Make: Kit Reviews

Constructed from a motor and various bits of wood, plastic, and styrofoam, this retro gramophone kit offers the allure of carving grooves into compact discs and Dixie cups with a sewing-needle-based pickup and playback assembly. Illustrated instructions in both Japanese and well-translated English are included, and the hour-long assembly only requires a screwdriver, some scotch tape, and a […]

Audio Gear: audio, gramophone, music, retro

Speaker design master Curt Campbell has created several dream kits for the audiophile, including the TriTrix. Featuring two 5.25″ Dayton Audio woofers and a single tweeter in MTM format, the final product has an easy, 8Ω load that can be used for audio or home theater systems. The transmission line kit includes precision-cut MDF for making the cabinets, […]

Audio Gear: audio, music, speakers

This kit gets top marks for ease of assembly and low price, and because it’s preprogrammed to do all the heavy lifting, all you need to do is solder it together and attach it to the device of your choice. It’ll take an average-skilled solderer 1½ hours to assemble, and from there the possibilities are […]

Audio Gear: audio, MIDI, music

Many middle-aged DIY enthusiasts have constructed a crystal radio set; it’s such a joy to pull radio signals out of the ether using only the radio signal itself for power. Unlike traditional crystal sets, the XS-402 uses a molded, high frequency choke, eliminating the frustrating coil-winding process, and features large solder pads, great for learning to […]

Audio Gear: audio, crystal radio set, family, music, retro