The completed speakers will flank a large entertainment center, and I wanted their finish to match that of the entertainment center as closely as possible. The entertainment center is part of Ethan Allan's British Classics collection, and it has a finish they call Cinnibar. The finish reminds me of medium-dark mahogany, even though I'm pretty sure the entertainment center is made out of maple and/or other hardwoods.

I took a shelf from the cabinet to a local unfinished furniture store, and one of their finishers suggested using Zar rosewood stain. I used a different shade of Zar stain and Old Dad's semi-gloss wipe-on poly on a previous project that turned out well, so I decided to use both products again.

I really like the Zar stain. Its thick, oily consistency and reasonable working time make it easy to apply evenly. I've read comments from woodworkers saying that mahogany is a dream wood for staining, and I agree. It takes stain very well.

I don't know if the Old Dad's poly is any easier to use than any other brand of wipe-on poly (probably not), but it seems like a good product to me.

Veneer test piece. The top section has two coats of stain, and the bottom section has one coat. Both sections also have three coats of poly.

Cabinet with two applications of stain.

Same part of the cabinet with four coats of poly.

Full shot of finished cabinet.