OPINION: "Skinning" existing stucco-over-drywall construction with thin plywood - Wood this be worthwhile ?-Acoustics Forum-Acoustic Fields Forum

Hi Dennis et al… (please pardon the awful pun in Topic name… couldn’t resist)

In the recent SOWA DIY studio build video, one notable aspect is the choice of material for the walls: plywood. Dennis has said it before, that the reflection spectrum of real wood is more pleasing than that of common drywall, and here we see Mr. SOWA putting that advice into action.

I am renovating/redecorating my dedicated Listening Room, and the thought of skinning the existing walls with thin plywood has manifest itself. FYI, the space falls into the yellow zone (or perhaps the red) of Dennis’ room dimension chart – measuring 14 x 18 x 7.33 ft (inside finished surfaces). Too damn small I agree, but we are in no danger of moving and this is the space I have to play with. In a basement setting, the floor is carpet+underpad over concrete, ceiling is popcorn-finished drywall. BTW Dennis, this is the space we talked about in Room Analysis #141.

Primary pursuit & optimization is toward 2-channel playback, despite a 50″ TV on the wall and 5.1 surround gear doing its thing when called upon. My preference leans toward more direct vs reflected sound, but if retrofitting the walls in wood would help significantly, I’m game to make the change.

Seeking opinion and advice from this forum as follows…

Q1: is there a minimum panel thickness required for the “wood tone” to come through ? Quarter-inch, or perhaps 3/8-inch would be “affordable” and not impact the volume of the room in any meaningful way.

Q2: choice of veneer – maple / aspen / pine – is there a strong argument for any particular species ?

Q3: is the ratio of wall area to ceiling + floor area sufficient to make a material (and perceivable) difference [ walls: 475.5 sq-ft / floor+ceiling: 520 sq-ft ]

Thanks for reading, thinking and commenting,
Grant