- What kind of wood is used? How is the wood selected for each speaker?
Each Chordwood speaker is crafted from carefully selected hardwoods. We source high-quality lumber locally here in Fresno, choosing visually appealing boards with unique grain patterns that make each speaker a one-of-a-kind piece. Popular species we often use include oak, walnut, hickory, and maple, depending on availability and what catches our eye.
- Does the wood crafted speaker affect the sound?
Actually, the goal is the opposite! A good speaker cabinet should not resonate, as that “colors” the sound, which is a form of distortion. We hand-select the densest woods available specifically to create a “dead quiet” enclosure. This ensures the audio you hear is a pure mirror image of the original signal, just as the artist intended.
- How are you able to achieve an overall flat frequency response?
We achieve a remarkably flat frequency response through a combination of careful driver selection, crossover design, and meticulous cabinet construction. This means that every frequency is reproduced at the same volume, resulting in accurate and faithful sound reproduction.
- Are Chordwood Speakers Portable?
No. Chordwood speakers are designed and built as passive bookshelf speakers intended to remain indoors. They require connection to an amplifier and are built with the densest woods possible for a “dead quiet” enclosure and superior sound quality in a stationary, indoor environment. The construction focuses on high-fidelity audio reproduction, not portability.
- What connections are needed for the speaker?
All you need is 14 or 12 AWG minimum speaker wire connected to almost any amplifier. Even small, desk-top style amplifiers are perfect because these are 8 ohm speakers and those little amps are cheap and really high quality these days. Feel free to call for affordable recommendations. Most of which can very easily be hooked up to any TV, and we’d be happy to walk anyone through it.
- What kind of tweeter and woofer is used?
The speaker utilizes a tweeter, a woofer, and a passive radiator. The specific components are: 1″ dome neodymium tweeter, 5″ papyrus fiber woofer, 6″ rear firing papyrus fiber passive radiator. Additionally, the speaker cabinet is filled with a polyester fiber damping material.
- How is the low-end bass response?
Due to the speaker’s compact size, its deep bass extension is limited. For those desiring the fullest low-end experience, we recommend pairing the speakers with the assistance of a subwoofer crossed at 80Hz. While the speaker doesn’t use a traditional port, it does utilize a passive radiator that effectively extends the bass response. This design choice is part of what makes our cabinets so compact yet highly articulate.
- Customization options? What kind of woods and add-ons are available to choose from?
We offer a range of customization options to make your speakers truly your own. Contact us if there is a specific wood species you would like your speakers custom made from for a fee.


