So who’s this new speaker class for?
This is for anyone who’s into audio and ever thought about building their own speakers, but wasn’t sure where to start. With this class, you get all the help you need building a pair on your own, and learn skills you can apply to other projects. This pair can be the key that unlocks the hobby for you.
Do I need any experience?
Not really. If you're intrigued by the idea of putting things together - like a gas grill or something from IKEA - you’ll be fine. However, as a class it is somewhat advanced and not easy - there’s a good bit of soldering - but we’ll make sure you succeed and learn a lot.
The Zoom/Facetime sessions are a big part of it and a great way to learn about speakers in general. We go over what to do, you do it, and we reconnect later - or you can reach out if you have any questions.
All you need is a space where you can put down some newspapers and get to work.
So what makes this pair so good?
The Overnight Sensations are a popular DIY design by Paul Carmody that he kindly put out into the world, and are a great place to start. We opted to go with these because they’re a time-tested value that’s fun to listen to, with bass that belies their size. You assemble both the enclosure and solder the crossover, install the drivers, wire the whole thing up, and learn a lot in the process. You could very credibly argue they “sound” more expensive than the cost of the class.
(As designer, Paul gets a small royalty from Gowanus Audio for each class sold.)
We put a lot of effort into the enclosures to make them both look great and be easy to assemble without requiring much in the way of tools. The enclosures go together with these nifty Lamello Cabineo fasteners, so all you need is a hex wrench (included) and a bit of glue and you’re in business - no clamps required. The enclosure is made of ¾” black Colorfin - a premium Baltic birch plywood with a durable coating - so no need to paint or finish it. Real wood veneer of your choice is included for the front baffle (walnut, sapele, or cherry).
What do I need for tools?
You can borrow ours, with prepaid return shipping - it's included in the price. (It’s about $80 worth of tools if you were to buy them all for this project.) If you you already have the tools, that's cool too - choose that option and we'll knock $20 off the price.
Here’s what’s included with every pair:
Enclosure parts, connectors, brackets, veneer for the front baffle, glue, and even some Danish oil to finish the front.
Gasket tape to seal the front baffle
Woofers, tweeters, all crossover components and mounting board
Port tubes
All screws required to attach woofers, ports, crossovers
Hookup wire for drivers and crossovers
4mm ball end hex wrench
Here are the tools you need (or can borrow):
Drill with 1/4” and 3/32” bits
~2” x 5” Sanding block
Paste wax and steel wool
Do I need an amp?
Yes. These are not powered speakers - you need to connect them into an amplifier. You’ll need some speaker wire too (let us know if you do and we can include some). This little amp here is a solid deal, and you can connect to it via Bluetooth or RCA inputs. Try it for a few months then you can always upgrade, or build something.
How long does this all take?
It can take a day or two to complete the pair. With our in-person classes, it usually takes about 8hrs - two classes of about 4hrs each or one long day - but it may be longer if this is your first time doing this - and that’s ok. It’s all part of the process.
Sounds good! How do I get a pair?
Once we receive your order, you can start building them in a week or so.
We’ll schedule video time (if you like, email hello@gowanusudio.com to see what time slots are available ahead of time)
You receive your kit (and tools if needed)
We meet through the magic of technology and get down to it
(...you then send back tools, if borrowed)
We generally ship within a few days of receiving the order.
What else can we tell you? Email us or hit the Chat button.