Why the f#$k did I read this posting? Another dumb speaker argument.
Why are there so many wooden speakers?
I have noticed a problem within the speaker industry. 99% of speakers that come onto the marketplace are wooden, i.e MDF.
This is true of old speakers and new speakers. This is true of Dynaudio, B&W, Elac, Kef, revel, PMC, Focal, ATC the list goes on and on. This is a longstanding problem that has been deceiving audiophiles for decades and it requires a solution.
The problem with a wooden box is that no matter what crossover or drivers you use, it will still sound like a wooden box.
There is a limit to the sound you can get out of a wooden box so it is not possible to improve the sound just by using different drivers. Despite this, every year or two, the aforementioned companies put new speakers on the market claiming that they sound even better than what came before. In conclusion, we are being misled.
I have no problem with MDF boxes per se. MDF is a good material to use. But if you want to make an even better speaker then you obviously need to use a better material. You cant use the same material and say you have made a better speaker. Thats false.
Let's take the B&W 600 series for example. This is a series that has been going on for decades.
Here is the latest speaker from their current series
https://www.bowerswilkins.com/home-audio/607
There is no mention of what wood is used but I'm pretty sure its MDF. All they talk about is their continuum woofer and dome tweeter that goes up to 38khz. No mention of even improvements to the crossover let alone the cabinet.
I believe that this has gone on for long enough and audiophiles deserve better treatment. I don't know if a class action lawsuit is the answer but something needs to change.
This is true of old speakers and new speakers. This is true of Dynaudio, B&W, Elac, Kef, revel, PMC, Focal, ATC the list goes on and on. This is a longstanding problem that has been deceiving audiophiles for decades and it requires a solution.
The problem with a wooden box is that no matter what crossover or drivers you use, it will still sound like a wooden box.
There is a limit to the sound you can get out of a wooden box so it is not possible to improve the sound just by using different drivers. Despite this, every year or two, the aforementioned companies put new speakers on the market claiming that they sound even better than what came before. In conclusion, we are being misled.
I have no problem with MDF boxes per se. MDF is a good material to use. But if you want to make an even better speaker then you obviously need to use a better material. You cant use the same material and say you have made a better speaker. Thats false.
Let's take the B&W 600 series for example. This is a series that has been going on for decades.
Here is the latest speaker from their current series
https://www.bowerswilkins.com/home-audio/607
There is no mention of what wood is used but I'm pretty sure its MDF. All they talk about is their continuum woofer and dome tweeter that goes up to 38khz. No mention of even improvements to the crossover let alone the cabinet.
I believe that this has gone on for long enough and audiophiles deserve better treatment. I don't know if a class action lawsuit is the answer but something needs to change.
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- 143 posts total
oldhvymec BTW there is no Baltic Birch 22 ply, at 20.00. It’s 50-60.00 for 11 ply. Over 100.00 for 13 ply but not delivered.I stand corrected. I mixed up used 22ply I had bought for $20 with other ply I had bought. |
@danvignau, ’The current 804’s are un-listenable with the Rotel electronics used for demos. I gave them several auditions to understand what was wrong.’ Given the history of Bowers & Wilkins that statement is very difficult to make any sense of. I’m curious as to what you think the problem was? I mean were those Rotel amplifiers simply unable to drive the 804’s adequately, or has there been some monumental misjudgement by the company? |
So what would you want them to use? Also remember that the big speaker companies are not going to Home Depot to buy their mdf. They have it manufactured to the specs of the speaker. One speaker manufacturer might use 10 different types of mdf in their speaker lines. They use mdf due to its stability predictability and consistency of the product. Would you prefer a natural wood box that will effect the sound differently from speaker to speaker and sidewalls to sidewalls. Would you like a material that will break down faster resulting in your expensive investment being junk in a few years. If you don’t like what they do don’t buy them buy the material your self and build your own. Let me know how that works. Class action? This idea tells me which way you lean! |
- 143 posts total