[WGH]

Contained layer damping works, but IMO the extra efforts bring no real benefits vrs a well engineered box.

There's the rub, most affordable speakers don't have a well engineered box. I documented my 2 year journey modifying the Von Schweikert VR2 speakers. All the mods were positive and wrung out every possible improvement these speakers were capable of. The VR2's were built in China to a price point, the crossover was potted so there was no way to see what parts or values were used, drivers were OK but nothing special. After the mods they punched well above what I paid, about 1/2 of retail in a 2006 closeout sale.

Part 2 of the mods document cabinet bracing and woofer damping
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=44748.msg400398#msg400398

Part 3 documents the addition of constrained layer damping inspired by Albert Von Schweikert's triple wall laminate construction article below.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72808.msg683847#msg683847

"The Audibility Of Cabinet Panel Resonances and Pat. Pend. Method Of Reduction Of Audible Coloration" by Albert Von Schweikert, Chief Design Engineer, VSA Corp.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=70291.0

[FullRangeMan]

This has got me curious. I've seen some custom speaker builds onlinr made with inner walls of MDF, and outer walls of solid wood or plywood, (or even metal) while using some sort of rubber/tar adhesive between them to help reduce cabinet resonance. (Before any norez is added)

Does having layers of different densities & resonant frequencies  also help with reducing resonance, or is it more about mass and thickness?

This both tips mentioned help.

[planet10]

There's the rub, most affordable speakers don't have a well engineered box.

I totally agree. Even some very pricey boxes are not that great. I strongly suspect that this is the reason so many like OBs (which i built a few of and heard many more) and they all had a common issue which i could not live with (and i can only suspect what the casue was).

dave

[FullRangeMan]

What are important to a DIY builder are the kind of sound the wood will delivery, I managed to find these characteristics in the CommomSense site some years ago, what match with my experience.
MDF:  detailed and bright.
Baltic Birch:  soft and warm sound.
Particle Board:  neutral, mid on BB/MDF.

[planet10]

As a diyer i always try to remove any sound from the box, panel resonance, diffraction effects, vented boxes moving out of tune with the dynamics of th emusic or the volume control. I am still learning stuff all the time.

dave

[diyman]

I totally agree. Even some very pricey boxes are not that great. I strongly suspect that this is the reason so many like OBs (which i built a few of and heard many more) and they all had a common issue which i could not live with (and i can only suspect what the casue was).

dave

Not exactly sure what you are saying.  Is it a common issue with the OBs or with the boxes?

[planet10]

An issue common to every OB i have made or heard.

dave

[FullRangeMan]

What are this? Let us know Dave.

[planet10]

I still haven’t figured ou thow to describe it. Possibly due to the time smear from the rear radiation.

dave

[S Clark]

An issue common to every OB i have made or heard.

dave

Then we have different experiences, because the best speaker I've ever heard was OB.  Better than the Wilsons, the Magicos, or the TADs. 

[FullRangeMan]

I fell bored after listening 10 secs of a speaker that emit sound only to front, the back sound wave are part of the music recorded and will make a 3D soundstage to my ears.

[diyman]

I fell bored after listening 10 secs of a speaker that emit sound only to front, the back sound wave are part of the music recorded and will make a 3D soundstage to my ears.

+1

I heard a pair of Maggies a few months ago at a high end stereo store and they blew my mind away.  Have never heard anything like it from boxes.

I'm about to build my first OB speakers.  Took a pair of AN Classic 10s out of their ported box and plan to put them onto a simple baffle as a starter.  Will go from there as I figure out the room, which is rather small.  I know there won't be much bass to start with, but will address that later if the midrange is as good as I expect it to be.