Damn, I love your stuff! Why the hell did youtube barely recommend your channel to me. Well, I'm subscribed now. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with all of us. 😁🙏
I'm in the process of getting a box built and I've been looking for birch with no luck locally. But I've walked right past the other kinds of wood you have in this video. My builder recommended birch. I'm going to give him some sheets of hardwood without him knowing just to see if he will notice. Thanks for the lesson and saving me a lot of money. Subscribing to your channel today 1/24/2022 has helped me tremendously! Thank you!
100% agree with you, the MDF boxes I’ve owned and built always were completely dead but I got tired of water sponging the box and easy damage. I build with pine wood birch veneer now and I’ve never noticed the less dense sound. Saved a lot of weight on my truck’s six 15 wall build.
I used to only use MDF cause of the price point, but when going with bigger builds, that weight is killer and simply not an option unless a person wants to spent even more to upgrade the suspension, which defeats the price point purpose. I personally like the other woods more now, as they are much more easier to work with as far as physical appearance (also a lot less dust as most know). with wood shortages here as well, sometimes I have to make my stuff out of less quality wood, at which point I'll use a low weight fiberglass on the inside of a box to make up the difference structurally, or something to harden a wood depending the project at hand (Personal opinion). At the end of the day, a box is a box and it will do it purpose if done right and if who ever it is for is happy with it, that's all that matters.
I agree. MDF is a crap building material, I hate the stuff, but..... for acoustic properties it's amazing. To match the Acoustic properties of MDF you have to spend an awful lot (if trying to improve structural integrity and reduce weight) however, extra $ spent on expensive hardwoods like Birch etc. (I don't mean laminates/composites), because they look pretty, is a waste of time.
Hey that's some pretty good tips that you're giving out and very much appreciated to this bass head, and I appreciate that. I'm about ready to build my second box for two Alpine type r 12in I'm looking for some nice dimensions
If your worried about the exterior, use 3/4” MDF, doubled up wherever necessary, then slap a thin veneer of whatever kind of hardwood looks the nicest, and stain it however you want to.
Oh, and one more thing... I ALWAYS put a heavy seal of semi gloss enamel paint on the inside of all my enclosures. This not only stops any air from permeating the "slightly porous" surface of the MDF (I saw a test once that actually showed this could increase the db's by .5 to 1 db :) But furthermore, it will prevent a barrier for moisture absorbing into the MDF, which can also be a concern, especially if you live in wet environments. Then, on my last box, I used bedliner on the outside of it. So it's sealed inside and out. If I were going to cover it with carpet, or a veneer, i'd probably just paint the outside first, with the same enamel I sealed the inside with. Super easy paintjob, as you can just slop it on :) lol It wont be visible anyway. Plus you can use whatever color you have laying around :)
Interesting! I thought about using plasti dip and thought this might dampen the enclosure further besides the sealing. Or would it be a waste of time and money? For a loudspeaker that is, not a subwoofer.
I prefer mdf because I do a lot of profiles with a router for vinyl wrapping and it machines well. Many other sq guys use the Baltic birch because it doesn't have any voids and doesn't have the moisture issues mdf can.
I've been designing Qwaves for years, and everything he's saying is solid. I even learned and was reminded over some points. Appreciate you @MBEnclosures , we'll have to do some work in the future. We'll have some new style speakers for you to try out if everything works out this year.
I subbed my friend i built a box outta birch for 2 10s behind my seat of my single cab ranger and i built a box for a rear deck build for a kicker l7 8" for a friend... out of mdf .... thanks for these vids my friend i subbed to your channel today
LOL!!! Yea, you gonna get some noise from people on that one, but you speak the truth!!! I know, damn this boy done commented on every video he watched so far, lol. Yes I have as I appreciate your explanations and honesty! That is a lost word these days in my opinion, Honesty that is! My father, who is now retired had a home remodeling business specializing in custom offices, basements, and bathrooms. However, his specialty was custom cabinetry. When I got back in car audio I was looking to build my own enclosure (which I haven't YET), but he basically explained to me exactly what you said! As the different "woods" do have some different properties, acoustically they are all basically the same, it's gonna be more about the weight and how you want that grain to pop when you apply a certain stain or how you want it to look! The hype on birch is there for sure, but you said it like it is! On point!!! Thank you much!!!!
I love the knowledge you are sharing, all though, watching this video in hind sight re-affirms this feeling I had that I got screwed at the lumber yard. Requested real full sheet birch ply, got cabinet grade pine with full face birch veneer 3/4 sheet 115 :-( Price of wood goes up, can can't blame a vendor for consumer knowledge, but straight bait and switch sucks. Lessons learned, thank you MB.
I think the main reason people gravitate to Baltic birch is because it’s strength only. Where you may need to do triple layer pine on some crazy ass build, you might be able to get away with double layer Baltic just fine, and in the process save internal space which might be a big factor in a smaller vehicle trying to do something real big
Trying to decide what to use my Bluetooth speaker box. This is great info I know mdf is heavier compared to wood which is more durable. You can use a sealer for mdf to prevent swelling.
In my area anything I’m staining that isn’t a premium hardwood I like to use poppler.. the green stains out amazing when using dark stains.. almost like a cheap version of heartwood. Only issue is you can’t get sheets cause it’s not ply it’s lumber but I can get 24” wide pieces around me. If I was building a box for myself that I wanted to stain for a si for sub or under seat box.. something smaller then 24” like smaller dual sub sealed boxes etc. that is 100 the way I’d go.. and it’s same cost five or take to sanded ply.. My issue with the veneers is the workers don’t take care in handling and you always stuck with dents or gouges that won’t iron out and too deep to sand out then you mixing glue and sawdust trying to fill imperfections
My MDF box finally gave out after 7 years of beating on. I think it is moist as screws do not grab anymore. Are you able to put a layer of resin over the MDF to seal out the moisture?
Thank you for discussing the straight up facts dealing with these different woods. So tired of hearing people claim they can hear a clear difference between plywood and MDF. It's just not happening, they are straight up liars.
yeah. seems like the audio community is a bunch of stuck up, no friend having nerds that just want to argue over details that don't matter. it if sounds good to you is all that matters, not arguing online with strangers about tiny details that no one in real life would care about.
@@akjohnny5997 Yep, I would love to meet up with some of these know it all amazing audiophiles and put them to a $100 per vehicle challenge. Blind fold them, walk up to the vehicle and have them tell me what the setup is. What brand subs, what size subs and how many watts. I would love to challenge them on the ohms as well, but so many people there run 1ohm, it would be an easy guess.
Bro I love this video..exactly perfect timing I am about to build my box.. Know let me ask you i was in lowes a week ago and was looking at Baltic birtch in the ply wood isle and it was $70 a sheet..is this not 100% bb..that is what I was looking to use for my box.but I am def gonna take some of your advise and price out those other woods you showed. Also love the shirt is that your merch or did you get it somewhere else..
Hey Mr lion I'm old school way way back from the 70s til now in the audio field. Just give me some good old fashion 3/4 inch particle board, insulation and some wood glue, paint with 2" drywall screws to reproduce some nice sweet deep rich acoustic bass👍
sadly the prices are so much higher now. The pine in florida is $63 a sheet , mdf $50-60 Birch pine combo $80 and real birch $160. It's crazy i use to buy a sheet of MDF 3/4 for $25
About six months ago here in Idaho at Home Depot 3/4” MDF was $40 a sheet while 7/16 OSB was $53 a sheet😂 Today at that same Home Depot that 3/4 inch MDF is still around $60 a sheet while that 7/16 OSB is back down to $14.21 a sheet. I think the companies are playing games with people seeing what they can get out of them lately. That and FJB and his inflation
I'm a professional commercial painter. just about any material can be sealed/painted. Go MDf,just prime it and paint it with a durable Enamel paint. I got a 7.8 cubic ft. Box tuned to 30 Hz that's sprayed with bedliner. Pretty tough as well.
MDF is NO LONGER the best no matter what you think. This has been proven many times even recently especially with the treatments that are available for the interior of the box. Actually the boxes we just built for two clients with high-end boats was built with marine grade HDPE that they supplied to us and we cut out with our water-jet to seal tighter than a Frogs Ass! The HDPE is probably twice as heavy as HDF, but is much easier to assemble and dress out. The sound was superior to the HDF that we spent hours drying in a kiln and then sealing. That Baltic Birch can be made to equal any HDF box made with the right interior treatment, will last longer and be much lighter than the over-rated HDF/MDF. I do agree that the untreated Birch has much more air-gaps than the “SawDust Board” but two thin layers of treatment will even it out and be lighter, same with the nicer Pine plywood.
Shit i did a 155.5 with in a old school cutlass no back seat, 4 15s in a wall with 10k of power on 3/4 particle board. Single layer with double baffle and a single 2x4 brace. Saved a good amount of money!!!
the main reason birch got popular was it was cheap. it was light birch wasnt much more than mdf sounded about the same and was 1/3-1/2 the weight of mdf. huge weight improvement alone in a daily driver. problem is the good birch shops recommended wasnt the cheap birch people seen in stores. so it was more like a miscommunication cause nobody did research. just same name its the same thing. oak is the same price as "birch these days and maple might be one to look at. but oak does have the best low end response compared to store based plywoods and its part of why big money speaker cabinets were such a thing. im huge on low bass and im pretty interested to see the diff in maple and oak on the low end. i dont know if ill ever be able to use birch again after th price hike and seeing how much low bass i lose building boxes with it. the weight savings were nice vs mdf and so was the life of the box but oak and maybe maple are the way to go.
I work for a company in metal shop that builds boats and yachts also they have an exotic plywood stock that would make you drool, there's one that's a poplar ply imported from France that's beautiful another some strain of mahogany plywood from called sapele, it is drop dead gorgeous... It has a beautiful red color that pops when a finish is applied but it was around $200 a sheet a year ago so now? phew prob make wallet sweat. It would build a beautiful enclosure but too rich for my blood. Every time I go to the boat shop I look at there plywood and day dream.
Yeah it's just wood functionally all pretty much the same but if aesthetics is important it isnt. I have an old box I built a 3.5cf enclosure from advantech and it worked great and after black stain looks kinda cool and being advantech you could leave it outside in the rain for a month and wouldn't phase the wood. So if someone had the means to build a box from an exotic wood why not, I can't justify it financially I'd rather put that extra into gear, but some can. I don't do form over function but having both is the best end result if funds allow it.
Can you help me with that hard wood from Lowes towards the end of your video that you said is $75 I’m trying to find it now do you know the name or item number? Appreciate your videos and time :)
My box was given to me by my cousin I cut it to fit my car( 07 300 ) it's MDF and it is the difference I can play low as 26 to my liking...my ? Is if I duplicate that box and bed line it will that increases the life to it's a must have if I used MDF
MDF does not stop at 1 inch pro shops who do rich folks mansions have 2 inch even 3 inch for sculpting and deep engraving expensive as fuck but yall can purchase it
My dream is to make a persimmon wood enclosure. Being a golfer I played real woods in high school that were 30 years old everyone couldn’t believe it but the good quality ones were made from Persimmon and is why they were so strong. All the cheap woods blows up and fall apart with time. I still own same set of woods I played in high school they play like new.
I have a 2019 Mitsubishi mirage g4 3 cylinder I'm working with a 8k taramp on 1 15 sub 3500rms amp not getting enough power i just ordered 3400 xs power battery and I have a 3000 watt kinetic lithium small battery will that 3400 battery help my amp out so as it want cut out on any suggestions
Bb cabinet grade 13 ply Russian Baltic birch 19 mm ftw.. comes in metric sizing not 4 ft by 8 ft usually 5x5 pieces... amazing wood to work with Mdf shavings / mdf dust is horrible to breathe in as well.. yeah u got the real deal 13 layer ... the HD & Lowe’s birch is trash, u have to go to a wood supplier.
I beg to differ. Here in Florida humidity is a bitch. I have had subs stay rust free longer. It's uncarpeted unstained 2 years in my youkon with tools oils and soaps kids drinks ect... It has yet to show any signs of swelling. The 3/4 mdf voxex have a life of roughly 4 years before the natural Florida humidity degrades the glue in the mdf. For competition. Yes mdf hands down. For that boi who wants a box that will outlast his dinner table. Go birch.
"My last video on wood no homo" 🤣😂...... MDF is my material of choice...but most important thing is correct box size and construction...if cone size is king.... MDF is queen (no homo) ....especially with cost noiw day ...great video
I would say in my opinion all of the ply woods are better if the subs are taken in and out of the enclosure a few times as well because MDF can get all kinds of messed up once holes have been screwed into it and then removed..The whole MDF box can be perfect but with a ruined mounting surface for the subs...All in all I say for durability...The ply woods are more durable than MDF..but don't nobody get mad...its just my opinion...👍Either way MB builds beautiful enclosures and from people who have had an enclosure built by MB say that they are perfect 👌💯💥
@@stevofla239 yes they are you're right... Although I had a very unlucky experience with a threaded insert once where when I went to unscrew one,the teeth that hold the insert in place came loose and the darn screw would just spin and ultimately messed up that one part of the box..but I think it was just a flook thing because the rest were just fine👍
11:54 I laughed way more than I should've at this part! Wood can get mighty loud when you slap the planes together like that. The microphone processing having a seizure emphasized this. xD
Marginal effect, but an effect nonetheless...all plywood is porous because it derived from an organism, which in this case is a tree. So fiber glassing the interior of exterior would compensate and eradicate that porous attribute. So yes that helps.
No wood is going to make your box louder....We don't use wood to create a rigid box, we use bracing to create rigidity.....If you know how to properly brace a box, it really doesn't matter too much which wood you use, but baltic birch is top shelf due to how well it will hold up over time... its very durable.... I repeat, with, any of those woods you've shown, including MDF with proper bracing they all will be acoustically Inert.
Mdf is most definitely not the best to use. You literally explained why it’s not the best. It swells, breaks easily, chips, cracks, etc. MDF does not make your box louder neither does Baltic birch, it’s been proven. Also the “birch” at Home Depot around me in Tampa is 5-ply and Lowe’s had 11-ply, the Lowe’s is better than Home Depot. That being said it’s much nicer to cut and work with ply wood, Baltic birch takes the W since it has the least amount voids in the wood. Never forget MDF isn’t the best.
@@M.B.Enclosures you can’t hear a difference. Fact. As long as you have a properly braced box and you have no billowing at all, there’s no noticeable difference. Birch is pricey but 100% worth it. Plus it smells good, and mdf is harmful for your lungs and smells bad
@@M.B.Enclosures accoustical has more to do with the interior of your vehicle once any box built material is placed in it really at the end of the day bro. Different vehicle sound differently with the same box material. MDF is not used in many shops or by many builders because it's not the best period, if it was then why aren't these 10s of thousands of dollars system weather it be SPL or sound quality competition guys using that material in their setup when they are competing. Fiberglasses is another material use in making subwoofer and speaker boxes nowadays, which is fine because again the vehicle interior is what makes the acoustic sound of any speaker in a given vehicle.
@@coolbreeze4118 "MDF is not used in many shops or by many builders because it's not the best period..." I'ved worked in the industry for 33 years. Please don't push your personal views as "FACTS" you do not know what you are talking about. MDF is the most widely used, period. I personally like resin based sheet woods, they are as inert as mdf, but hold screws like oak and are almost water proof.
I compete so my next box is gonna be mdf, but i love the wood look so im actually gonna put veneer over my mdf
Damn, I love your stuff! Why the hell did youtube barely recommend your channel to me. Well, I'm subscribed now. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with all of us. 😁🙏
I'm in the process of getting a box built and I've been looking for birch with no luck locally. But I've walked right past the other kinds of wood you have in this video. My builder recommended birch. I'm going to give him some sheets of hardwood without him knowing just to see if he will notice. Thanks for the lesson and saving me a lot of money. Subscribing to your channel today 1/24/2022 has helped me tremendously! Thank you!
Thank you for a solid explanation on build materials. Every video is appreciated.
Thank you for going over this. I feel like I can shop comfortably now
Another great one MB thank you for voicing this topic.♥️💪
100% agree with you, the MDF boxes I’ve owned and built always were completely dead but I got tired of water sponging the box and easy damage. I build with pine wood birch veneer now and I’ve never noticed the less dense sound. Saved a lot of weight on my truck’s six 15 wall build.
I used to only use MDF cause of the price point, but when going with bigger builds, that weight is killer and simply not an option unless a person wants to spent even more to upgrade the suspension, which defeats the price point purpose.
I personally like the other woods more now, as they are much more easier to work with as far as physical appearance (also a lot less dust as most know). with wood shortages here as well, sometimes I have to make my stuff out of less quality wood, at which point I'll use a low weight fiberglass on the inside of a box to make up the difference structurally, or something to harden a wood depending the project at hand (Personal opinion).
At the end of the day, a box is a box and it will do it purpose if done right and if who ever it is for is happy with it, that's all that matters.
Great point 👍 💯
I agree. MDF is a crap building material, I hate the stuff, but..... for acoustic properties it's amazing. To match the Acoustic properties of MDF you have to spend an awful lot (if trying to improve structural integrity and reduce weight) however, extra $ spent on expensive hardwoods like Birch etc. (I don't mean laminates/composites), because they look pretty, is a waste of time.
What we use to do with Mdf back in the days was paint the inside and out with fiber glass resin
I still do that. But fiberglass and resin inside and rhinoline the outside
I do this with cheap pine plywood
Hey that's some pretty good tips that you're giving out and very much appreciated to this bass head, and I appreciate that. I'm about ready to build my second box for two Alpine type r 12in I'm looking for some nice dimensions
If your worried about the exterior, use 3/4” MDF, doubled up wherever necessary, then slap a thin veneer of whatever kind of hardwood looks the nicest, and stain it however you want to.
Oh, and one more thing... I ALWAYS put a heavy seal of semi gloss enamel paint on the inside of all my enclosures. This not only stops any air from permeating the "slightly porous" surface of the MDF (I saw a test once that actually showed this could increase the db's by .5 to 1 db :) But furthermore, it will prevent a barrier for moisture absorbing into the MDF, which can also be a concern, especially if you live in wet environments. Then, on my last box, I used bedliner on the outside of it. So it's sealed inside and out. If I were going to cover it with carpet, or a veneer, i'd probably just paint the outside first, with the same enamel I sealed the inside with. Super easy paintjob, as you can just slop it on :) lol It wont be visible anyway. Plus you can use whatever color you have laying around :)
Interesting! I thought about using plasti dip and thought this might dampen the enclosure further besides the sealing. Or would it be a waste of time and money? For a loudspeaker that is, not a subwoofer.
I prefer mdf because I do a lot of profiles with a router for vinyl wrapping and it machines well. Many other sq guys use the Baltic birch because it doesn't have any voids and doesn't have the moisture issues mdf can.
Man that’s what’s up brother a lot people be talking but don’t know the true science of wood and subwoofer box building thank you.
I've been designing Qwaves for years, and everything he's saying is solid. I even learned and was reminded over some points. Appreciate you @MBEnclosures , we'll have to do some work in the future. We'll have some new style speakers for you to try out if everything works out this year.
Hey what's up man where's a good place to get started on q waves I'm interested
I saw this on Instagram earlier keep up the good videos... keep the grinding
I subbed my friend i built a box outta birch for 2 10s behind my seat of my single cab ranger and i built a box for a rear deck build for a kicker l7 8" for a friend... out of mdf .... thanks for these vids my friend i subbed to your channel today
Another great informative video. Thanx!
LOL!!! Yea, you gonna get some noise from people on that one, but you speak the truth!!! I know, damn this boy done commented on every video he watched so far, lol. Yes I have as I appreciate your explanations and honesty! That is a lost word these days in my opinion, Honesty that is! My father, who is now retired had a home remodeling business specializing in custom offices, basements, and bathrooms. However, his specialty was custom cabinetry. When I got back in car audio I was looking to build my own enclosure (which I haven't YET), but he basically explained to me exactly what you said! As the different "woods" do have some different properties, acoustically they are all basically the same, it's gonna be more about the weight and how you want that grain to pop when you apply a certain stain or how you want it to look! The hype on birch is there for sure, but you said it like it is! On point!!! Thank you much!!!!
I love the knowledge you are sharing, all though, watching this video in hind sight re-affirms this feeling I had that I got screwed at the lumber yard. Requested real full sheet birch ply, got cabinet grade pine with full face birch veneer 3/4 sheet 115 :-( Price of wood goes up, can can't blame a vendor for consumer knowledge, but straight bait and switch sucks. Lessons learned, thank you MB.
Thank you for your input. I appreciate knowledge
I love this straight to the point! Haha top stuff thank you man.
I think the main reason people gravitate to Baltic birch is because it’s strength only. Where you may need to do triple layer pine on some crazy ass build, you might be able to get away with double layer Baltic just fine, and in the process save internal space which might be a big factor in a smaller vehicle trying to do something real big
Trying to decide what to use my Bluetooth speaker box. This is great info I know mdf is heavier compared to wood which is more durable. You can use a sealer for mdf to prevent swelling.
Thanks brother for all your advice
In my area anything I’m staining that isn’t a premium hardwood I like to use poppler.. the green stains out amazing when using dark stains.. almost like a cheap version of heartwood. Only issue is you can’t get sheets cause it’s not ply it’s lumber but I can get 24” wide pieces around me. If I was building a box for myself that I wanted to stain for a si for sub or under seat box.. something smaller then 24” like smaller dual sub sealed boxes etc. that is 100 the way I’d go.. and it’s same cost five or take to sanded ply..
My issue with the veneers is the workers don’t take care in handling and you always stuck with dents or gouges that won’t iron out and too deep to sand out then you mixing glue and sawdust trying to fill imperfections
My MDF box finally gave out after 7 years of beating on. I think it is moist as screws do not grab anymore. Are you able to put a layer of resin over the MDF to seal out the moisture?
Thank you for discussing the straight up facts dealing with these different woods. So tired of hearing people claim they can hear a clear difference between plywood and MDF. It's just not happening, they are straight up liars.
yeah. seems like the audio community is a bunch of stuck up, no friend having nerds that just want to argue over details that don't matter. it if sounds good to you is all that matters, not arguing online with strangers about tiny details that no one in real life would care about.
@@akjohnny5997 Yep, I would love to meet up with some of these know it all amazing audiophiles and put them to a $100 per vehicle challenge. Blind fold them, walk up to the vehicle and have them tell me what the setup is. What brand subs, what size subs and how many watts. I would love to challenge them on the ohms as well, but so many people there run 1ohm, it would be an easy guess.
Right on bro! LESS SHEEP more lions what this world needs!!!! Love you're stuff, thanks for keeping it 100
love the info! great video!
I hope the birch will work good with fiberglass. I already bought a full sheet for my project for $100... pandemic price..
I use old desks or furniture made of 3/4” or 1” mdf has nice tuff slick finish being furniture helps protect the mdf. Best part is the price free!
I got me a Gately audio ported enclosure, apparently it’s “Russian Baltic birch” it’s lighter so I thought it was cheap, but I’m pleasantly suprised
Bro I love this video..exactly perfect timing I am about to build my box..
Know let me ask you i was in lowes a week ago and was looking at Baltic birtch in the ply wood isle and it was $70 a sheet..is this not 100% bb..that is what I was looking to use for my box.but I am def gonna take some of your advise and price out those other woods you showed.
Also love the shirt is that your merch or did you get it somewhere else..
We can get MR MDF here in Australia ,MR is Moist Resistant mostly for kitchen and bath room Doors
Hey Mr lion I'm old school way way back from the 70s til now in the audio field. Just give me some good old fashion 3/4 inch particle board, insulation and some wood glue, paint with 2" drywall screws to reproduce some nice sweet deep rich acoustic bass👍
The radiata pine plywood is one of my favorite to use. It's a 7 layer, cabinet grade plywood, thats about half the cost of birch
Just bought 6 sheets of Radiata pine.Can't wait to see how it does
@@Jswain921 how was it
@@tone1585 working good for me and will be sticking to it for future builds
They also have LDF . Light densified fiberboard . I use to use this all the time . Not as heavy as MDF ..
I used all birch and radiata pine on my wall , 2:1 4th for 2 18s cost 1k for all materials, 67$ a sheet for birch and around 44$ for the pine
Baltic birch or what lowes calls birch?
ONE LOVE MUCH LOVE GOD BLESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lovin the videos! Keep up the grind bro!!! The advice that no other youtuber gives! 😅
sadly the prices are so much higher now. The pine in florida is $63 a sheet , mdf $50-60 Birch pine combo $80 and real birch $160. It's crazy i use to buy a sheet of MDF 3/4 for $25
About six months ago here in Idaho at Home Depot 3/4” MDF was $40 a sheet while 7/16 OSB was $53 a sheet😂
Today at that same Home Depot that 3/4 inch MDF is still around $60 a sheet while that 7/16 OSB is back down to $14.21 a sheet.
I think the companies are playing games with people seeing what they can get out of them lately. That and FJB and his inflation
What do you think about particle board ? That’s usually what I use vs MDF
I'm a professional commercial painter. just about any material can be sealed/painted. Go MDf,just prime it and paint it with a durable Enamel paint. I got a 7.8 cubic ft. Box tuned to 30 Hz that's sprayed with bedliner. Pretty tough as well.
The other factor he mentioned with using MDF is the likelihood of damage during shipping . No cost effective way around that.
What do you use to seal the inside of the cabinet grade pine?
Very interesting video for new diy hobbyist like me
What if I line the interior with sound deadener? I'm going to use birch and fiberglass
Have you tried resin based sheet woods? They can be as inert as mdf, hold screws like oak and are almost waterproof.
My main beef with MDF is the water factor.
Which would be better for a subwoofer console?
I need to coat my MDF quad t-line enclosure. She is heavy!!!
I just got to ask because I’m so impressed about your knowledge on sub box building air volume subwoofer are you self taught or did you take classes
Appreciate this information
What can't stain u put in the pine box or any stain is good
Hmm you got me thinking about that maple it really isn't that much more than pine I'm going to have to get a sheet or two
So you’re saying I can build a box out of maple? I have some left over maple from other project and was wondering if I could use it.
Will it hurt the sound of I paint the inside of a MDF box? Just to protect it from moisture
Makes me wanna get my mdf out and build a box
Do it
Does sealing off mdf with rhino line keep moisture out?
Nice T-shirt.. because Cone Area is indeed KING. lololol
MDF is NO LONGER the best no matter what you think. This has been proven many times even recently especially with the treatments that are available for the interior of the box. Actually the boxes we just built for two clients with high-end boats was built with marine grade HDPE that they supplied to us and we cut out with our water-jet to seal tighter than a Frogs Ass! The HDPE is probably twice as heavy as HDF, but is much easier to assemble and dress out. The sound was superior to the HDF that we spent hours drying in a kiln and then sealing.
That Baltic Birch can be made to equal any HDF box made with the right interior treatment, will last longer and be much lighter than the over-rated HDF/MDF. I do agree that the untreated Birch has much more air-gaps than the “SawDust Board” but two thin layers of treatment will even it out and be lighter, same with the nicer Pine plywood.
Thank you
Shit i did a 155.5 with in a old school cutlass no back seat, 4 15s in a wall with 10k of power on 3/4 particle board. Single layer with double baffle and a single 2x4 brace. Saved a good amount of money!!!
Great video
What about particle board? I have been using it for years! Agreed you have to keep it from moisture!
the main reason birch got popular was it was cheap. it was light birch wasnt much more than mdf sounded about the same and was 1/3-1/2 the weight of mdf. huge weight improvement alone in a daily driver.
problem is the good birch shops recommended wasnt the cheap birch people seen in stores. so it was more like a miscommunication cause nobody did research. just same name its the same thing. oak is the same price as "birch these days and maple might be one to look at. but oak does have the best low end response compared to store based plywoods and its part of why big money speaker cabinets were such a thing.
im huge on low bass and im pretty interested to see the diff in maple and oak on the low end. i dont know if ill ever be able to use birch again after th price hike and seeing how much low bass i lose building boxes with it. the weight savings were nice vs mdf and so was the life of the box but oak and maybe maple are the way to go.
I just bought a sheet of 3/4 inch mdk at home depot for 57 bucks tax and all but I live in Terrell tx
Have you tested the acoustics on all these types of woods your talking about in this video?🤔
I work for a company in metal shop that builds boats and yachts also they have an exotic plywood stock that would make you drool, there's one that's a poplar ply imported from France that's beautiful another some strain of mahogany plywood from called sapele, it is drop dead gorgeous... It has a beautiful red color that pops when a finish is applied but it was around $200 a sheet a year ago so now? phew prob make wallet sweat. It would build a beautiful enclosure but too rich for my blood. Every time I go to the boat shop I look at there plywood and day dream.
It's just wood.Og is knowledgable
Yeah it's just wood functionally all pretty much the same but if aesthetics is important it isnt. I have an old box I built a 3.5cf enclosure from advantech and it worked great and after black stain looks kinda cool and being advantech you could leave it outside in the rain for a month and wouldn't phase the wood. So if someone had the means to build a box from an exotic wood why not, I can't justify it financially I'd rather put that extra into gear, but some can. I don't do form over function but having both is the best end result if funds allow it.
Us retired spl guys approve this message 👌.
Can you help me with that hard wood from Lowes towards the end of your video that you said is $75 I’m trying to find it now do you know the name or item number? Appreciate your videos and time :)
My box was given to me by my cousin I cut it to fit my car( 07 300 ) it's MDF and it is the difference I can play low as 26 to my liking...my ? Is if I duplicate that box and bed line it will that increases the life to it's a must have if I used MDF
Great video the best part is when you cussed they a** out and edited it out
Salute bro💪🏿
MDF does not stop at 1 inch pro shops who do rich folks mansions have 2 inch even 3 inch for sculpting and deep engraving expensive as fuck but yall can purchase it
My dream is to make a persimmon wood enclosure. Being a golfer I played real woods in high school that were 30 years old everyone couldn’t believe it but the good quality ones were made from Persimmon and is why they were so strong. All the cheap woods blows up and fall apart with time. I still own same set of woods I played in high school they play like new.
I have a 2019 Mitsubishi mirage g4 3 cylinder I'm working with a 8k taramp on 1 15 sub 3500rms amp not getting enough power i just ordered 3400 xs power battery and I have a 3000 watt kinetic lithium small battery will that 3400 battery help my amp out so as it want cut out on any suggestions
I suggest you get rid of that Taramps bullsh$t.😎
Bb cabinet grade 13 ply Russian Baltic birch 19 mm ftw.. comes in metric sizing not 4 ft by 8 ft usually 5x5 pieces... amazing wood to work with
Mdf shavings / mdf dust is horrible to breathe in as well.. yeah u got the real deal 13 layer ... the HD & Lowe’s birch is trash, u have to go to a wood supplier.
I beg to differ. Here in Florida humidity is a bitch. I have had subs stay rust free longer. It's uncarpeted unstained 2 years in my youkon with tools oils and soaps kids drinks ect... It has yet to show any signs of swelling. The 3/4 mdf voxex have a life of roughly 4 years before the natural Florida humidity degrades the glue in the mdf.
For competition. Yes mdf hands down.
For that boi who wants a box that will outlast his dinner table. Go birch.
"My last video on wood no homo" 🤣😂...... MDF is my material of choice...but most important thing is correct box size and construction...if cone size is king.... MDF is queen (no homo) ....especially with cost noiw day ...great video
Mdf is strong don’t let people tell you different but my next box will be fiberglass and birch for weight
Fellow Boondock's Fan !! LOL!!!
Yo, I like how you say minuscule
Hi I saw this thing on the Internet called a Death Box. Do you think you can build one and put it to the test and see what it's really like
I’ve build 100’s of subwoofer enclosures since 1992 and all I use is 7/16” OSB .
Ha I had ya for a min
Not the prices anymore 3/4 mdf in November 2022 is $60 4x8 sheet… wish it was still $30
Mdf and put a 1/4" layer of knotty alder laminate on top of it
solid info
Hey brother do you sell those shirts?
I would say in my opinion all of the ply woods are better if the subs are taken in and out of the enclosure a few times as well because MDF can get all kinds of messed up once holes have been screwed into it and then removed..The whole MDF box can be perfect but with a ruined mounting surface for the subs...All in all I say for durability...The ply woods are more durable than MDF..but don't nobody get mad...its just my opinion...👍Either way MB builds beautiful enclosures and from people who have had an enclosure built by MB say that they are perfect 👌💯💥
Threaded inserts are great for mdf
@@stevofla239 yes they are you're right... Although I had a very unlucky experience with a threaded insert once where when I went to unscrew one,the teeth that hold the insert in place came loose and the darn screw would just spin and ultimately messed up that one part of the box..but I think it was just a flook thing because the rest were just fine👍
11:54 I laughed way more than I should've at this part! Wood can get mighty loud when you slap the planes together like that. The microphone processing having a seizure emphasized this. xD
I'm in Oregon where are you located sir?
Atlanta
Yes sir mdf all day long for me even tho i do look like a snow man when im done with it
I’m not worried about the weight of mdf, my girlfriends 350🤣🤣
🤣🤣
What about mdf ul
The only complaints about Birch usually come from fake Birch that you get at Home Depot.
What About Fiber Glassing the Enclosure ? Would that affect the Output and Acoustic Features ?
Marginal effect, but an effect nonetheless...all plywood is porous because it derived from an organism, which in this case is a tree. So fiber glassing the interior of exterior would compensate and eradicate that porous attribute. So yes that helps.
What about using sound deadner on the inside of the enclosure?
@@cwilliams855 that would not make any sense putting sound deadener inside of a box
@@gsd321123gh if mdf is dead & you can use fiberglass to deaden a box why wouldn’t sound deadner work as well, it’s not like you adding it to the port
@@cwilliams855 Interesting question
😂👍🏾
No wood is going to make your box louder....We don't use wood to create a rigid box, we use bracing to create rigidity.....If you know how to properly brace a box, it really doesn't matter too much which wood you use, but baltic birch is top shelf due to how well it will hold up over time... its very durable....
I repeat, with, any of those woods you've shown, including MDF with proper bracing they all will be acoustically Inert.
Answers my questions lol
Mdf is most definitely not the best to use. You literally explained why it’s not the best. It swells, breaks easily, chips, cracks, etc. MDF does not make your box louder neither does Baltic birch, it’s been proven. Also the “birch” at Home Depot around me in Tampa is 5-ply and Lowe’s had 11-ply, the Lowe’s is better than Home Depot. That being said it’s much nicer to cut and work with ply wood, Baltic birch takes the W since it has the least amount voids in the wood. Never forget MDF isn’t the best.
MDF is acoustically the best. It has very little resonance. Fact.
@@M.B.Enclosures you can’t hear a difference. Fact. As long as you have a properly braced box and you have no billowing at all, there’s no noticeable difference. Birch is pricey but 100% worth it. Plus it smells good, and mdf is harmful for your lungs and smells bad
@@M.B.Enclosures accoustical has more to do with the interior of your vehicle once any box built material is placed in it really at the end of the day bro. Different vehicle sound differently with the same box material. MDF is not used in many shops or by many builders because it's not the best period, if it was then why aren't these 10s of thousands of dollars system weather it be SPL or sound quality competition guys using that material in their setup when they are competing. Fiberglasses is another material use in making subwoofer and speaker boxes nowadays, which is fine because again the vehicle interior is what makes the acoustic sound of any speaker in a given vehicle.
@@coolbreeze4118 "MDF is not used in many shops or by many builders because it's not the best period..." I'ved worked in the industry for 33 years. Please don't push your personal views as "FACTS" you do not know what you are talking about. MDF is the most widely used, period. I personally like resin based sheet woods, they are as inert as mdf, but hold screws like oak and are almost water proof.