Are exotic speaker cabinet materials overrated?

Good question.  Don’t know about overrated but can be overpriced depending on the manufacturer and materials used.  I encourage anything that advances the sound and appearance of equipment even if I can’t afford it.  Often results in trickle down to less expensive equipment.  I love equipment that sounds great and looks cool.  

@b2colchagoff Kudos to you for superior construction materials. Good luck with your speakers. Suggest making the graphic details optional.

@b2colchagoff As a result of measurements of Damping/Dissipation, there is evidence that shows where the attractors are to be found in many Board Materials. 

In relation to Plywoods typically used and not too commonly used, the following may be off ninterest:

​​​​​​BB Plywood at approx 700Kg/m3, is a structural material that has a successor when it comes to a Timber Board material used for audio purposes. 

Densified Board Plywoods that are approc’ 950Kg/m3, have improved properties for controlling amplitude transferal. Board compression is typically 25% compared to a BB Plywood. A 0.8mm ply will be 0.6mm in a finished board. The finished board is not produced from a dellignified veneer, or is it a homogeneous material. 

Densified Board Plywood has a successor being Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board.  Which is typically a delignified wood veneer, produced in a heat controlled Vacuum Chamber, under a compression that reduced the veneer by 50%.

A 0.8mm Ply when in a finished board is 0.4mm. The Board Type is approx’ 1450Kg/m3. This material as a finished board, is very close to being a homogeneous substance. 

There are Compressed Bamboo Boards that show damping/Dissipation properties that are close to RIDWB and this type of Board is also becoming more mainstream for use in Audio products. 

Absolutely not! How many Rockport speakers do you see for sale that aren’t a trade in upgrade to the next level? 

@hiendmmoe 

Wilson audio started their speaker designs with an emphasis on speaker cabinet material & the elimination of resonance, which was probably important for managing the two cabinet design of the initial Watt/Puppy.  This emphasis by Wilson Audio seems to continue throughout the decades until today.  There is measurable benefit, so, I would guess that Speaker companies learn from each others successes and try various materials to make their company stand out. 

My impression is that it is easier to tune a speaker in a cabinet with no resonance than tuning a speaker around a cabinet that has specific resonances.  So, yes, in general, cabinet resonance is a "negative" to the overall sound of the speaker. 

In addition, wood based cabinets can change resonance characteristics over time and atmospheric conditions, so, having the most stable cabinet as possible across decades and various atmospheric conditions would be a desirable goal for a speaker manufacturer.