EPI 100 rebuilt cabinets

[thiptoman]

I'am in the process of building a new pair of cabinets for my EPI 100's.The only difference is I'll be using 3/4 inch mdf to build the cabinets.They'll have the same internal volume but will have a 2 1/2 in baffle and a figure of eight brace dividing the internal volume from top to bottom of cabinets.I read that speakers will sound better if the cabinets are super solid. I'am not finished with the cabinets but would like some input.Is this a worth while project for an individual in search of great sounding speakers.Will these new cabinets make for a better sounding speaker system?Please comment!

[thiptoman]

I just finished building new cabinets for my EPI 100 speakers using mdf material. I would highly recommend that owners of this speaker build a better box made from mdf! This material is totally superior to the stock particle board.Anyway with drivers firmly fastened in the cabinet(screws hold much tighter now) they sound more open,bass seems to hit harder or is more taunt. It seems like their is less bass resonance,bass is solid and free of any signs of boom! .I'am no engineer,all I know is that it's hard to believe the difference a super sturdy cabinet and ultra thick baffle makes in the sound of these speakers.The down side is that the speakers now weigh almost 40 lbs each,a significant weight increase.I now believe that a speakers cabinet is more important than other aspects of the design.Not to down play other parts of the speaker but if you have a tremendously sturdy launching pad for the drivers this will cut down on all sorts of internal resonances that affects how a driver sounds.The performance is not earth shattering but side by side with the old cabinets the differnces in performance really stands out.As long as you preserve the internal volume of the original speakers this will definitely work ,and is a worthwhile project.Also my speakers function as a pure acoustic suspension design now. Internally all pores within the mdf was sealed to prevent leaks,also all internal joints were sealed with rubber silicone.I plan to do another project soon by building cabinets for a pair of new KLH speakers .