Thin Walled Speakers -Tonian, Musical Affairs, etc

As Nonoise stated, both types of designs can work or not work. I've had some pretty well damped and inert speakers I hated. Escalante Freemonts come to mind, they were 650 pounds of speaker that had no life or energy (not saying it was b/c of weight and inertness but they didn't "move" me. On the other hand Beauhorns with their thin walled cabinets were one of the musical speakers I've owned. Yes they were colored, or I'd say not as accurate as other speakers that have come thru my studio but at the end of the day they made me smile and listen to music.

(dealer disclaimer)

Sksos1

my post was not intended for anyone in particular it was just referring to the overall tone of the responses and actually agreeing with several...

here's a video of Hans Kortenbach explaining the us of sitca spruce as material

http://vimeo.com/36753074

amazing speakers

I watched that video. The argument that controlling the wood with bracing to achieve resonance properties similar to that of a violin or a guitar doesn't make sense. Those instruments, by design, are intended to make music over a limited frequency and dynamic response. Loudspeakers are quite different in that they must reproduce over a much larger frequancy response and dynamic range. Also, no mention is made of the phasing capabilities of such construction. Individual instruments have phase cancelling properties, again by design, in order to convey the proper timbre of the instrument. How does then one vreate a resonance function in such a cabinet design that replicates the correct resonance functions of all instruments, with all timbres intact, simultaneously?

It would be impossible to do as you suggest but I bet that's not what the designer was aiming for. The same can be said for very inert cabinets since they, too, cannot cover all the bases. And they don't. Otherwise there would be a formula, of sorts, and everyone would make the same speaker.

Every design is a compromise. All speaker makers settle for less. Some do it better than others.

It's just a different, and successful way of speaker making. Try to listen to one for yourself and it just might change your mind.

All the best,
Nonoise