Why MDF?

[Benny212 10+ year member]

ok I got why plywood sucks, but what about particle board? why isn't that used?

 

[packerfan 10+ year member]

Partical board works, ive used it plenty of times.

 

[zane 10+ year member]

VC Baltic Birch Plywood works excellent for building speaker enclosures. In fact, many prefer it to MDF as it is a bit lighter, and easier to work with. Also, doesn't create near as much sawdust as MDF. Density wise, it is equal to MDF. Several of us on SIN are using the Birch Plywood now for our own enclosures with great success. Only downside is, it is slightly more costly.

Home Depot, Menards, Lowes, all usually carry VC Baltic Birch Plywood.

Particle Board usually isn't the best to use on enclosures, as it is somewhat porous.

However, I personally believe that with a coat or two of resin, and a coat of Auto Body grade clear coat, that it works just as well as MDF.

 

[DCMax22 10+ year member]

MEDIUM DENSITY FAILURE (MDF) or particle board--A panel or core product manufactured from wood fibers combined with a synthetic resin or other bonding system. Warning: May cave, crumble, or flake to pieces. Not recommended for extended life professional sound systems.

 

[Acidburn 5,000+ posts]

how would 3/4" particle board work with being sprayed with a sealer like a rubber undercoating?

 

[zane 10+ year member]

MEDIUM DENSITY FAILURE (MDF) or particle board--A panel or core product manufactured from wood fibers combined with a synthetic resin or other bonding system. Warning: May cave, crumble, or flake to pieces. Not recommended for extended life professional sound systems.

MDF and Particle Board are two entirely different things.....

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

MDF and Particle Board are two entirely different things.....

Exactly. MDF is the stuff your high quality home cabinetry is made of. Particle board is the stuff low grade WalMart furniture is made of.

 

[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

Exactly. MDF is the stuff your high quality home cabinetry is made of. Particle board is the stuff low grade WalMart furniture is made of.

Haha, that's classic.

In the sig it goes //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[DCMax22 10+ year member]

MDF and Particle Board are two entirely different things.....

Maybe in theory, but not in definition. MDF is a better grade of particle board. You would have to be on crack to make a sub enclosure out of particle board. But it is all shavings mixed with glue, not as strong as pro grade plywood, but then . . . it does not have to be unless, that is how you are livin . . . . .

 

[EarDrummin. 10+ year member]

Maybe in theory, but not in definition. MDF is a better grade of particle board. You would have to be on crack to make a sub enclosure out of particle board. But it is all shavings mixed with glue, not as strong as pro grade plywood, but then . . . it does not have to be unless, that is how you are livin . . . . .

This is going nowhere..

 

[Chance89 10+ year member]

u guys are gonna mke fun of me...but my box if made of 3/4 plywood. It's behind my seat so no one see's it. I don't find that big of a diff in sound. It's a little softer bass that hard and punchy and I like low. It's easier to work with because your cuts don't have to be exactly exactly on beacause it gives. But If I got 2 more 12's I'd build my next box out of mdf. I say build your box out of mdf. It'll be a nice smooth surface and hard hitting bass.

 

[scottrc5391 10+ year member]

Supposedly MDF, as already stated, is stiffer (resists flexing so theoretically it should yeild slightly better/louder sound, is smoother (for better fit and finish), and is denser and therefore a lot more airtight than standard plywood. IMO, 3/4" plywood is just about as good if done right, and it seems to me like it would be the stronger of the two. Just make sure you don't use bowed boards and cut it really well. The use of a spray-on sealant to the insider renders it pretty much airtight like someone already said. BTW, why would you not finish a plywood box or MDF box by carpeting, etc.? Appearance should be no way to compare the two because nobody should leave their box bare. I also figured MDF is heavier, correct? Ahh, what the heck, just use fiberglass if you can do it.

 

[Try2makeitwork 10+ year member]

I made 2 boxes out of plywood that i had lying arond and i didnt have room for 3/4 inch mdf the box was for under my seat and it measured 12"w 13"L 6"Tall in front and 4"inches tall in back so i dintt have much room to spare i put a 10" MTX 8000 UInder each of my seats and ram them off of a 600 W Lanzar amp, And i have to say it sounds prettd **** good

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Not recommended for extended life professional sound systems.

Talking apples and oranges. MDF makes a nonresonant enclosure and is the best choice for an enclosure that will not be installed and left in place in the vehicle or your living room or a concert hall, etc... If you need the enclosure to be tough, you compromise the sound of the enclosure slightly for the sake of durability. You know PA systems and your PA amps and they are not treated really well. You move them around alot, tossing them in and out of the truck, sliding them across the stage, stacking stuff on top of them, it might rain slightly at an outdoor venue. An MDF enclosure would not survive long in an evironment like that. That is why you know marine plywood. That is what PA stuff is made out of from necessity. We are not talking PA stuff and we do know what we are talking about. You said yourself that you are a newb to car audio. I'm sure you know more about PA gear than many on here and most of them will freely admit that. Many of us know car audio as well if not better than you know PA. There is not much in the way of crossover in the way of techniques and equipment between the two. They share music, and use the same basic components, but quickly diverge from there. Listen to what we know about car audio and if we need info on PA gear, we know who to come to.

 

[LoudCrownVic 5,000+ posts]

Ha ha! Well, I ended up using floor sheeting plywood anyway and cut the resonsance with some fiberglass insulation. i sounds decent (after I got rid of the resonance issue) and was decent to work with. It's some sort of engeneered lumber, sorta like thin sheets of wood glued together. It worked.