listen to them than do anything else. Thank you Ed Frias for this wonderful gift!

Similar Products Used:

None

Too early to tell, need breakin

Highs seem rolled off, mids seem too laid back

I just finished the Frias speakers. I was not satisfied with the Speaker City cabinets as they are not ported as per Ed''s specifications, so I had a cabinet maker fabricate them from 3/4" MDF with a 1" baffle, proper bracing, flush mounted drivers and the flared port as Frias''s specified them. I also used Solens caps for the crossover, and the correct Perfect Lay air chokes as per the crossover specs. My initial impressions are that these are a bit laid back and that the treble seems rolled off. Also, the midrange does not have the "attack" that I expected. I replaced a pair HEAVILY MODIFIED Radio Shack LX-5''s with the Larry Van Wormer modifications, which include a VERY complex crossover and the SEAS 5" phase plug midrange/bass driver. Compared to the SEAS modded- LX5, I find the Frias'' speaker to be WAY down in the highs and also WAY laid back in the mids but of course have a better bottom end. (I cross both out to a sub @ 80Hz) Don''t get me wrong, these are fine speakers, but I actually prefer the modded LX-5s. Don''t flame me, because OF COURSE I am NOT comparing these to the stock Radio Shack LX-5, as all that is left of the original LX-5 is the cabinet (which is now braced, damped and stuffed) and the tweeter (with no grill and a damped mounting pad and VERY high end Solens/Perfect Lay/Axon crossover). I just don''t hear the angels sing with the Frias. I am going to let the crossovers and drivers break in and post another review in a couple months, but initial impressions are that they are too laid back and highs way too rolled off. I used the 5 ohm resistor for the tweeter, which Ed now calls for. My other equipment is all Dynaudio. I listened to these via my modded AR turntable with Grace 707 tonearm and Shure V15 cartridge through an NAD preamp - not my best system, but good enough. Sorry about this, but perhaps they will improve with break in. Overall, I am a bit disappointed, but not for the price. As a speaker builder, I can and do sometimes build comparable systems for $300 particularly when high end drivers are on sale at Madisound, etc. These are NO match for my Dynaudio Gemini, but HEY they cost less than HALF of the Gemini!!!!

Similar Products Used:

Modified Radio Shack LX-5 with SEAS driver and Van Wormer crossover(phenominal monitor!); Dynaudio Gemini with NHT 1259 subs, Dynaudio-based SWANS with ribbon tweeters, Spica TC-50 (great, but low pow

Clarity, dynamics, imaging, very realistic sound reproduction, bass is adequate but is not the "rattle the windows" type

Bass is tight and punchy and will probably be adequate for most listeners, but some may find it somewhat lacking and will want to add a subwoofer for some extra bottom end performance

I finished these speakers 3 days ago and am extremely pleased with them. I am not an audiophile, but I know what I like when it comes to my music. This is without a doubt the best $300 that I''''ve ever spent on audio equipment. I''''ve never heard such small speakers sound so lifelike. They reproduce drums, cymbals and acoustic instrument sounds better than anything I''''ve ever heard. Highs and midranges are so clear and dynamic, its just awesome! Vocals are incredible too: I got tears in my eyes when I listened to Eva Cassidy sing. Everything from bluegrass music to Rush sounds fantastic. I can''''t imagine a better speaker being available in its price range, or for quite a bit more, for that matter. I don''''t think that I''''ll ever get rid of these - they''''re that good. If you''''ve been trying to decide whether to give these kits a try but haven''''t been able to make up your mind to do so, my advice to you is to DO IT NOW. You just can''''t go wrong with these speakers, in my opinion. Special thanks to Ed Frias who helped me along the way with several questions that I had during the assembly process, and for the design and also for making the info on these kits available to everyone on the internet.

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Polk RT35i

Size, clarity, and bang for the buck

Grills-had to modify mine like so many others.

I have to admit, that when looking for a replacement for my Klipsch towers i was skeptical when reading the DIY reviews, But i figured for the money, i had to give them a shot. I''m so glad i did, it makes me smile with every movie, and every cd. The Klipsch towers i used were the ksf-8.5''s with 8 inch drivers and horns. They were reasonably clean, and loud, but nothing like these little monsters. All the monvies i watch now have more detail, and the vocals are not muddy anymore, even at high volumes. The other day i figured i''d pop in a jazz cd and really let it rip. Boy can they get LOUD! The punchy bass that comes from such a small fotprint is surprising and satisfying to say the least. I use a Denon AVR-3300 running 105 watts to each speaker, and they take it without a problem. For anyone toying with the idea that these could be for them, just do it. You will not regret it. Hats off to Ed Frias for a great, yet inexpensive solution to quality audio.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch ksf-8.5

What else, SOUND!

They want you to go out and buy more listening material.

A big thumbs up! I bought all the components from Solens Canada and built the cabinets with 1" MDF and 1/4" baltic birch veneer. Talk about a solid 30# speaker. As for sound they are even more solid. They are very clean and articulate. They have a nice sound stage. I am exceedingly pleased with the result. Total cost per pair was $370 CA funds. Mr. Frias has done a superb job in matching the system. There is more to speaker building than putting speakers into an enclosure. I''m glad there are people out that know how to design and share freely with others. You just can''t go wrong with these speakers.

Highs are crisp and clear. Vocals are outstanding. You will hear details you have never heard before in your cds.

None

I like many other wish to thank Ed Frias for giving the world this design. The components used to test the DIY speakers were an Adcom GCD-600 cd player and an Acurus 250 amplifier. Since I have another co-worker that built a DIY speaker from Adire Audio (kit 81)We descided to bring both our kits in and compare them. The kit from Adire uses an 8 inch woofer and tweeter combination with a 6th order crossover at 2.2 khz. As a reference cd we used an audiophile test cd by Chesky. The very first thing you notice is that Ed''s DIYs are much brighter and clearer on the highs. The Adire seemed muted. The base seemed a little tighter in the adire kit, but it is much bigger and in a sealed enclosure. By far though the DIY sounded much more musical. We listened to various Jazz recordings and every instrument sounded like it should. A clarinet really sounded like a clarinet. On the guitars you could hear the fingers moving across the strings. These little details were lost on the Adire''s. Another thing that struck me is the amount of sound that comes from these tiny speakers! It made me feel like I was listening to a wall of sound and if I did not know better I would say I was listening to a much bigger speaker. I sat most of the day smiling and laughing like a little school kid because I could not believe these speakers only cost $300. They are definately the deal of the century. If you were to tell me before today that I could of bought a speaker this highend for $300 I would of laughed at you. Now I am the one laughing. These speakers are absolutely superb. You will not be disappointed. It is the best $300 I have ever spent.

They are the full deal hearing extravaganza.

You want to go out and buy more listening material.

I recently purchased the speaker compenents for this kit from Solens. I made my own cabinets with 1" MDF with 1/4" veneering. By the time the speaker was built the total weight was about 30# for each speaker! Solid! When I first hooked them up I was very impressed; they haven''t even broken in yet. They have a very smooth detailed soundstage. Very good depth. Listening to them for an extended period of time, they do not feel fatiguing. Mr. Frias has done an excellent job in putting this package together. The choice of speakers and the superbly designed crossover put these speakers in the audiophile realm. I love hearing great artists like Eric Clapton performing live in my living room! They extend down to 40hz (with good db output)and lower. For most music you will not miss a sub. If you are interested in a diy speaker project this one cannot be overlooked!! Now if I could only move up to an Outlaw amp from my so so JVC; I would venture these speakers would sing like angels.

Detail, bass (for size) soundstage definition and depth.

Size restricts presentation of some orchestral works, but no weakness compared to similar sized speakers

Wow. I never imagined it would be this easy to make a great speaker!

First, Kudos to Ed for making his design free to all, and thanks for Audio Review for posting it! Could you guys go one step further and manage a review by someone in a trade magazine? (Not that reviews matter.... ;) )

My experience in purchasing the parts was flawless. My apprehension of assembly having never weilded a soldering iron was severe! But be not afraid, the instructions were complete and my project finished in an evening.

First impressions in one evening of listening....
With 5 ohm resistor in the circuits the speakers are plenty bright. Detail is greater than the Mirages, and width/ depth are greater too. My room is not ideal and I can only get 9-10 feet away from the speakers and they're 6-7 feet apart. Still, I can discern placement of instruments whereas before I was never able to.

I predict that these little monsters will be excellent with vocals and intimate recordings. Dianne Reeves made me weep. Piano is beautifully realized (I can hear room acoustics in the recordings!) As for Orchestral works, I fear they will all be a bit compressed but the detail will remain (some music will always be better live, right?)

I cannot concieve of a better high-end speaker value. Sensitive enough to be driven by the nice integrated amp bargains out there, but able to play as loud as you's want.

System (work in progress)
CD player -Yamaha changer ca.1999(cheap)
Preamp -Rotel with tuner ca.1994
Amp -Rotel 120Watt ca.1994
Interconnects -Audioquest Sidewinder (very bright)
Speaker cable -regular 12 gauge monster cable (same used inside speakers)

Similar Products Used:

Mirage M490i (8"bookshelfs, biwirable), Infinity Kappa floorstanding threeways with emit-r tweeter.

INCREDIBLE sound stage for a bookshelf design
EXTREMELY open and detailed high end
Best Base definition I have ever heard from a small bookshelf speaker down to perhaps 50-60 cycles when placed within 18 to 24 inches of a rear wall

From an AUDIO perspective, absolutely NONE! If I HAD to list some weakness it might be(this is really a bit of a stretch)the wood staining of the cabinet I chose(Cherry Oak)was a little un-even, BUT this was really looking VERY closely, perhaps at a distance of less than 1 foot. This minor detail would never be seen at any distance that approached normal listening distances in a average or even small room. An additional minor point would be that the newer "modified" tweeter cut-out in the cabinet does NOT require any filing down of the edges of the opening for the terminal posts to fit in comfortably.(good running change!)

This little "GEM is perhaps one of the BEST KEPT SECRETs currently available, NOT ONLY for the DIYer, but for ANYONE who appreciates the audible joys of a truly musical, dynamic,and accurate sound source that just happens to fit a small budget AND a small space.

I not ONLY had fun building these speakers, but after listening to these speakers for some three weeks now, they seem to get a little more dynamic with every passing listening session.

I would not say these were the finest loudspeakers I have ever heard, BUT in the PRICE vs. PERFORMANCE context of loudspeakers, you would look long and hard for hours to find ANY bookshelf speaker for under 7 to 10 times the price that presented as OPEN and DIMENSIOAL a soundstage as Ed Frias's DIY design and retained this degree of accuracy.

I keep trying to find some familiar material to play that would eek out even a hint of harshness in the highs or muddiness in the midrange(vocal material usually very telling) BUT after a month of listening for atleast an hour or more almost every day....I can't detect ANY audible imperfections that one could claim diminished any performance, from Bach to Gershwin, from Steely Dan to Alanis Morisette and back.

If I were to pick ONE QUALITY that simply STANDS OUT in the Ed Frias DIY design, and perhaps creates what I might call this speaker's SIGNATURE, it would have to be ...A SOUNDSTAGE THAT SIMPLY MAKES THESE SPEAKERS... VIRTUALLY DISSAPEAR!

TREMENDOUS KUDOS to Ed Frias of EFE Technologies. If Ed's EFE Technology Speakers are an even greater expression of this venue....they may be perhaps SOME of the audio world's BEST KEPT SECRETS!
THANKS Ed, for sharing your experience and obvious passion for fine quality sound reproduction!

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JBL L19, Dynaco A-25, Acoustic Research PS215, Polk Mini monitors