5/8 birch

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

i wonder if all those layers are birch, cuz most of the time they name the plywood for example. birch plywood, red oak plywood, mahogany plywood, is just cuz of the layer of vaneer on top and bottom , in which case its still plywood, the kind wouldnt matter, but if its solid birch plywood, even the layers its made of, then its different, anyone understand what im trying to say?

yes..idk what we used but its alot harder to route than mdf/normal plywood..not 100%, but i think birch is a hardwood?

 

[jgarcia9102 10+ year member]

Does the wood effect the tone at all?

Im a drummer, and for drums different woods are all about tone.

A lighter shell will usually ring longer, and using woods like birch, make the tone brighter. i dont know if it effects the sound of a subwoofer, but play 2 identical bass drums made of different woods side by side, and its like night and day.

 

[nismboy6986 10+ year member]

the reason why is i want to make the enclosure as light as possible. i want a 150lb limit on the weight i want to add to the car of the whole audio system(i really want a 100lb limit but i'll stretch to 150) would 3/4 birch be lighter than mdf buy a worthwhile amount amount? i wouldn't be routering the birch. even though its going to be a fiberglass box i'm going to make the trim ring out of mdf. have you seen the multicomposite enclosure they built in car audio magazine in the "tricks of the trade" department the last couple of issues? the enclosure will be similar to that

 

[liar2 10+ year member]

Does the wood effect the tone at all?
Im a drummer, and for drums different woods are all about tone.

A lighter shell will usually ring longer, and using woods like birch, make the tone brighter. i dont know if it effects the sound of a subwoofer, but play 2 identical bass drums made of different woods side by side, and its like night and day.

Using the drum analogy, you have to also remember that the heads make a difference, and it is extremely hard to get the same tuning. But using the different wooden shells does indeed make a difference in drums. I'd assume it would as well in the subwoofer box as well because of how the sound will resonate.

 

[eisenhower 10+ year member]

Lol, just becuase mdf is the commonly used wood doesn't mean its the best. Baltic birch play wood (the good 9 ply stuff) is SOO much better than mdf. Way stiffer, way lighter, and it won't warp under moisture. You have to realize that mdf is saw dust and glue, its not stronger at all, its just cheap.

Anyways, Ive built a few boxes out of both, and birch plywood is the shit. Its overkill for regular apps, but if you have the $$ (its 2x more than mdf), its worth it IMO.