Birch sub box
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Joined: Jan 2012
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From: San Diego
Vehicle: 2010 Gen Coupe 2.0T
Birch sub box
I'm looking to build a custom sub box and I heard that you should make a box from birch because it would be 80% lighter then mdf and stronger. Has anyone done this and do you have tips I've googled it and haven't found much info besides the fact that I should use Baltic birch and not birch plywood any help would be greatly appreciated thanks
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Joined: Sep 2001
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From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
Use plywood because it is cheap and plenty strong-enough
Use MDF because it is more dense and will resonate less than improperly-braced plywood
Use fiberglass for custom installation
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In car audio there are as many opinions as there are installers. Make sure the box is about the right volume for the driver you choose, make sure it is solidly bolted to the car, and make sure it is either thick or well-braced enough not to flex a whole lot when you turn it up. Everything else is going to be inaudible. You do NOT have to wory about the strength of anything over about 1/2" thick with bracing or 3/4" if the walls are short. 3/4" plywood is inside about a gozillion boxes and not too many people have a problem with it. Baltic birch plywood > birch because this is a CAR. Straight-up wood will split and crack, where plywood will remain dimensionally stable with all the temperature and humidity changes.
Use MDF because it is more dense and will resonate less than improperly-braced plywood
Use fiberglass for custom installation
********
In car audio there are as many opinions as there are installers. Make sure the box is about the right volume for the driver you choose, make sure it is solidly bolted to the car, and make sure it is either thick or well-braced enough not to flex a whole lot when you turn it up. Everything else is going to be inaudible. You do NOT have to wory about the strength of anything over about 1/2" thick with bracing or 3/4" if the walls are short. 3/4" plywood is inside about a gozillion boxes and not too many people have a problem with it. Baltic birch plywood > birch because this is a CAR. Straight-up wood will split and crack, where plywood will remain dimensionally stable with all the temperature and humidity changes.