By Town Crier Report

Now hear this: The materials that home theater systems are designed from are an important factor in the quality of the sound these systems deliver.

You need only two things: racks of highly specialized A/V equipment and a custom-designed room. Home theater designers agree that the best home theater settings rely heavily on environmentally friendly medium density fiberboard (MDF) throughout.

As a dense, rigid, acoustically inert construction material, experts say that it can help create speaker cabinets capable of delivering high fidelity, high-volume audio.

A properly designed MDF speaker cabinet will focus the maximum “acoustic energy” at the listener, while keeping vibration transmission to a minimum.

In some cases, designers even use MDF for wall panels, strategically using fabric covering to control acoustic reflections in the room.

“MDF is also the best choice for the cowling that houses the projection unit,” says Rob Sugar of Auras Design in Washington, D.C. “It’s more rigid than even plywood, and more workable. You can create curved edges for more of a custom look.

“MDF is also less susceptible to the effects of heat generated by projectors and behind-the-scenes gadgetry. I make equipment racks from MDF because plywood tends to warp from the heat.”

In addition to being versatile, MDF makes environmental sense because it is made from recycled wood and other agricultural fiber residues.

MDF and other composite wood products, like particleboard, help divert over 12 million tons of residual wood from North America’s landfills each year.

To learn more about MDF applications, contact the Composite Wood Council at (301) 670-0604 or visit the their website at www.pbmdf.com.

- North American Precis Syndicate