What influences the sound quality of a speaker system the most? Of course, speakers and filters are some of the most important components. However, without a box made of high-quality material in compliance with all technological standards and parameters, it is difficult to imagine high-class equipment.
The body or, so-called, the cabinet of the speaker must be rigid enough to provide a good combination of absorption/reflection of sound waves of a certain frequency and power.
What is a speaker box?
The speaker cabinet primarily has the task of absorbing and eliminating as much vibration as possible from the speakers. And also, the enclosure must contain the resonance of the loudspeakers, which contributes to the best sounding of the speaker.
Choosing the best material
To create a column case, you can use a good 0,6 or 0,7 inch (16 or 19 mm) thick MDF and, if possible, open it with varnish. Marine plywood (more expensive) is a great alternative. This material is quite tough and will fit perfectly into the case.
A classic variant, torn by time, remains MDF made of birch of a large thickness (more than 0,9 inch (25 mm)), but it is better to use it for the walls of the diffuser or internal reinforcement, or, as an analog, multilayer MDF.
Good solid wood works great too. This material always has a pleasant appearance, but the wood should be chosen with good hardness, damp, and seasoned. For example, beech, cherry, rosewood are an excellent choice, although it is difficult to call it budget, and spruce is very bad. But, chipboard, the material is difficult to process and finish. It is better not to use it.
In any case, the solution that can be considered optimal from the point of view of price and quality is the use of multilayer MDF. Enclosures designed in this way are rigid and very damping, and small vibrations can be additionally absorbed by a sound-absorbing enclosure.
