Are exotic speaker cabinet materials overrated?


Seems a lot of speaker companies are coming out with new non resonant cabinet materials all the time. Wilson especially seems to be inventing a new M X V material every year. Other top speaker companies seem to be staying with MDF even when their speakers match the above mentioned speaker company prices. Do these exotic materials really contribute to a better sound or do they add an unnatural quality to the sound. 

 

hiendmmoe

I thank my lucky stars every day. 

I had these made by my custom furniture builder,

He had been saving a small flitch of Rosewood Veneer for many years (acquired before it became illegal to import).

Furniture grade MDF, front panel gasketed and back-screwed; removable rear panel gasketed, 16 big bronze screws, interior lined, zero bracing, on 3 dual wheel casters.

I fully expected some vibration, wondered if I would be having some bracing added in the future.

They tilt back, thus top is sloped, nothing moves, put your hand anywhere, you feel nothing  That ElectroVoice 15W Woofer with monster magnet weighs 37 lbs

It made me less in awe of all the special material, methods, and bracing I have witnessed and marveled at over the years.

Another option for exotic material is the composite used in Eventus speakers. First of all, my iof's on the Soundocity spikes are gorgeous and heavy. Your knuckles will crack from tapping the enclosure. The Eventus web site is still available, and it will explain the SACC technology and the EA-HDR material. The crossover is in a separate enclosure from the drivers with a rectangular port in the one inch thick back cabinet that travels up the backside of the speaker. Sound wise, cannot complain. Was supposed to be a one-year ownership now has turned out to be about 8 years. Very sensitive to tweaks made upstream. They will let you know whether it is good or bad, especially the recording.

Excuse for me being not much of a writer in forums but if interested check out the Eventus web site. Plenty to read there.

Most companies that invest heavily in research and development related to cabinet materials rely on venders to supply drivers for their speakers . Focal invests and builds all their drivers themselves but doesn’t invest the capital needed to produce exotic materials for cabinets. They believe driver and crossover implementation is more important than cabinet materials 

Does anyone know where to get the Ultralam plywood that they use in the Spatial Audio X4?

@mustagefan Do Note: Companies who use a readily available product and want to keep the Product unknown. Have a new name for the Material, when they refer to it used in their products.

Ultralam could be such a name change for another material.

How is it described as a unique product? As the Ultralam Brand does nit seem too much of a unique product for Speaker Cabinets.