Best Wood for a Speaker Box: It’s All about Sound Quality

Whether you are a certified music lover or not, investing in a durable speaker box is integral in protecting your pro-audio equipment. Aside from ensuring great sound quality, a speaker enclosure can offer you the peace of mind you need since you know that your speakers won’t move no matter how bumpy the road gets. However, not all subwoofer boxes are made equal, and learning about what you should and shouldn’t buy can save you money in the long run. If you are no pro in choosing the best wood for a speaker box, below are some of the best options you might want to consider:

Medium-Density Fiberboard

Unlike building ordinary home cabinets, looking for the most ideal wood for a subwoofer enclosure is more complex since Medium-Density Fiberboardyou need to select a wood type that can allow sound to resonate with ease. Acoustically speaking, solid wood is not a great choice because it lacks uniformity in terms of density, which consequently affects sound output. When making speaker boxes, one of the best choices is the medium-density fiber board.

Typically, you can spend up to $80 for the wood alone since you would most probably need 2 sheets of MDF for your speaker box. This may be a bit pricey, but it’s definitely worth it. Not to mention, it’s a lot cheaper than plywood. Basically, an MDF is the end product of combined residues from softwood and hardwood. Since MDF boards are denser than fiberboard, it is the perfect choice when it comes to producing high quality sound. It keeps the sounds and vibrations to an ideal level in addition to keeping extra vibrations at bay, making it the top choice of people who build a subwoofer box.

Baltic Birch Plywood

Baltic Birch Plywood

If MDF isn’t available and you need to look for another option, the Baltic birch plywood is the next best thing you can get. Popular for its rich density and rigidity, this wood type is also the best wood for a speaker box since it facilitates better clarity and tone.

Additionally, Baltic birch plywood is known for its durability, so if you need a speaker box that’s made to last, turning to this option would be great for you especially if you are always off to long, bumpy roads. The only downside is its cost. In comparison to MDF, Baltic birch plywood is more expensive. Nonetheless, the quality of sound is superior.

Other Plywood Materials

Other plywood materials that are commonly used by builders include Marine grade plywood, oak and pine. However, not everyone would agree that these are the best wood options when building a speaker enclosure because of issues with sound output. Hence, if you really want the best for your speakers, it is best that you choose either MDF or Baltic birch plywood because both are tested and proven in terms of providing high quality sounds.

You may not be an expert in selecting the best wood for a speaker box, but when it comes to building one, you have to make the right choices. By being pro-active in selecting the materials you use, you can save time, money and energy in the long run.

Author: John Clax

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