Why wood? At Response Audio, we have been experimenting with different chassis material and their effect on the sound of audio components for nearly 15 years. Everything from your standard metal chassis to some of the more exotic woods have been tried.

What's wrong with metal? As you look at the Musica Bella products throughout this site, you will see that we no longer use metal enclosures. Why? It simply doesn't sound as good to us. Okay, why wood? Well most people will think it is strictly for looks. This is not the case. While many consumers do prefer the look and feel of having their audio components constructed of wood, this is not the only reason we go this route. First and foremost, it is for the sonics.

A wood chassis provides a natural sound and reduces microphonics but the wood type needs to be carefully chosen. Wood absorbs RFI being another reason for the black background of Musica Bella products.

Now we had to decide what wood to use. In the end, the preference was Baltic Birch Ply. Baltic Birch allowed us to maintain just the right balance of liveliness, warmth and most important...musicality that Bella Extreme and Musica Bella products have been known for.

With our Baltic Birch chassis, you can choose just about any real wood veneer to finish it off.  Shown on this page are a few examples of our Baltic Birch chassis with real wood veneer. The chassis above is also constructed of Baltic Birch but instead of veneer, the chassis was finished in solid 1/8" Mahogany with Curly Maple stringers.

Still being produced today are solid hardwood chassis but this brings to the table a few more concerns as not all woods 'sound' the same. Choosing the right wood species is critical in meeting a consumers sonic preferences. Many will tell you that wood equals warmth. In general, this is correct but some woods will actually sound more sterile than a metal chassis while an overly soft wood, such as Pine, will give you a presentation lacking dynamics and detail.

If you have followed our product line for any length of time, you will notice a few wood species that have been used from the beginning. Our more popular selections have been Cherry, Black Walnut, Bubinga and Maple. These woods all sound very good and will continue to be an option for hardwood chassis.

What about MDF? We have been asked this question time and time again. The answer I have always provided is that MDF sounds too dead when used in audio components.

When is comes to building a custom system for a consumer, we will go the extra mile to assure it is a one of kind system that you can be proud to own for many years.  Just let us know if you want the liveliness and realism of Baltic Birch or the warmer, more seductive presentation that real wood brings to the table.