Baltic Birch?

I'm looking for an alternative to MDF and fibreglass for my sealed subwoofer enclosure. My installer has suggested baltic birch as a viable alternative. I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with this wood and can provide any feedback as to it's effectiveness in this particular application..

The box will be properly braced and will house a 15" Brahma. The enclosure will have an internal volume of 2.25 cubic feet. Thanks in advance for any help.

I dont know about it, but heres a link to an audio forum where they're talking about it. https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-54698.html

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Learning the trade one fiberglass creation at a time!

I use half inch baltic birch to make drawers for cabitentry.  The nice thing about it is: it is light weight, strong compared to other plywoods, and super easy to work with.  I would think that if you used 3/4 inch and built a good box (ie, bracing, doubling sides where need be, ect.) it will work great.  I know a lot of enclosure fabricators use it in place of 1/2 inch mdf because it is lighter and stronger.

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Good Luck!
-Thad

Thanks for the feedback, guys. The weight is definitely one of the attractive features. I think I'll try it out with 3/4" and will post the results.   

Be really careful about what you buy. I use nothing but birch in most of my cabinets (pro audio). Try to get REAL Baltic Birch... it will have 13 plies and will come in 5'x5' sheets. Home depot and Lowe's don't sell good stuff. It looks okay, but is imported chinese junk. The veneer will break out horribly when you cross cut it and the glue used isn't particularly waterproof and will delaminate over time.

I pay 33 dollars per 5x5 sheet here in Ohio. It's a pleasure to work with over MDF by far and is much stronger to impacts (not as important in car audio).

North American hardwoods are the next best choice along with something called appleply.

Just my .02
-Matt

Thanks, Matt. I had read about the 13-ply Baltic Birch but just assumed that they were all the same. The installer thought it would come in at around $50 per sheet (in Canada); I'll make sure it's the right stuff.

At that price it's probably the real deal. Canadian hardwood would be just fine. Tell tale signs of the right stuff are 13 plies and the abnormal sheet size.

Best of luck! I hate MDF :)

-Matt

lakers08 wrote:

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I'm looking for an alternative to MDF and fibreglass for my sealed subwoofer enclosure.

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Why?

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Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

Primarily because of the weight advantage as opposed to MDF. My design will incorporate a false wall in the trunk to act as an amp rack, in addition to the sealed enclosure. The Brahma weighs 41 lbs., the amps are between 32-35 lbs., 120 sq. feet of sound deadener, etc. Being that it's a 2001 Civic (115 HP!), you can really feel the extra weight. I have a lengthy commute to work and gas mileage is a consideration as well.

Fiberglass would be ideal, except for the cost. I have no confidence in my ability to fashion anything other than an indistinguishable lump to glue my amps to. I've gone far and beyond any semblance of a budget, and the wife's starting to ask questions...      

     

If weight is an issue then why the hell would you use 15 that weighs close to 50lbs? IMO you are goin in the wrong direction, and by wrong direction I mean you are 1k miles in the wrong direction.

I am not even going to comment on the "glue my amps to" comment.

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Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

i gotta agree with auex.  seems kinda pointless worrying about weight when u have 75 lbs of equiptment , even though u will possibly feel the extra weight of the box, the hope for lightweight is negated by your equipt.  i would just worry about it sounding good and having the box reinforced properly, even if it is out of lightweight material (the baltic birch is still a good idea though)  but dont cheap out on the box as its what makes the sub sound good.  U are joking about gluing amps i hope

Glad you won't comment auex, because you apparently missed the sarcastic tone of my remark. I appreciate the informative value of your feedback, however (hey, that's sarcasm too!).

My point in using an effective alternative to MDF is to reduce weight where possible. I'm not looking for "lightweight". I don't race my car. I'm not concerned with taking corners at 80 mph or removing my back seats so I can do the 1/4 mile in less than 16 seconds (sarcasm). That being said, I purchased my equipment with an emphasis placed on quality, well-regarded components and equipment. For example, I wouldn't choose a Pyramid amp over my JL because it is 6.8 lbs lighter.

By using Baltic Birch over MDF, I can have significant savings in total weight and still have a well-made enclosure. It's apparently a good alternative and will be properly braced and constructed. Thanks to constructive feedback by other members, I can ensure it's done the right way.

Don't feel obliged to reply to this post unless you can offer something of value. To the others, thank you.