Why Veneer?

The use of real wood is actually a bad idea as wood never dies. Wood is constantly moving with climate changes it absorbs moisture and the dries causing it to expand and contract. There in lies the problem, it causes the surface to develope 'checks' and cracks and offers an inconsistancy in resonance and vibration control. MDF has proven to be the best as it can be face glued to any thickness then machined and contoured easily as it has no grain. Veneer is a great exterior cover as it is thin enough to move with no difficulty and to easily be book matched. So in summary, the use of solid wood offers no advantage where the veneer covered MDF or particla board in cheaper speakers is better for long term stability of the cabinet.

Thanks for all the replys.
I was hoping there was some benefit from that. I would hate to think a company that produces $10,000 speakers was just cutting corners! :)

MDF is more dimensionally stable, more uniform, stiffer, and better damped.

On top of that, it machines better and is a lot less expensive.

Void-free birch plywood is a good choice for braces and sub-woofer enclosures (it's even stiffer, and in a sub-woofer the resonances will be above the frequencies of interest).

Theo, I disagree! Yes, real premium hard-wood CAN crack, IF it has not been properly cured (dried), finished, or maintained! By maintenance, I mean applying some premium wax every month or two. I like Renaissance Micro-crystalline Wax Polish. Used by the British Museum for archival and museum pieces. Can be used on a variety of other materials, too. Good Stuff!

Baltic birch plywood sounds much better than MDF but is more expensive. Solid wood sounds even better but is very difficult to build a cabinet with. Usher uses solid wood and make some of the finest cabinets I've seen. Audio Note and Galante use baltic birch. Everybody is trained to think that a deader material like MDF is better but this is not always so. It is universally used because it is cheaper. Sonus Faber also does some soild wood cabinets.