{"id":1770,"date":"2026-07-02T19:37:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T19:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/?p=1770"},"modified":"2026-07-14T18:27:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:27:38","slug":"av-whiz-build-your-own-hi-fi-speaker-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/02\/av-whiz-build-your-own-hi-fi-speaker-series\/","title":{"rendered":"AV Whiz Build Your Own Hi-Fi Speaker Series"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DIY Speaker Build # 1  | <\/strong>The GR Research X-LS Encore Bookshelf Speaker<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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In an upcoming article I\u2019m going to present the anatomy of a speaker to give my readers insight on how they are designed, built, sourced, and sold. My intention is not to open a can of worms or hate on the speaker companies but to enlighten you on the guts and glory of a speaker and how the price is developed. As you know I have many speakers because I want to have a wide variety of speaker technologies as they all sound great in different ways and make for great comparisons for my reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m ready to enter a new phase in my audio hobby so I started investigating the speaker DIY segment of the market. Up to this point, I thought the DIY folks were a bunch of bored engineering wannabes. As I was digging through the few speaker part suppliers I noticed the drivers were the same as in the $10,000 and up consumer speakers and quickly reversed my judgement on the DIYers. This was rewarding and enlightening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The GR Research X-LS Encore  |  Starting at $359<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

GR Research is a Texas company offering four levels of speaker kits ranging from $359 to $5,200. They also sell completed speakers, upgrades for your existing speakers, and parts. For my first build I chose the company’s entry-level kit, the X-LS Encore for $359, in it\u2019s stock form. The price can jump to $714 if you choose the upgrades. It\u2019s a reputable company who wouldn\u2019t sell a bad-sounding kit so I chose the stock kit. Heck, I wasn\u2019t very confident I\u2019d be able to build it properly and didn\u2019t want to waste more than $359. The upgrades are mainly better crossover components along with better speaker connectors. You can also choose to have a flatpack shipped to you for an additional $275 or a completed pair of X-LS Encores for $1,300.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For $359, you get two six-inch midbass drivers, two 1-inch tweeters, and parts for two crossovers. You are required to build the crossover using the company\u2019s instructions, which stink. I had to watch videos and search through the forums for pictures of other builds. You are also on your own for the wood, the construction and the instructions were a big help with the enclosures.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cabinet Construction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I used my table saw to cut all the 0.75-inch MDF wood based on the instructions then glued the side, top, bottom, and rear panels together and left sitting in a bunch of clamps overnight to dry. I left the front panel off so I can mount the assembled crossover on the bottom, add the bracing and dampening sheets to the side walls. For the speaker openings, I used my router and jig. Since these are critical cuts, I practiced on a spare piece of wood to be sure. I recommend you practice as well because I needed two practice runs to get it right. The inside of the mid-woofer opening must be chamfered via a router and different router bit. These are not very difficult cuts but should be planned out carefully \u2013 measure twice cut once. The router will create tons of dust. In addition to wood glue, I used a brad nailer for extra peace-of-mind. Some of the nails reappeared while sanding so I used a hole-punch to further sink them into the wood. I filled in any imperfections with wood filler and sanded with 220-grit sandpaper until smooth. I applied two coasts of white primer and got ready for paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crossover Assembly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Assembling the crossover will be a battle if this is your first time. It was my first time and building one of the crossovers was a challenge and took me an entire weekend of working on and off. There were a few re-dos causing me to overhandle the capacitors and snap one of the leads. I ordered a new capacitor from GR Research, delaying the project. The second crossover took me one hour to complete and was much more fun since I finally knew what I was doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Assembled crossover with replacement capacitor (top) enclosure with bracing, dampening, and mounted crossover (above).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Front Panel and Final Assembly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cutting the driver openings on the front panel were tricky because the tweeter sits behind the mid-woofer and needs to be counter-sunk to fit properly. I nailed in after the second practice cut. I strongly encourage having a spare sheet of \u00bc-inch MDF for quick practice cuts. The drivers come with a foam gasket already mounted on each driver. The gasket seals the driver to the front baffle to avoid leakage. I used black pan-head screws from the hardware store to fasten the drivers to the front baffle. The included screws were a little smaller and didn\u2019t look as good as my aftermarket screws \u2013 same screws for both drivers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the crossovers were mounted on the bottom of the cabinet, I added the bracing and applied the deadener to the inside walls of the cabinet. The two-inch port was inserted with some foam gasket for a tight seal and the two tube connectors ($55 upcharge) below the port. I like the tube connectors because they don\u2019t have any steel parts and fit flush on the back \u2013 there are no protruding parts on the rear.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before screwing the drivers in, I glued the front baffle to the rest of the cabinet and allowed it to dry overnight. The next morning I fastened the drivers to the cabinet using pre-drilled holes. The drivers fit nice but I recommend you cut some practice holes first in case the measurements are off. And don\u2019t forget to chamfer the rear of the mid-woofer cut-out. That will enhance airflow and reduce reflections.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The tweeter sits flush with the front baffle to accommodate the slight overlap from the mid-woofer.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initial Sound Impressions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have not made a final decision on how I want to finish the X-LS Encores, but I put them in my system for quick listen. The speakers played light music overnight allowing the drivers to break in before I did any listening. For my initial listen I wanted music I was familiar with, so I dropped my 45-rpm Dave Brubek Time-Out LP, a reissue from Acoustic Sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first thought was smooth with thick bass which I tend to enjoy. The six-inch mid-woofer provided an ample and well-toned bottom-end. Overall, I was hearing a touch extra warmth than I\u2019m used to, this may change after a longer break in time. The warmth had me prematurely concerned about the detail and refinement.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Encores need to get ready for their final glossy lime-green finish. My intentions are to apply automotive level paint job that stands out from the others in a fun way. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This was a rewarding project and I\u2019m happy I made the decision to experiment in the DIY world. The GR Research X-LS Encore is a visually appealing speaker and sounds promising. For my next speaker build, I\u2019m going to plan better for the crossover part and make sure I have proper instructions. The support from GR Research was excellent, especially when I needed to replace the capacitor I broke. With my final sound evaluation reserved for a later date, I will recommend this kit for the handy audiophile or casual listener seeking a $1,300 speaker for $359 and some rewarding hard work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our recommendations reflect our personal experience with the equipment reviewed and should be considered alongside your own listening preferences and room acoustics. We encourage readers to audition audio equipment whenever possible. Great sound is personal, and the best component is the one that brings you closer to your music.<\/em>
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DIY Speaker Build # 1  | The GR Research X-LS Encore Bookshelf Speaker In an upcoming article I\u2019m going to present the anatomy of a speaker to give my readers insight on how they are designed, built, sourced, and sold. My intention is not to open a can of worms or hate on the speaker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tips-diy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1770"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2142,"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770\/revisions\/2142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avwhiz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}