If you have someone else do it who has the proper tools, they could probably make 1/4" solid wood pannels that they assemble over the speaker. The front baffle would be an issue because you don't want to recess the drivers. I would imigine that would seriously change the acoustics of the speakers.
Agreed. I'm thinking of .5 to .75 inch hardwood plywood - birch, mahogany or cherry. Like the B&W 800s, I was thinking of leaving the front baffle as is, and wrapping the speaker from the back - think of a taco shell with the front baffle sticking out the top. That should keep the harmonics of the baffle the same. My hope was that the shell would only make the box more inert, thus not harming the sound. If I am going to do it, I'm going for the 800's curves, with the Vienna's or
Sanos Faber wood patterns.
I don't want to upgrade my towers just for better boxes, but my appreciation for wood work and lack of fondness for black boxes is driving me to change. This could keep the cost down – if it works!
