Open baffle speakers

I never even considered that imaging would be a problem with open baffle speakers.  They do a good job when correctly placed, as do most other types of speakers.  In many respects, they are not much different from panel speakers, like Maggies, which also have a dipole radiation pattern that result in bass cancellation and substantial sound coming from the back.  If the back wave is sufficiently delayed in time reaching the listeners ear vis-a-vis the front wave, the ear/brain hears it as reverberation and not a confusing signal about the location of the original sound source.  Added reverb is generally not a bad thing and some people have spent a lot to generate additional reverb to supplement what is in the recording.

My only experience was owning Alon V MkIIs, which were like the Qualio IQ - sealed box woofer under an open baffle with mid and tweeter. I never got used to the sound and sold them after a couple of years to happily return to box speakers. The open baffle sound was just too diffuse sounding for me.

Last year at the Burning Amp Festival I heard a pair of open-baffle speakers that I found very impressive.  They were tall, with 7 drivers in a D'Appolito configuration on beautiful hardwood slabs.  The most natural sounding bass!  A plucked acoustic bass sounded like real strings, not "thuds."  Midrange and highs were lovely too.  Imaging was excellent, IMO.  They were made by a fellow named Greg Prisament and called "Natur".  He has a web site but I don't know if he's taking orders.  Previously I've heard smaller, single-driver OB speakers (some DIY and some commercial) and they were pleasant in many ways but wouldn't do orchestral music to speak of.  These were speakers I could live with.  I'm hoping he'll be there again this year, I'd like to hear them again.

I have the GR Research NX-Otica open baffles and their 2-driver OB sub.  Most of the people in our audio club rate them as among the best they have ever heard.

There’s certainly excellent bass.  Very tight and textured.

I ran various model Alon/Nola for years, certainly a different presentation vs box. Open baffle need to come out from front wall and likely need more absorption on that front wall vs. diffusion for box speakers. I actually preferred the way they imaged and did sound stage vs. box, more spaciousness around individual performers. Never could get used to the boxed speakers I used subsequent to the Alon/Nola, always sounded closed in to me. Now use horns which I prefer to the open baffle.

Listen to a friend's setup using Spatial's from time to time, still like the unique sound of these open baffles, perceive no great issues with bass.