HiVi-Swans DIY 3 Way Passive Bookshelf Speakers Pair - DIY Speaker Kit-Peak Power 120 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers for Surrounds or Front

My 3rd diy speaker build (after 2 from Part Express) and the HIVI-Swan 3.1a kit was a fun one to put together. After extensive research on ASR and Audiokarma.org plus the mostly 5 star reviews from the majority of the comments I was sold on ordering a set for myself. These speakers are dynamic and superior to any bookshelf I've owned or built, including the Klipsch rp 600m's they're replacing. Powered thru a recapped Sansui 5000a or updated Fisher TA 800 tube receiver (Soulpeak P2 switch lets me choose my weapon), these 3-ways are sonically stunning and pretty darn cool looking. Went with the Sehlin Perfection Mod 4 crossover to elegantly tame the highs. The Sansui is 55wpc and with the new main caps I can barely get the volume past 4 outta 10 in the 20'x 14' living room. The HIVI's are paired with an Infinity PS-8 sub. Did not care for the goofy midrange overlap on the tweeter so I recessed the mid and cut a radius in tweeter flange with a hacksaw for a flush fit. (see photos). I added a thin 10mil red oak veneer and hand-cut the radius openings, stained and finished with Danish oil, 2 coats ea. As many have mentioned, the instructions are limiting but adequate and with an abundance of online info and YouTube videos, it was not technically challenging. The kit was packed well and arrived a day early. I feel for what you spend and what you get, including an extra $35+/- on the Perfection Mod 4 parts from PE, for just over $400 you are getting a speaker worth 2x+ that; so an incredible value IMHO. Prior to final connections I bench-tested with 1 1/2" supplied dampening foam in one and the 1/2" PE Sonic Barrier in the other (adhesive side covered for easy removal). The supplied foam provided a superior overall sound so I stuck with that. Each day they seem to break in a little more and sound clear and dynamic, even in the bookshelf setup which may not be ideal since they are 3'"+ off the wall. My 70+ ears are still functioning pretty well (despite what my wife says) but these speakers produce sweet airiness of the mid/high ends while bass clarity and punch excels on all volume levels IMHO. A great investment for those who like the diy audio projects with a big payoff.

Absolutely phenomenal speakers! They can easily hold their own against speakers that cost $2k+. I did do the Sehlin Pefectionist Mod (option 4). You don’t need to modify the crossover, it just suited my preference more than the original. Many people prefer the original crossover design. I have built many different speakers from various kits and my own designs. The bass will surprise you! You’ll still want to run a subwoofer, but if you’re running these as near field speakers, then you may not need one. They have great clarity and sound stage. Some people say they can be a bit bright with the original crossover, but that never bothered me. I’d compare the “brightness” to Klipsch. These are replacing a pair of tower speakers in my living room. My son also built a pair of these for his dorm room. He gets tons of compliments on the sound quality, and maybe even a few complaints about the volume. If you’re on the fence about this kit, don’t hesitate. The components alone would cost you close to $600 of purchased separately, then you’d need to buy wood and build some boxes. I’m probably gonna pick up another pair so I can run 3 of these in an LCR configuration with Emotiva amps.

If you want these to look good it takes a lot of work. I spent a few months on this off and on because I have very little spare time. After all the hard work it did pay off. you wouldn't think that after hundreds of hours of work it would be worth it but you'd be wrong. these sound phenomenal, out of this world. I used the sehlin mod #6, the most expensive upgrade. I used, I think tight Bond 2 and if you want longer set up time just add a little bit of water to it. If the veneer comes out crooked you can actually save it by misting the entire veneer and then iron out the warp. The ribbon tweeter and the mid-range blend in so well that even with your ears next to it it's hard to tell if sound is actually coming out of them, but you can make it out. The bass is actually pretty good, you would make it sound better with a subwoofer but to be honest I might not even get a subwoofer because they sound fine the way they are. It's not gut punching bass it's really detailed though, and not weak. If you don't have time you can buy there finished version of these for a lot more money, and it has a built-in amplifier but it does look kind of ugly. Even if you don't have good finishing skills you'll end up with speakers that sound fantastic, unless of course you use the standard crossover that comes with it.

Like many here, I was attracted to the very positive discussions for the 3-way system. I read all the reviews. I examined the many blogs. I watched the many assembly videos. I even priced out the new parts for the crossover before they became standard. Then, suddenly, I realizing that I was going down a deep and foolish google hole with no clear end in sight. I did not need another large speaker in my house. I did not need to chase frequency response curves or micro tweaks to capacitors and resistors. I needed a relatively small set of great sounding speakers that I could put my my home office. I bought the smaller 2-way version and am very happy The few online 2-way reviews suggest possible component quality problems and there is even a hilarious YouTube video of an assembly disaster and another where the builder significantly modifies the housing (and painted them green) but then fails to comment on the sound quality. I was undeterred. I tested all the components before assembly (perfect) and watched the YouTube assembly videos for the 3.1 - excellent and much better than the terrible included instructions. With real hesitancy, I used the glue and tape cabinet assembly method. It worked perfectly. The CNC machining accuracy of the cabinet parts is impressive. I assembled and tested the well-labeled crossovers, adding a little adhesive and ties to hold down the components. Simple and easy. I did not use the included black vinyl. I'm sure it works fine, but I probably would have used oak veneer and black paint if I wanted that look. Instead, I went for a lighter veneer. I used the uber simple PVA-and -iron veneering process with three coats of Danish oil, each coat one day apart. I did not even sand Do they sound as good as the vintage Klipsch Cornwalls connected to my NOS 300b tube system? No of course not. But they are also not the size of a small car and do not cost $7,000+/pair. I'm not an audio engineer, but I do know what "good" to me sounds like. Some reviewers note that they prefer the sound of the 2-way to the 3-way. I do not have the 3-way but can report that the sound of the 2-way is very impressive, much more than I expected. Size and appearance approved by SWMBO. Sound approved by me. Highly recommended

This is a really complete DIY speaker pair. Aside from cabinet refinishing and wood glue, everything is included - screws, speaker wire, crossover boards, grill fabric and mounting hardware, etc. Impressive package for the price. I was missing a gasket and contacted customer support - good response and they quickly sent a replacement. I also asked about a discrepancy in the inductor packaging compared to the assembly manual - they explained that the packing was wrong and to follow the manual values. Very helpful. Regarding the sound, I did an A/B comparison between the included crossover design and one I found on the web. Just search for this kit and you'll find the modifications. I posted the links here, but Amazon rejected that review (probably a community guideline violation). I used "mod 6" but I don't think it's very different from "mod 4," and mod 4 is easier to find. Anyway, it made a huge difference in the sound. The provided crossover was shrill and harsh - too heavy on midrange and treble. The modification smoothed things out significantly. The cost of the replacement components is small and well worth it. I highly recommend this kit for someone wanting to try speaker building. It's a very complete kit and the results can be very satisfying.

My 9 year old son and I tackled this project together. This alone made it all worth while. While I’m familiar with woodworking, neither of us had used a soldering iron before. Had we just assembled the kit as we received it, the project wouldn’t have taken more than two or three days to finish. We decided to make the best of it and add the perfectionist mod for the crossover, swap the double binding posts for high quality single binding posts, and wrap the boxes in custom milled Hawaiian Kou (not Koa) that I saved from a green waste pile. Going the extra mile was well worth it. It gave us more time together and the final product is heirloom quality. The best part of the build was when we hooked the speakers up to our amp and listened to our first song. I chose ‘Heart of Gold’ sung by Johnny Cash. The look on my son’s face when he heard the sound coming through the speakers was worth the money, time, mistakes and everything in between (yes, we did test each speaker with the crossover boards before assembling, but it was still a pleasant surprise for him). The speakers sound incredible. They do everything well—high, mids, and lows. Sound staging is excellent and instrument separation is elegant (distinguishable and harmonious). Although the lows are good, being that they are only 6.5” woofers means that they won’t be going into the 30 hz or lower range. We have a Klipsch sub that covers the low end. These speakers do everything else better than any other bookshelf speaker I’ve heard. They easily beat out my Klipsch RP-500m, which I very much like, in every way but compactness. Btw, I am running these with the little Aiyima T9 amp. I upgraded the tubes on that amp, but otherwise it’s stock. I Have never pushed the amp near its limit while playing these quite loud. I mostly stream music from my little WIIM or watch movies through an inexpensive but incredible little HDMI Arc dac. The speakers are incredible for movies, etc. I've owned the Sonos Beam 2 and tried the Sonos Arc. My setup costs less than the arc and is leagues better for movie sound reproduction, separation, and clarity. For music, Sonos is not in the same league and these speakers. Wonderful speakers in every way. I can’t imagine a better speaker experience.

I needed a pair of 3 way speakers that were on the smaller size, that had good high end, and efficiency. My standard is a pair of JBL 4311's that do everything I need, but they're kept in a larger area of the house. This kit is very well made, and came very well packaged. Along with a new soldering station & supplies I was able to assemble all the parts in 2 days, and then another day to veneer & finish them with rift sawn white oak veneer. The sound quality is wonderful, and I'm glad I did not pay attention to all the 'upgrade' talk. The highs sound fine to my ears which are lacking in the high end. My Marantz 2240 receiver, with 40 watts per channel, easily pushes the pair beyond what we need. I don't really like rear ported speakers, but that's the only compromise I made, but the bass frequencies will tighten up once I finish making stands for them. They're about half the size of my Klipsch Heresy I speakers (1st picture) which I completely re-veneered in white oak as well. Highly recommended if you are handy with woodworking & soldering!

I bought the kit without in depth research. Assembling is easy per my experience, while finishing will be time consuming. Also, many buyers implemented modifications #1-6, which I am not sure which one to worth a trial. So, I decided to assemble first and test to see which level of the finishing and modification effort it deserves. Wow, I was so impressed!!! Then, I invested $50 on Amazon for dark walnut super thin veneer and glue for finishing. I also purchased "perfectionist mod #4" parts from PE ($26). The walnut finishing is absolutely beautiful! However, I did not implement the mod because of reason 1: I soldered the crossover with leads bent down originally, which will make rework a little harsh to the PCBA; reason 2: the mod designer believed the original design's sound is "too bright", which I may NOT share the same "taste" without comparison? Maybe, I like the brighter sound even more? So, I gave up the mod and still love it as it is.

A very complete kit (besides Xover mod). Instructions are rudimentary, but believe it or not, a good thing. Makes you research everything, while learning a lot a long the way, from glue, to capacitors, to finishes. Don't rush the build, it's a hobby. I chose the #5 mod. My goal was to keep the kit inexpensive. Researched real veneers, decided on vinyl, don't regret. I could use the vinyl with the kit, it would work but boring. Supplied vinyl is meh. They sound great, detailed, but on the colder side for my liking as is. Some EQ from my amp (room correction) improves, warmer. My main listening speakers now. Happy. Building anything is not just about the final product... it's the journey. A rewarding project, will do something again.

Treble is indeed HOT. But with a proper EQ or just follow the Sehlin collection of mods, these really punch WAY above their price point. These produce an incredible amount of bass; mid is clear, just what you expect from an soft dome driver; the AMT tweeters can bleed your ears if not tamed correctly. The imaging left some to be desired but all round accurate enough (for my ears). Soundstage is decent, not mind blowing, but these aren't surround system so that is expected. My pair use the Sehlin mod 5, which agressively lowers the treble response. In the end, I did have to EQ the Bass and trebble a little bit to match my taste. All in all, these are amazing for the price. Looking forward to building them again given a chance.

Really great sounding speakers. I spent a little extra and did some of the mods for the crossover and used real walnut and oak wood veneers (the included vinyl covering looks really cheap) and they came out great. I had seen videos of people adding foam they bought mine came with all the foam to be cut and fill all the sides. This foam is kind of packed in the box like its for shipping protection so maybe they threw it out not knowing? Fun project with nice reward in sound. I’ve had an old set of decent enough JBL’s and side by side these are much clearer and pronounced, with tighter bass response. Definitely hear more detail in my records.

Love the sound of these speakers. Easy to build and fun too. Would be nice to bring this kit back for sale.

A little expansive for a diy speakers kit but àt the end they sound realy great !