How good / bad is MDF for use in speaker cabinets?

[Pearljam5000]

Obviously it's the most common material in speakers
Question is how good or bad is it
Do most speaker brands use it only Becaue it's cheap ?
Is real wood better for the same use but just costs more so they don't use it ?

 

[Biblob]

I saw this title and could only think: "Really?"

 

[Pearljam5000]

I saw this title and could only think: "Really?"

Well that was useful information
Thanks

 

[TonyJZX]

Real wood is worse because you cannot guarantee consistency of the material unlike MDF.

I see MDF as the same as using sheet metal for cars... its not ideal but its fine for the price... you would think we would be beyond rusty steel for cars 100yrs after the invention but every other material is more expensive and this is the case with MDF...

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Real wood is a poor product for speaker cabinets, due to inconsistent strength, contraction etc. Wood ply or other laminate approaches are superior. MDF is superior to real wood in terms of consistency.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Real wood is worse because you cannot guarantee consistency of the material unlike MDF.

I see MDF as the same as using sheet metal for cars... its not ideal but its fine for the price... you would think we would be beyond rusty steel for cars 100yrs after the invention but every other material is more expensive and this is the case with MDF...

Yeah "for the price " is a good point
Thing is also very expensive speakers are made of MDF like these Focal Utopias

 

[TonyJZX]

but thats like saying they make ferraris out of sheet metal

this comes back to the new Genelecs I guess... at the top end i would like exotic materials, i mean who wouldnt but I think there's an audience who wants 'tradition' too... they expect wooden speakers so companies give it to them

if those Focals are not made of MDF then what material? Forget cast alloy and I dont think some companies like that Wilson audio aesthetic where its flat angular sheets

 

[Pearljam5000]

but thats like saying they make ferraris out of sheet metal

this comes back to the new Genelecs I guess... at the top end i would like exotic materials,

Exactly

 

[Pearljam5000]

but thats like saying they make ferraris out of sheet metal

this comes back to the new Genelecs I guess... at the top end i would like exotic materials, i mean who wouldnt but I think there's an audience who wants 'tradition' too... they expect wooden speakers so companies give it to them

if those Focals are not made of MDF then what material? Forget cast alloy and I dont think some companies like that Wilson audio aesthetic where its flat angular sheets

Magicos are super expensive but at least they use aluminum

 

[PureLIN]

Every material can create great speaker, Genelec 83x1 use aluminum, Dutch 8c use real wood, Neumann KH420 use MDF KH120A use al, and KH80 even use plastic (Yes, all plastic, just look at the teardown pics).

 

[alex-z]

MDF is really an ideal material from both a construction and acoustics perspective.

Easy to machine, can be bonded with nearly any adhesive, fairly strong, good natural damping, and doesn't swell or contract with temperature like metal or live wood does.

For that reason, even fairly high-end stuff like KEF Reference uses it.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Exactly

Exotic materials make sense if they solve a problem cheaper materials struggle with.

Meanwhile, if people want to spend more money because of the presence of an exotic material that adds no auditory benefits, that's their choice.

 

[Pearljam5000]

MDF is really an ideal material from both a construction and acoustics perspective.

Easy to machine, can be bonded with nearly any adhesive, fairly strong, good natural damping, and doesn't swell or contract with temperature like metal or live wood does.

For that reason, even fairly high-end stuff like KEF Reference uses it.

But higher end KEF don't use it

 

[Pearljam5000]

Exotic materials make sense if they solve a problem cheaper materials struggle with.

Meanwhile, if people want to spend more money because of the presence of an exotic material that adds no auditory benefits, that's their choice.

So you're saying MDF is not compromised SQ wise compared to any other material ?

 

[JRS]

Indeed. It is more than bit friendly. But It is heavy once you beyond 2 cu ft volumes. Double thick baffle and well braced enclosures adds up. I'm building speakers and now that I get older I can no longer move....

 

[LearningToSmile]

It is a bit interesting that wood isn't used more in fancy high end audiophile speakers, not for any practical benefit but just for prestige. I know there are some but a lot is still MDF/HDF with wood veneer. It's not like it's impossible to have stable, well-seasoned hardwoods. You just have to pay enough and choose the appropriate type of wood.

Or if that's not consistent enough for you, you can use stabilized wood - wood that has been fully impregnated with resin under vacuum. Commonly used as a handle material in custom knife making. This one has the added benefit of being able to use soft woods with aesthetically pleasing grain patterns.

In the end it probably comes down to cost.

 

[valerianf]

I got a center speaker from Jamo that is made in aluminum.
Sound is amazing.
There is not any parasitic vibration.

 

[alex-z]

But higher end KEF don't use it

The Blade models don't use MDF because curving MDF is labour intensive. You either kerf the boards, or stack + bond + cut away excess. Neither process can be fully automated by a single machine, unlike plastic or metal.

 

[TonyJZX]

isnt sonus faber famous for using violin wood, not for structural, but for aesthetics

 

[Bach]

MDF comes in (at least) two qualities. The worse has almost no resin op top and under: not to be used for speaker cabinets. And then there is HDF: guess the more expensive speakers are made of that.
The moisture resistance of MDF is bad. A high end manufacturer told me once he had encountered big problems with MDF cabinets at the corners. Laquer did
crack and gave a lot of guarantee claims. The problem was solved with adaption of the cornering of the cabinets.