DIY speakers of solid/reclaimed wood?

Bad idea guys. Wood expands and contracts with humidity. The various species do this at various rates. What we do to prevent cracking is float pieces that go across the grain to prevent cracking. The old raised panel doors are an example of this. The raised panel is floating so that it can move. Loose parts in speakers is not a good idea. This is the reason that most speakers are made with veneers. Manufactured products like MDF and plywood do not expand and contract so they can be used in box construction without fear of disintegration. MDF in particular has wonderful properties for speaker construction. It is dense, stiff dead stuff and takes a finish well. Those speakers look great now, talk to me in ten years.

That's what I thought.I've worked a bit with solid wood on other types of projects and have had to ensure that it has a little room to move to avoid splitting and buckling.Daedalus found a way around that somehow?

Old growth wood is much more solid than what is sold on the market, and, if they are indeed using wood that is 300 years old, I believe it would be quite inert soundwise.
B

Daedalus Audio has been making solid wood speakers for use in the home since 2002, and for musicians and other professionals since 1992. I have owned a pair of Daedalus Ulysses speakers for 8 years, and they are as good as new physically and sonically. I have closely followed user comments and reviews of Daedalus speakers, here and elsewhere, for about ten years, and I have never seen a single report of warping, splitting, or other such wood-related problems.

In addition to being an outstanding speaker designer Lou Hinkley of Daedalus is a master craftsman who knows what he is doing when it comes to working with wood. As he says at his website, "these are heirloom speakers and the hardwood is the heart of every pair."

As is usual in audio, implementation is everything.

Regards,

-- Al

There are a great many examples of early American furniture, you know, Chippendale, Shaker, Queen Anne, etc. made from solid American hardwoods, including but not limited to maple, mahogany, rosewood, poplar, and walnut that have survived in all kinds of climates, even before the advent of air conditioning, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, without damage such as splitting, warping or any such thing. Ditto musical instruments like Stradivarius and other very old violins, cellos, what have you.