Open Baffle Experience


Much has been said about open baffles, including an epic website by the late, great Dr. Linkwitz but I've only heard them really once, playing absolutely garbage music (thanks Pure Audio!) at a hotel.

I'm talking here about dynamic drivers in single baffles without enclosures, not ESLs or Magneplanar type systems.

I'm curious who has had them, and who kept them or went back to "conventional" boxes?

I'm not really looking to buy speakers, but I did start thinking about this because of a kit over at Madisound made with high quality drivers.

 

 

erik_squires

Let’s see here — on the dipole side we have Nola, Vandersteen, Spatial, Magnepan, Martin Logan, SoundLabs, etc, and on the other side we have…kenjit.  Hmmm.  I for one would love to see kenjit debate the great minds behind all these very successful speaker designs.  That’d be a real hoot.

You can't be serious. 99% of high end speaker designs are NOT open baffle they are boxes. They are all on my side. I have already named many of them. B&W, KEF, FOCAL, DYNAUDIO, MAGICO, WILSON. 

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Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac has changed his reference speaker form horns to open baffle.

https://youtu.be/GpD9YY8FAtM

His explanation about why mirrors what most are saying about the open baffle.

Hifi Cave guy is enamored with the Liionidas EXTREME OPEN BAFFLES

https://youtu.be/k6Bn_L2OtB4

Bass was not an issue for him. These speaker actually exposed his lack of construction ability and rattled his room treatments.

The main question is that can you dedicate the space that open baffles require? The going consensus is that they sound better at a minimum three feet from the wall.

 

 

 

Infinite baffle is just different.

Its what most high end studios use (though they’ll often call it “flush mounted” or “soffit mounted”)

Of course this is for music creation not home “recreation” for enjoyment.

Most music studios don’t want extra ambience from added ambient reflections which most audiophiles enjoy.

They need to focus on the unaltered sound so as to know what to do to thier mix.

Thats generally for both tracking and mastering ……