What is your favorite material for loudspeakers?

JohnK

Are you a speaker manufacture or just a "crazy" audiophile like the rest of us?
That sounds like fun but a lot of work as well. Just curious how much the Birch ply costs per sheet and how hard is it to work with, doing the corners and miters etc. You purchase it with a finish veneer I suppose, walnut, cherry or what ever you want.

I checked my old notes on birch plywood. One of the highest grades I have found is from a Finnish company called UPM. The standard UPM birch products come in 5x5 feet and 4x8 for product bonded with exterior grade glues. Price seems to be about $130 per sheet, but the importer (Plywood & Door) has a minimum of several sheets per order.
Max thickness for standard product is 1 and 1/8 inch with 22 plies per sheet.
I spoke to Rod at Plywood and Door
866. 738. 7265

Quido

Wow. That is so much more than mdf. The Finnish stuff I understand is the best. I would love to hear what some of the more expensive speakers would sound like if they were made from this stuff. That would be a project wouldn't it. Take a vanderstein and remake it in plywood. I am just a terrible woodworker so no chance here.

The prices I mentioned are unit prices. . . I believe prices may go significantly down for quantity orders.

Nanotubes. Haven't heard them yet though.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/nl802750z