soundboards improving with age? or what else?

[antares]

> Just what are the physical characteristics of wood that are supposed to be
> undergoing these remarkable changes just with age? Is age making the wood
> stiffer? No, aging wood doesn't do that. Is age making the wood more
> flexible? No, aging wood doesn't do that either. Is age supposed to be
> making the wood more massive? Less massive? Age doesn't do that either.
> Except through the addition of subtraction of moisture as it takes on or
> gives up moisture with climatic changes. Nor does the age of wood affect its
> internal friction or the speed of sound either with or across grain. So,
> what is left? Perhaps this is the mystery that Steinway has captured in its
> infamous 'Mystique Oil.' Instant aging. There is no evidence--empirical or
> scientific--that wood, left in an unstressed condition, goes through any
> changes that would affect its performance in a piano soundboard.

And yet, I, with my ears, state that a newly built Steinway (to name an
instrument) sounds better than an old one.
So now, my question remains :

WHY?

Friendly greetings
from

André Oorebeek
Amsterdam, Holland

'where music is, no harm can be'