DIY 2010 Finland

Hopefully only a few still think that DIY is about saving money. That would be a big miss. DIY is, as the name says, about doing it yourself, and doing means learning and understanding. Once the soldering iron is in hand one needs to know what one is doing – and not only in theory. So DIY is about accumulating human capital rather than simply saving money. It’s about being proud of one’s accomplishments. Plus it’s fun.

Besides, DIY projects aren’t always that cheap. Here’s a system (Tuakko) at this year’s Annual Meeting of Finnish DIY hobbyists that took place this weekend in the Rastila mansion. The active speakers sport Accuton ceramic drivers (7” & 1”). The massive elliptical cabinet is carved out of birch plywood. Impressive, but not cheap. Smooth and resolving. And in what a surrounding!

The amp module is Hypex AS2.100.

Widebandwidth drivers hadn’t lost their sexual appeal but more and more often they are accompanied by a woofer. Or a sub like in this cute system (JSL) in which a pair of 3,5 inchers (Vifa TG9FD10-04) ...

... were driven by a 40W PP amp built around four 807s and inMADout transformers. The amp carries the name A-Sound Classic and is designed by Arto Salo from Teijo. The active sub was crossed at c. 100 Hz.

Here’s another popular widebander, a Fostex FE108, in an open baffle configuration, backed by a Eminence Alpha 15A woofer. The design is an adaptation of a model designed by M.J.King (Mkutvonen).

The pre was Pännäri ECC99, and the power amp revised Pännäri KT88.

In the same room was one of the bravest DIY project I’ve ever seen (Behrelec 31). The speaker was a combination of a Behringer 2031 and Genelec 1031 with a, well, peculiar horn or waveguide.

If I understood correctly the horn hides an active filter. The purpose of the projection in front of the horn was to polish the tweeter’s response.

Yet another Fostex FE108 design (Husa), this time in a truncated tapered tube. A kind of honest and cool sound from a NAD 5200 CD from the 80s, and Pännäri Revenge ECC91 DIY amp (ECC81 pre, ECC82 cathode follower).

These speakers remind externally Tannoy Yorks from the 1950s but the designer (Hoffa) didn’t know such speakers existed. And of course, instead of a large co-centric unit this is a 2,5 way design with three SEAS drivers, fed by Audio Analogue Donizetti mono blocks.

The room unveiled other intriguing projects such as Hannes H’s Audax + Luxor OBs together with a 6L6 PP amp.

I don’t know why this glassy Abrahamson pre was left on a side table.

The only room (ILUX) with a turntable, - Synopsis. The Kolibri tonearm consists of several carbon fiber rods, which are weaved together to compile a tube free from standing waves and other resonances.

The Impros mono blocks are based on the same coupling principle that Tapio M. Köykkä developed for his amps in the 1950s. Four KT100s generate 130 W per channel with zero negative feedback. The 2-way speakers house Seas L22RN4X/P woofer and Tangband W2-880S widebander (Hoffa).

Thanks Tuakko, JSL, Husa, Hoffa, ILUX, Behrelec31, Beawers, Hannes H + Arto Salo, Vesa II and Mkutvonen.