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Side firing bass designs - Pros & Cons?...

In an earlier "Adiogoner" thread someone asked if anyone had heard speakers from Amphion. I quickly went to their web site to see their speakers and noticed on the Xenon model they incorporated a side firing bass design. Based on the little bit of knowledge I've picked up from more knowledgeable audiophiles it seems to me this set-up would create time and phase coherency issues not to mention sending sound waves away from the listener instead of toward them.

Are there advantages in this type of design I don't know about, because Amphion isn't the only manufacture employing this side firing woofer strategy(Israel Blum uses it)? What are the pros and cons?
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Showing 2 responses by slappy

slappy
903 posts
 
I agree with the placement difficulties, I had a pair of Definitive Technology 2004Tls with the side firing subwoofer... it was hard to get the room to really fill.

I think they figure that since under 100hz is non-directional, they can place the woofer on the side and make the speaker slicker and sexier and easier to get by the WAF, which would give them an edge on sales...

I think a pair of monitors and a good subwoofer works better than towers with a side firing woofer. cause that is basically what you are getting, is a monitor on top of a subwoofer.

At least that has been my experience.
slappy
903 posts
 
yeah, i agree that you can still tell where 100hz is coming from, but its not as easy to tell. I thought that 100 was where it was supposed to become non-directional
or is it that around 100 hz it starts to take non-directional characteristcs and the lower you go the harder it is to place?

either way, i think the side firing woofer is still a marketing ploy for audiophiles to get bigger spekers to pass the WAF, hence being able to sell larger models.

I mean, check out a set of those Vienna Accoustic Mahlers, those things are slick, they would fit in almost anywhere and are very non imposing for such a massive speaker.

then take a Vandersteen 3A, Big, bulky, darth-vader-esque, and rather difficult when considering the WAF.

It would be alot easier to get the Mahlers in the family room than the vandersteens.

heck, the mahlers almost look like pieces of artwork rather than a speaker
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