Definitely some type of maple: figured (curly), Birds-eye, or maybe quilted (though havent' seen that on a speaker - too expensive/rare). I have Aerial 5s in curly maple- very nice, like all Aerial veneers. I had Aliante Pininfarina One Zetas with solid cherry sides and currently have Aerial 6s in Cherry (veneer), which is also quite nice though I still prefer maple. Have Martin Logan CLS in Walnut, which is rare for those as most were black or light oak, it's a dark wood but nice with a tight grain structure. When I get better (and ambitious) at woodworking I will build a set of frames for them from solid figured maple I think. Have a custom solid-maple rack from a cabinet maker, with birds-eye veneered shelves. (www.bjtanner.com is the rack maker - Zoethecus styling but better quality).
For a look at many types of veneering, including many unique figured types (burls, crotches, quilted, birdseyes), see: www.certainlywood.com. Check out the quilted maple -quite unique! Cocobolo is a nice wood too though I haven't seen it used on speakers, but the Teres turntables use it for bases sometimes.
Personally black (of any variety) is my *last* choice of finish on speakers. So many components are already black, who needs more of that?
-Ed
