Speaker building in seven steps, from plan to first listen (Beginner Guide, Part 1)

Part 1 of 8 of the NB Audio beginner guide to speaker building.

Every speaker build runs through the same seven steps, whether it's a kit or your own design. On a kit, most of them mean following the plans carefully. On your own design, each one is real development work.

The Quick Guide is the map: what each step involves, why it matters, and which mistakes are worth avoiding.

Plan

Write a short brief before you buy anything: where the speakers go, how loud, how much bass, how big, what drives them and the whole budget. Then choose drivers as a set, not as attractive parts you'll try to make work later.

Build

Plan the box and know which volume you mean: the outside size, the empty inside or what's left once the parts go in. Then the build itself, in an order you can check, with the drivers fitted last.

Measure

What a measurement mic can and can't tell you, why a kit doesn't need redesigning just because you built it, and what changes if the design is your own.

Listen

What a crossover actually does, then the checks before power, a quiet first start, placement and listening. If something's wrong, you change one thing at a time.

Who it's for

It's written for someone who hasn't built a speaker yet. It also helps you decide which kind of project to take on. For a first pair, I recommend a well-documented kit or proven design.

It ends with a quick glossary, so the terms in the rest of the series don't trip you up.

The series

Each step has a part of its own: a short preview here, and a free PDF guide with the full steps.

1. Speaker building in seven steps, from plan to first listen (Beginner Guide, Part 1): This overview and series map.
2. Planning your speaker build: the checks before you order anything (Beginner Guide, Part 2): Measure the space, choose a build route, check the amplifier, price the whole pair and put the plan on one page.
3. Choosing speaker drivers: from parts list to a checked order (Beginner Guide, Part 3): Start from the full model number, check sizes, depth, impedance and sensitivity, then write the order sheet and check the drivers on arrival.
4. Planning the enclosure: check the box on paper before you cut (Beginner Guide, Part 4): Turn a cabinet drawing into inside volume, a part layout, a full-length port and a panel list you can check before cutting.
5. Building the cabinet: the order of work, from panels to drivers (Beginner Guide, Part 5): From labelled panels to a finished cabinet: marking the openings, a dry fit, glue-up in stages, finishing and fitting the drivers last.
6. Your first speaker measurement: repeat it, then compare the pair (Beginner Guide, Part 6): Your first measurement with a USB mic or an XLR mic and interface: set up, save, read the graph and compare the pair fairly.
7. Designing the crossover: from the drawing to a working board (Beginner Guide, Part 7): Read a crossover drawing, assemble the documented circuit and check it, then see what one filter change does in software.
8. Testing and tuning your speakers: first sound, fault-finding and placement (Beginner Guide, Part 8): A quiet first start, comparing the pair, chasing faults one change at a time, placement, and saving the finished setup.

Prefer Kindle? It's on Amazon.

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Next: Part 2: Planning your speaker build: the checks before you order anything (Beginner Guide, Part 2)