What exactly is a speaker box sound?


In another thread the comment was made that all speakers with baffles cause them to have edge diffraction effects which makes it easy to hear the speaker itself, instead of the music.

Maybe I'm spoiled but it's been a very long time since I have heard this effect in real life.  What speakers have you heard lately which sound exactly like speakers instead of music?

erik_squires

Cabinet resonance and buzzing of course let one know the speaker is in a box but I'm not sure that's what we're talking about here. More like the 'closed-in' box sound some may or may not exhibit. I think modern boxes are far better and money seems to buy a more open sound regardless.

I've heard Magnepans for over forty years and owned Martin Logan electrostats as mains. If you enjoy 'large' singers and images, great. I sure don't feel they are more accurate.

I went to a good pair of ported boxes and will never, ever go back as they reproduce music far more accurately IMO. And that's after a lifetime of listening and attending shows, so...to each his own opinion.

Listen to some Magnepans or Martin Logan electrostats playing music you know well. Your music, not someone else's. Take a CD or thumb drive with you. Listen carefully. If you don't hear a better version of you music, stick to what you have and be happy you saved a bunch of money.

 

@boomerbillone 

"If you don't hear a better version of you music, stick to what you have and be happy you saved a bunch of money."

That is by no means necessarily true as many "box" speakers cost far more than Maggies or most Martin Logans.

I am with Roxy54 in that all speakers color the sound relative to what was produced within the recording chain from the source.