Home » Audio » Speaker » Speaker housing & sound quality?
Speaker housing & sound quality? [message #84220] Fri, 30 December 2016 08:29 Go to next message
Tadtone is currently offline  Tadtone
Messages: 43
Registered: December 2016
Baron
A christmas debate down the pub was never resolved, so I'm bringing it here so the intelligent people here can chime in. What difference does the shell of the speaker make to the sound? Metal, wood, plastic, does it have an effect on how the speaker sounds?

We have one guy insisting that wood is the only answer, and another objecting to metal because it rattles, and me saying I don't care if it sounds good. Is there any actual difference?
Re: Speaker housing & sound quality? [message #84221 is a reply to message #84220] Fri, 30 December 2016 10:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

The cabinet construction makes a difference, and potentially a huge difference. You don't want the panel resonance(s) to be in the speaker's passband, and you want them to be well damped. So materials and bracing are very important.

Re: Speaker housing & sound quality? [message #84322 is a reply to message #84221] Sun, 15 January 2017 06:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Tadtone is currently offline  Tadtone
Messages: 43
Registered: December 2016
Baron
So it really does make a difference then. I'll have to look up 'panel resonance' for the details I guess, but are there different materials which are better for tweeters, sub-woofers etc?
Re: Speaker housing & sound quality? [message #84327 is a reply to message #84322] Sun, 15 January 2017 19:48 Go to previous message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

I like to make cabinets out of MDF when the speakers won't be moved a lot and where they won't be exposed to water. For speakers that might be moved a lot (like prosound), I prefer to use Baltic Birch. Either way, the cabinet must be sufficiently braced.

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