Why Veneer?

Thanks for all the replys.
I was hoping there was some benefit from that. I would hate to think a company that produces $10,000 speakers was just cutting corners! :)

MDF is more dimensionally stable, more uniform, stiffer, and better damped.

On top of that, it machines better and is a lot less expensive.

Void-free birch plywood is a good choice for braces and sub-woofer enclosures (it's even stiffer, and in a sub-woofer the resonances will be above the frequencies of interest).

Theo, I disagree! Yes, real premium hard-wood CAN crack, IF it has not been properly cured (dried), finished, or maintained! By maintenance, I mean applying some premium wax every month or two. I like Renaissance Micro-crystalline Wax Polish. Used by the British Museum for archival and museum pieces. Can be used on a variety of other materials, too. Good Stuff!

Baltic birch plywood sounds much better than MDF but is more expensive. Solid wood sounds even better but is very difficult to build a cabinet with. Usher uses solid wood and make some of the finest cabinets I've seen. Audio Note and Galante use baltic birch. Everybody is trained to think that a deader material like MDF is better but this is not always so. It is universally used because it is cheaper. Sonus Faber also does some soild wood cabinets.

Meadowlark audio uses real wood as the baffles for some of their speakers. If chosen correctly, it can work to your advantage.