DIY Audio - Motivation

Motivation

The motivations for DIY audio can include cost, entertainment and quality of workmanship. Many DIYers take considerable personal pride in constructing a device that works to their satisfaction. This is sometimes carried to the extreme, with some makers claiming that their product outperforms any and all similar market products. In many cases this is due to excessive emotional attachment, akin to the attachment a parent feels towards their children. Nevertheless some DIY constructs can indeed possess superior sound quality. Part of the reason is the economics of modern manufacturing and commerce. A manufacturer needs to incorporate several cost factors in product pricing, including wages, housing, insurance, transportation, testing, spare parts, servicing, etc., whereas the retailer needs to mark prices up in order to cover their own expenses, stock, demonstration equipment, etc. All of the aforementioned do not apply to the DIY hobbyist who, furthermore, need not worry about product timing and marketability, and is free to allocate costs solely to superior quality parts. On the other hand a DIYer may not have access to sophisticated equipment and academic-level research, often have to limit themselves to off-the-shelf components, and cannot attain discounts from component suppliers the way a manufacturer may through large consignment orders.