Making speakers sound good and perform well is a combination of art and science - an area we're committed to understanding and developing. When you buy a speaker system today, you'll find a variety of materials used to make speaker enclosures (cabinets). While many modern bar cabinets are made of plastic, aluminum or steel, based on our experience and solid science, we have good reason why we prefer to use wood over any other material to make our highest-performing products.
An effective speaker enclosure is one that achieves minimal distortion and effective amplification of the speaker driver's sound. The enclosure is as much a part of the speaker's design as the driver itself. The characteristics of the speaker are also driven by the materials and design.
Dense (or heavy) - this is to simply absorb any vibration or mechanical stress, and does not lead to additional sound or energy loss at certain frequencies.
Rigid (or rigid) - especially for bass frequencies, a more rigid cabinet means higher efficiency and less distortion.
3. Non-resonant - If you knock it, it sounds "dead" to something. Instead it's metal (that's why they make bells and tuning forks out of it!). . A ringing tone means that your music is distorted.
So, these are the acoustic properties needed to get the best sound from an enclosure, but we also need to be practical. Concrete is often cited as the "best" material for making speakers. It is clearly all of the above and can be formed into almost any shape. It is a great material for speakers ...... but at the same time fragile, extremely heavy and not the most aesthetically pleasing.
Metal looks naturally high-quality, but inevitably, speaker boxes made of metal are subject to a variety of acoustic problems that can seriously affect performance due to the elasticity of the metal causing vibration and distortion. In addition, the very hard surface can lead to internal reflections (echoes) that manifest as distortion.
Plastic is also a popular material choice among appearance- and cost-conscious loudspeaker designers. However, plastic is not a naturally good material for making loudspeakers - but it is easy to replicate any shape, and is lightweight and durable. It's great for practical speakers, but not high-fidelity speakers. Think of the sound you get when you tap or knock on plastic. The sound is bright and "plastic".
Wood has natural acoustic properties: it is naturally non-resonant, so feeding the speaker box with musical vibrations will result in minimal distortion. Wood has a high density. It has been used for centuries to help amplify richer, clearer sounds in instruments from guitars to grand pianos. It is inherently strong and rigid. Speaker enclosures made of wood are well made and will naturally sound good. Reflections are less than plastic or metal. However, wood is not too heavy and can be made into different shapes. The only problem is that you can't make it into the shape of a speaker, so making speakers out of it requires expertise and work ...... but for us, the investment is worth it; for a better-sounding product.
