Birch vs 3/4 MDF SPL box

[AudioAnonymous 10+ year member]

Just use both. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[quackhead 10+ year member]

So your saying that Birch is acoustically equal to or superior than MDF?

Depends on the driver being used and the type of Birch and the ear. I assume you are referring to critical listening in the higher frequencies. A driver surrounded by birch that sounds bright might benifit from MDF, and vice versa..if the driver sounds too muddy, Baltic Birch might be the better choice. Both are very close acoustically. For subwoofer duty, Baltic Birch is the strongest and lighter of the two, assuming material thickness is the comparison. As far as true noticeable acoustic differences, try Solid wood vs MDF.

 

[xSPLoder 10+ year member]

We got it from a lumber store

 

[bhsdriller 10+ year member]

Also, don't get birch from a hardware store like Lowes or HD. Their Birch is not void free, it can be ordered by they will rape you in charges for that. You are better off finding a lumber yard that will allow for direct sales.

this....I even got a piece from a small local lumber yard that was the worst I've ever seen, looked good from the edges but once cut the layers were practically peeling apart. Haven't been back for anything since

Check your wood

 

[tc300 10+ year member]

i used birch once and decided i would never mess with the royal pain in the *** that mdf is.

I take it birch cuts better and easier than mdf..??

 

[pro-rabbit 5,000+ posts]

I take it birch cuts better and easier than mdf..??

Yes and no.

 

---------- Post added at 11:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 AM ----------

 

We got it from a lumber store

I would check the Birch. Most "lumber stores" do not have void free wood.

 

[AlanHall 10+ year member]

I stopped using mdf 2 yrs ago. With birch and aurrco ply.. no predrilling.. no splitting.. sooo much easier to handle a full sheet alone. Takes Louisiana humidity so much better. Definitely stiffer to. Ive had zero complaints or notice a difference in sound either. And the aurrco ply is usually under $30 a sheet.

 

[quackhead 10+ year member]

Yes and no. 

---------- Post added at 11:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 AM ----------

 

I would check the Birch. Most "lumber stores" do not have void free wood.

^this....if it is just some birch plywood that you have and are unsure of the glue/layer quality used then I would not use it. I would buy new, or go with the MDF you have.

 

[stevew007 10+ year member]

im confused! are you testing this or asking the same question every other person asked?

 

[xSPLoder 10+ year member]

I have some really nice birch board at my house now too. I'm going to go with the birch and see how well it holds up and if it doesn't, Ill go with MDF. The birch I have now doesn't peel layers at all and cuts pretty well

 

[CHEMMINS 10+ year member]

Chances are if it is not in a 5' x 5' sheet....it is not russian baltic birch which is void free. It is also not cheap. for a 5x5 sheet, you are looking anywhere from $75-$100 a sheet - for 1".

You can get 4x8 sheets of void free birch, but it extremely rare.

 

[chargdbassbuick 10+ year member]

Thing that kills me though is whenever I am using my jig to cut the sub hole on mdf, the dust covers up the line im trying to follow and drives me nuts when I have to stop every 4 seconds to whipe to dust away hahaha

use your lungs to blow away the saw dust covering the line while your cutting , thats what i do . hope i could help

 

[xSPLoder 10+ year member]

use your lungs to blow away the saw dust covering the line while your cutting , thats what i do . hope i could help

yeah, that's what i try to do but sometimes it just builds up so much so quick that it doesn't all come off

 

[xSPLoder 10+ year member]

Chances are if it is not in a 5' x 5' sheet....it is not russian baltic birch which is void free. It is also not cheap. for a 5x5 sheet, you are looking anywhere from $75-$100 a sheet - for 1".
You can get 4x8 sheets of void free birch, but it extremely rare.

It's the same birch board that home depot carries but at $80 a board. Lumber yard out of town has the same stuff for $32

 

[Canaan 10+ year member]

Get a router with a circle jig and hook said router up to the dust collector.....fixed //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/suave.gif.858fc102f7646e678ee8af7e1fbc41d1.gif

Yep.

Grab one of these and you're all set //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

G0562Z 3HP Double Canister Dust Collector.

Even ones like this will get the job done for a week-end warrior.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/1-HP-Wall-Hanging-Dust-Collector/G0710

http://www.grizzly.com/outlet/1-HP-Light-Duty-Dust-Collector/G1163