Audio advice and discussions with audiophiles and professionals. Free discussion forums, open to all and frequented by industry experts. Ask questions and get advice on stereos, speakers, hi-end amplifiers, pre-amps, home theater, tube hi-fi, turntables, vinyl, tweaks, music, films, video, DVDs and more.
Is the plywood just plain yellow pine plywood ??? Is it as good as birch ??? Is it sanded on both sides ??? Thanks.
Use baltic birch. The real stuff has Russian lettering on it. It is much stronger and there are noticeably more plies than cheap Chinese "plain yellow plywood". Never use that cheap stuff for loudspeakers. They're guaranteed to rattle and buzz if you do. The plies separate easily and there are several voids in them. There is almost always debris in the voids, small chunks of wood and glue that has broken off and rattles within the void. A good quality baltic birch is one of the best materials to make speakers from, but a cheap "plain yellow plywood" is one of the worst.
Thanks ,Where do you get it ? I tried Home Depot but they have the cheap stuff now.
Call around, not many retailers stock it but all wholesalers have it.
Wayne's right about true Baltic Birch and it is expensive. I'm cheap and a wholesaler was 45 miles away so I looked for something else. This is the plywood I used. It's very much like the late, lamented Marine Plywood every lumberyard, pre-Big Box, used to carry. It is 7-ply with an "A" side, no visible voids on any of the cut pieces and nary a rattle. Arauco 3/4" plywood
I looked around my local Home Depot and spotted some decent looking plywoods. Upon curosry inspection, the surfaces looked very clear and I did not see any voids around the perimeter. AS I recall, the 3/4" stock was five or six plys. Would one of these also be a good choice for speaker cabinets, or should I continue to seek out Baltic Birch from a specialty supplier? 3/4" x 4' x 8' Baltic Plywood - $49.88/sheet 3/4" x 4' x 8' Sanded Plywood (one surface only) - $43.88/sheet
not Bill, but I've used that sanded plywood at HD. Stay away from it! Also, most good Baltic Birch doesn't come in 4x8 sheets, more like 5x5, although there are some 4X8's. 3/4" BB ply will have 13 plys.
Nothing from a big box retail store is likely to give good results. I've never seen baltic bitch at any of them, and frankly, I've never seen them stock any plywood I would be comfortable using to make loudspeakers. 18mm baltic birch has 13 plies and is very strong. The plywood you often find with 5 to 7 plies is terrible for making speakers. You'd be better off with chip board than that stuff.
The HD and Lowes hardwood, especially the Chinese 'cabinet grade' plywood is junk, but once again, the Lowes Arauco is a pleasant surprise.
Ah, yes, very good Bill. Thanks for the tip!
Hi Bill, yours is chilean radiata pine plywood. Arauco products are often use here in Chile on construction and they have, of course very different qualities. cheers beto