MDF – The ideal Material for Studio Monitors

Those of you who’ve spent any time making your own music know the importance of investing in the best studio speakers possible and studio monitors from Fluid Audio give you the best chance at an accurate, uncolored representation of your music. One of the reasons for this detailed, transparent sound, is not only the speaker drivers and the amplifier, but actually the wooden enclosure itself. There are a lot of reasons why most loudspeaker enclosures are made from MDF and not any other material. 

While MDF cabinets look great (whether in your home or Professional studio), many are unaware of the material’s benefits. So, before you reach out for the natural wood speakers, understand that MDF wood is proven to be the best and makes your music just sound better. 

Why Enclosure Material Matters? 

Even though tremendous effort is spent on the loudspeaker driver and amplifier design, the enclosure characteristics play a vital role in achieving a smooth response, controlled bass, and defined stereo image. At the most basic acoustic level, the speaker enclosure’s purpose is to isolate the woofer’s back wave from the front. This prevents the front and back radiation from the cone from canceling each other. A good quality enclosure provides this, but also provides a rigid structure to support the drivers with minimum panel resonances…which can produce audible distortion. 

What is “MDF”? 

Created in the 1960s, MDF stands for “medium-density fibreboard,” which is an engineered wood product. It is formed when the wood fibers are glued together under high heat and pressure creating a flexible material. Quite similar to particleboard, MDF is much stronger and denser. 

Traditionally used for smaller-to-mid-size speaker enclosures, MDF is a stiff, flat, and dense material that is easy to alter for great visual effects and finishes. Unlike wood, it doesn’t have any knots or rings, so it can be easily cut and restructured without damaging the surface. MDF wood is also known to resist warping when exposed to moisture, with no obvious surface grain. 

Besides this, it is easy to customize MDF wood to produce either a smooth surface, textured or natural wood grain surface by coating it with vinyl or other material. 

MDF vs Natural Wood 

Acoustically speaking, solid wood is not a great choice when it comes to monitoring enclosures. Natural wood lacks uniformity in terms of density, which consequently affects the sound output. Natural wood also has some organic characteristics like knots, rings, and lines which can affect the way a speaker system looks and sounds. Sans these unfavorable aspects, MDF wood is one of the best choices when making speaker boxes, because it is less dense or “hard” so it absorbs resonances instead of reflecting them. This well “damped” sound of MDF is much more pleasing to the ear, compared to the “harsh” sound of harder natural wood. Folks who make musical instruments have known this from the 1800s. 

Moreover, natural wood (though attractive) can bring a dramatic rise in the final cost of studio speakers. MDF, however, uses recycled wood materials in its construction. This helps lower prices for the end consumer and also preserves our forests for future generations. 

Aside from this, there can also be variations in the sonic qualities of speakers due to the characteristics of natural wood. Even the most experienced craftsmen and engineers agree that the sound that comes from a natural wood cabinet speaker can vary significantly from speaker to speaker due to the density of the wood panels. 

To produce great sound, an enclosure with no air leaks is absolutely essential. But as time goes on, natural wood shifts, changing the construction and altering the sound. MDF wood stays more uniform, and with sound better for a longer time, avoiding any air leaks or distortion. Finally, the versatility of MDF wood helps to accomplish three critical goals: 

1) producing great sound in a solid construction

2) allowing for versatility in the design and finish of speakers, and 

3) affordable construction that saves you money.