Why MDF?

[LoudCrownVic 5,000+ posts]

Why is it essential to use MDF in a subwoofer box? Would it be okay to use some plywood that I have lying around?

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[Wonderbread 5,000+ posts]

Not recommended. Plywood is no where near as sturdy as MDF. MDF will not flex, given appropriate contruction. Also, plywood will resonate. Resonate = bad.

Will not be as solid, last as long or sound as good.

 

[nweibley 10+ year member]

MDF is stronng, dense, consistant, and easy to work with. It is readily available, and very easy to manipulate. It is pretty durable too, excluding water. It is extremly smooth, and resists deterioration a little better too.

Go spend $20 and get a 4' x 8' sheet of MDF imho...

 

[95RAM 10+ year member]

its only 20 dollars. tats pretty cool i could make my whole box with that

 

[LoudCrownVic 5,000+ posts]

I'm not fighting anybody's advice, but the plywood is sort of like regular wood just thin sheets of wood glued one ontop of the other. And... Would'nt box stuffing or dynamat inside the box (which is probably not kosher) cut the resonance?

 

[nweibley 10+ year member]

It would all help, but it is not quite on par with what MDF is. It just isnt quite as rigid. If you cant get a sheet of MDF, plywood would work I guess... but MDF is doing it right, and you might as well do it right once...

 

[95RAM 10+ year member]

although if you have extra plywood lying around you could practice on that before you buy the mdf and start cutting away

 

[LoudCrownVic 5,000+ posts]

Sweet! I'm sad that l'll have to spend money, (Ill need at least 3 sheets) but once is better than twice and 60 bucks the second go round. Plus, does dynamat work as a replacement for box stuffing? I could be more accurate with cu inches if it does...

 

[Wonderbread 5,000+ posts]

why will you need 3 sheets?!

they come as big as 4x8 feet!

 

[LoudCrownVic 5,000+ posts]

why will you need 3 sheets?!they come as big as 4x8 feet!

I'm building a massive ported box for my Crown, 38x17x15" and have numerous other weekend projects that need to come out of the walmart boxes. But first... I needed some advice!

 

[bumpin_8605 10+ year member]

one like that should take 1 maybe 1.5 sheets max thas not a very big box. jus plan ur cuts out first

 

[runningame21 10+ year member]

Yeah, my box is 39" x 16" x 20", and I used only one sheet of MDF.

 

[B_Master_Flash 10+ year member]

I am making my 30"x20"x17" box out of one sheet (already have the cuts lined out) as far as using dynamat inside the box, what are you trying to accomplish? Polyfill is used to make a box seem bigger (I have no idea how it works) but I have never heard of using dynamat.

 

[ssj2xxgotenxx 10+ year member]

One sheet is hella big~! 1 foot = 12 inches remember. A 4x8 sheet won't even fit in the back of my dads tundra so....

 

[B&R Innovation2 10+ year member]

First. MDF has acoustical properties that you wont find with plywood. It's not nearly as pourus which is very important. When you get a chance stick your head into a plywood sealed box and yell...and then do it in an MDF and I think you'll quickly realize why people use it. I've made plywood boxes when I was first getting into this stuff and they were positivly horriable.

Don't use dynomat inside...its niether cost effective nor effiecent. The point of polyfill is to slow waves from bouncing off the inside walls which will extend any given basshit and make the box seem bigger. Dynomat will obsorb the sound. Also if you do decide to use plywood...paint the inside of the box...regadless its not anything that MDF will be. Plywood is what I'd call LDF.

As for your box size...mine is 16 cubes and it took 2 1/2 pieces precision cut and well thought out. If you buy it at a home depot they'll make cuts for you so if you think it out well and have them cut sizes you need you can save yourself some home cutting time plus you'll fit it much easier into your car.