What is your favorite material for loudspeakers?

Wilson benesch has some interesting information on their website wilso-bensch.com If you go to their newsroom and scroll down they show a list of materials and the speed which sound travels through them. Ideally you would want sound waves to travel quickly so the energy is not stored and released slowly. Their speakers are made with carbon fiber which dissipates the waves off the back of the driver much faster than other materials. In addition carbon fiber is very ridged so the cabinet itself does not move around and vibrate. If you play the violin or cello you should really look at the website of louis and clark. They make these instruments from carbon fiber. I believe they are very very good sounding. Most orchestras do not allow them because they want those instruments to have the wood look. As a dealer for wilson benesch I can vouch for benefits of that material, speed lack of coloration, and they disappear.

If you have a dealer near you take a listen.

I know about the WB designs but thank you for the post. I have used Carbon fiber I found it worse sounding in my designs than the Baltic plys etc. Its also costly hard to work with. So I leave it to companies like W.B. When Stradivarius are worse sounding than carbon fiber maybe I will revisit. Other composites are available for cabinet construction. I had better luck with those over CF. Hope your sale are going strong 2009 will be a hard time for retailers and audio manufacturers alike.

Johnk, the goals of cabinet construction for a string instrument and for a speaker are subtly different. . . a luthier uses the entire case of the instrument as a mechanically active amplifier. . . As such laminates like timber plies make for inferior student instruments because they lack the ability to propagate/amplify mechanical vibrations, not to talk about particle board which simply is anathema in cello/violin construction. The top of a cello is usually made from carved and finely graduated thin spruce. . . the bottom plate from almost equally thin maple or poplar. . . the two are mechanically coupled by an oaken post. . . . then of course there is the coupling to the strings through tailpiece, neck, and elastic maple bridge. The instrument is incredibly light and thin-walled, and vibrates and rings like it's going out of style. I haven't seen too many speakers that attempt to do the same. Hence, invoking the Cremonese masters is effective markcom, but. . . G.

Paino Black with Clear Coat paint.

I have to agree with Eldartford. No cabinet is the best cabinet. I love my stats.