WubWub Audio: Custom Speakers Handcrafted in Arizona
Built-to-order speakers with integrated amplification and room correction. Designed specifically for your space, fabricated in our Arizona workshop, calibrated in your home. Hear them before you buy.
Why Custom Speakers?
The Limitation of Off-the-Shelf Speakers
Mass-market speakers are designed for average rooms, average listeners, and average systems. They're passive boxes with fixed crossovers, optimized for lab measurements in anechoic chambers — not your actual living space.
When you buy off-the-shelf speakers, you're limited by:
• Fixed cabinet dimensions that may not fit your space or aesthetic requirements
• Passive design that depends entirely on external amplifier quality
• No ability to compensate for your room's specific acoustic problems
• Generic tuning that can't adapt to your preferences or content
• Standard finishes that rarely match your décor perfectly
The Custom Approach
Custom speakers are designed and built specifically for your installation. Cabinet geometry, driver selection, amplification, and calibration are all optimized for your room, your system, and how you listen.
This isn't about luxury for luxury's sake. It's about achieving performance that's fundamentally not possible with standardized products. When speakers are designed for your specific acoustic environment rather than generic specifications, the improvement isn't subtle — it's transformative.
Our Acoustic Philosophy
Reproducing Sound As Faithfully As Possible
Our design philosophy is straightforward: speakers should reproduce recorded content with complete accuracy and neutrality. You shouldn't hear the speakers — only the sounds they reproduce.
This means:
• Flat frequency response across the audible spectrum
• Minimal distortion even at high output levels
• Precise imaging and soundstage accuracy
• Natural tonal balance, especially in the critical midrange where voices live
• Spacious, detailed high frequencies without harshness
• Controlled directivity to minimize room interaction
Room Integration As Part of Design
Traditional speaker design treats the room as an afterthought. Speakers are designed to measure perfectly in an anechoic chamber, then installers try to make them work in real rooms with EQ and acoustic treatments.
We reverse this approach. Your room's acoustic properties inform our design from the beginning. Cabinet geometry, port tuning, and driver selection consider how sound will interact with your specific space. Then our integrated DSP provides surgical correction for problems that can't be addressed mechanically.
This philosophy delivers speakers that sound natural and effortless in your actual environment — not just in a measurement lab.
Built-to-Order in Our Arizona Workshop
Design Process
Every speaker begins with understanding your installation:
Room Dimensions: Size, ceiling height, wall materials, openings to adjacent spaces
Acoustic Challenges: Hard surfaces, asymmetry, room modes, problematic reflections
Aesthetic Requirements: Finish preferences, size constraints, visual integration
System Context: What amplification and sources you're using, system configuration
Listening Preferences: Music types, movie content, desired tonal character
We design speakers in CAD software, simulating acoustic performance before cutting any wood. Cabinet geometry is optimized for your room. Port tuning is calculated for your space's bass response characteristics. Driver selection balances output requirements with tonal accuracy.
Cabinet Fabrication
Cabinets are CNC-machined from high-density MDF or Baltic birch plywood. CNC precision ensures repeatable, tight tolerances that hand-building can't match. Every panel is cut exactly to specification, every joint aligns perfectly.
Internal bracing is designed to eliminate cabinet resonance. Resonant panels color sound — proper bracing turns the cabinet into an inert platform for the drivers.
Acoustic damping materials line the interior. We use combinations of acoustic foam, recycled denim, and non-woven composites to absorb internal standing waves without over-damping and killing dynamics.
Driver Selection & Integration
We select drivers based on measured performance, not marketing claims. Key criteria:
• Frequency response linearity
• Distortion characteristics at typical and peak output
• Off-axis behavior (determines how the speaker sounds throughout the room)
• Power handling appropriate to your room size
• Impedance characteristics that work well with our amplifiers
Drivers are mounted with industrial-grade fasteners. Gaskets seal the driver-to-baffle interface. Everything is assembled for longevity, not just initial performance.
Custom Finishes
Speakers can be finished in:
• Paint matched to any color (we use automotive-grade paint for durability)
• Real wood veneer in various species
• Fabric-wrapped for visual integration
• Custom dimensions to fit specific architectural details
Grills are acoustically transparent and removable. Round or square options. Painted, wrapped, or powder-coated to match.
Integrated Amplification — The Game Changer
Why Built-In Amplification?
This is where custom speakers diverge fundamentally from passive designs. Every WubWub Audio speaker includes proprietary amplifiers and DSP designed in-house.
Passive speakers depend entirely on external amplification. Speaker cables become part of the signal path, introducing loss and potential colorations. Crossover components degrade the amplifier's damping factor. You're stuck with whatever compromises exist in your receiver or external amp.
Active speakers bypass all of this. Amplifiers connect directly to drivers with no passive crossovers in between. Cable runs are short and controlled. Each driver gets its own dedicated amplifier channel matched specifically to its requirements.
Bi-Amping & Tri-Amping Architecture
Tower speakers use tri-amping: separate amplifier channels for woofer, midrange, and tweeter. Bookshelf and center speakers use bi-amping: dedicated channels for woofer and tweeter.
This provides multiple advantages:
• No intermodulation distortion between drivers (each gets clean, dedicated power)
• Optimal damping factor for each driver type
• Ability to adjust level, EQ, and delay independently per driver
• Digital crossovers with steeper slopes and better phase coherence than passive designs
• Individual protection for each driver
Digital Signal Processing Per Driver
Each driver channel includes comprehensive DSP:
8-Band Parametric EQ: Frequency, gain, and Q-width adjustment. This allows surgical correction of room modes, driver anomalies, or response shaping for specific content.
Crossover Control: Frequency, slope, and filter type fully adjustable. We can optimize crossover points based on measured in-room response rather than being locked to passive component values.
Delay Adjustment: Time-align drivers so all frequencies arrive at the listening position simultaneously. Passive speakers can't do this.
Phase Control: Invert polarity or adjust phase angle to address integration issues.
Limiting: Intelligent limiting protects drivers without audible compression under normal use.
Room Correction at the Speaker Level
This is the killer advantage of integrated amplification with DSP. Receiver-based room correction applies generic filters to all speakers through limited-precision DSP. Our approach corrects problems at the source, before they compound.
Example: Your room has a bass mode at 63Hz causing a 9dB peak. With passive speakers and receiver EQ, you cut 63Hz on all speakers equally with a broad filter. This reduces bass energy but doesn't fix the room mode — it just makes everything sound thin.
With our speakers, we measure where the mode originates (usually the subwoofer or front speakers), then apply a narrow 9dB notch filter at 63Hz with a tight Q to only those drivers. The mode is eliminated without affecting bass response above or below 63Hz. Other speakers remain untouched.
This level of precision simply isn't achievable with passive speakers and receiver auto-calibration.
Speaker Types We Build
Tower Speakers
Full-range floor-standing towers for front left/right channels in home theater or two-channel music systems.
Standard Configuration: Three-way design with 8-inch woofer, 5-inch midrange, 1-inch tweeter. Tri-amped with dedicated DSP per driver.
Integrated Subwoofer Option: We can design towers with integrated 12-inch, 15-inch, or 18-inch subwoofer sections. This eliminates the need for separate subs while providing true full-range response. The subwoofer section has its own amplifier and DSP, essentially creating a tower that's both main speaker and sub.
Typical Dimensions: 42-54 inches tall, 10-14 inches wide, 12-18 inches deep (customizable)
Output Capability: 110dB+ peak output in typical rooms
Center Channel Speakers
Custom center channels designed to match tower speakers tonally while optimizing for horizontal placement and dialogue clarity.
Standard Configuration: MTM (midrange-tweeter-midrange) or WMTMW (woofer-midrange-tweeter-midrange-woofer) layouts. Bi-amped or tri-amped depending on complexity.
Key Design Considerations: Center channels need controlled vertical dispersion (so sound doesn't reflect off ceiling/floor) with wide horizontal coverage. Driver spacing and waveguide design address this specifically.
We can design centers to fit above or below displays, including very slim profiles for tight spaces.
Bookshelf Speakers
Compact two-way designs for surrounds, two-channel systems, or smaller home theaters.
Standard Configuration: 6.5-inch or 8-inch woofer with 1-inch tweeter. Bi-amped with dedicated DSP per driver.
Despite compact size, these speakers provide surprising output and bass extension due to active design and sealed cabinet tuning. They outperform passive bookshelf speakers twice their size.
Architectural Speakers
In-Wall and In-Ceiling options for surrounds, Atmos height channels, or distributed audio.
Even architectural speakers include amplification and DSP. The amplifier plate mounts externally (in an equipment closet or accessible location), connecting to the in-wall drivers via short speaker wire runs.
This provides the aesthetic advantages of in-wall speakers with the sonic advantages of active design.
On-Wall Speakers
Low-profile speakers that mount flush to walls for surrounds or dedicated applications where in-wall isn't feasible.
Slim depth (typically 3-4 inches) with integrated amplification. Ideal for installations where running wires inside walls isn't practical.
Subwoofers
Sealed or ported designs from 10 to 24 inches. All powered with high-current amplifiers and full parametric EQ.
Sealed subwoofers provide tighter, more accurate bass. Ported designs deliver higher output. We design based on your room size, content preferences, and whether you prioritize accuracy or maximum impact.
Wireless kits available for easier placement flexibility.
In-Home Demonstration Before You Buy
Hear Them in Your Space
Custom speakers represent a significant investment. You shouldn't commit based on showroom demonstrations or manufacturer specifications.
We bring speakers to your home for in-room demonstration. You'll hear how they actually sound in your space with your acoustic challenges and your source material.
Site surveys are $250, fully credited to your project when you move forward. This ensures we're working with serious clients while giving you genuine evaluation without sales pressure.
What We Demonstrate
During in-home demos, we typically set up:
• Reference passive speakers (what most installers would provide)
• Our custom active speakers uncalibrated
• Our custom active speakers with preliminary DSP calibration
This A/B/C comparison demonstrates exactly what you gain at each level. The difference between passive and active is immediately audible. The impact of room-specific calibration is equally obvious.
You make decisions based on what you actually hear, not marketing claims.
Professional Calibration Process
Measurement & Analysis
After installation, we measure each speaker with calibrated microphones at multiple listening positions. This generates frequency response, impulse response, and waterfall plots showing exactly how sound behaves in your room.
We identify:
• Room modes and where they originate
• Early reflections from walls/ceiling/floor
• Response deviations from target curve
• Phase issues between drivers or speakers
• Time alignment errors
Targeted Correction
With measurements complete, we apply corrections driver-by-driver. This isn't blanket EQ applied to all speakers — it's surgical precision addressing specific problems at their source.
Example corrections:
• 63Hz room mode: -8dB notch with Q=5 on subwoofer only
• Tweeter hot spot: -2dB shelf at 8kHz on left/right towers
• Midbass suck-out: +3dB peak at 200Hz Q=1.5 on center channel
• Time alignment: 5ms delay on surrounds to match front stage
Each adjustment is made, measured, and verified. We iterate until response is optimal.
Verification & Documentation
Final step is listening tests with reference content. Measurements tell us what's happening objectively; listening confirms it translates to better subjective experience.
You receive complete calibration documentation: before/after measurements, applied settings, notes on room acoustics, and recommendations for any acoustic treatments that would provide additional improvement.
Investment & Value
Pricing Reality
Custom speakers cost more than off-the-shelf options. This is unavoidable — built-to-order fabrication, integrated electronics, and extensive calibration require time and expertise.
Typical pricing:
• Bookshelf speakers: $2,500-$3,500 per pair
• Tower speakers: $4,500-$7,500 per pair
• Center channels: $2,000-$4,000
• Subwoofers: $2,500-$5,000
This includes design, fabrication, integrated amplification, DSP, professional installation, and calibration.
Value Comparison
Compare to equivalent passive speaker systems:
$10,000 passive speakers + $3,000 amplification + $2,000 cables + $1,500 room correction + installation labor = $16,500
Our $10,000 custom speakers include all of this plus calibration optimized per-driver, something passive systems can't match at any price.
The performance gap widens over time. Passive speakers can't adapt. If your room changes or you want different tuning, you're buying new gear. Our speakers are recalibratable indefinitely.
10-Year Warranty
All custom speakers carry 10-year warranty covering drivers, cabinets, amplifiers, and electronics. This isn't a limited warranty with fine print — it's comprehensive coverage because we build speakers to last.
Most speaker companies offer 5-year warranties. We offer 10 because we know exactly what went into every speaker and maintain replacement parts specifically for warranty service.
The WubWub Audio Difference
Designed for Your Room
Most custom speaker companies build from standardized designs with finish options. We design cabinet geometry, port tuning, and driver selection based on your specific acoustic environment.
Integrated Amplification as Standard
Our speakers include proprietary amplifiers and DSP designed in-house. This isn't an add-on option — it's fundamental to how the speakers work. Other custom builders offer passive designs only.
Per-Driver DSP Calibration
8 parametric EQ bands, crossover control, and delay adjustment for each individual driver. This level of calibration precision isn't available with passive speakers or receiver-based correction.
Local Fabrication
Built in our Arizona workshop. Short lead times, direct communication, ability to make changes during the build process.
Long-Term Support
We maintain client documentation indefinitely. Need recalibration five years later? We have your original measurements and settings on file. Want to upgrade amplifiers? We designed them, so we can build improved versions.
Maximum 15 Clients Per Year
Intentional capacity limit ensures every speaker build receives obsessive attention and every client gets comprehensive support.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does fabrication take?
Typically 8-12 weeks from design approval to installation. This includes CAD design, cabinet fabrication, driver integration, amplifier assembly, and initial testing before delivery.
Can I use my existing receiver/amplifier?
Our speakers include amplification, so you don't need external power amps. Your receiver acts as processor/switcher only. This often allows budget reallocation toward better video processing or additional features since you're not paying for amplification you won't use.
What if I move?
Speakers are yours and can move with you. We'd recalibrate for your new space. The 10-year warranty follows the speakers regardless of location.
Can I upgrade later?
Yes. Amplifier electronics can be upgraded without replacing entire speakers. DSP can be reprogrammed with different tuning curves if your preferences change. Finish can be refinished or wrapped.
Do I need acoustic treatments?
Our DSP can compensate for many acoustic problems, but treatments help. We'll provide specific recommendations based on measurements. Often strategic panel placement delivers more improvement than expensive whole-room treatment.
How do these compare to high-end passive speakers?
Direct comparison is difficult because active and passive designs optimize differently. In our experience, our $8,000 active towers outperform $15,000-$20,000 passive towers in real rooms due to room-specific calibration advantages. Measurements and blind listening tests support this.