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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.