open baffle speaker design

[jacksonbart]

What are the general advantages or disadvantages to open baffle? Thanks inadvance. Never heard a pair.

[kev313]

Downfalls = Size.  OB's are usually huge and need to be in order to produce bass.  

Positive = Great way to use a single full range (read as no crossover) driver.  Hard to explain the sound, but once you take out the crossover you know how much gets lost in a 2way+ design.  The first time I heard my Cain and Cain Abbys (not an OB, but a voight pipe using a full range fostex) I couldn't beleive it.  So very very natural.  LAcks low end ooomph, but that's how it goes.

[kev313]

But ain't it awesome, Mark?   I've been thinking about doing a big PHY-HP based OB.  Just gotta convince the wife...

[soundbound]

What's your thoughts on this? No connection to seller.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Altec-Open-Baffle-Kit-for-604-and-755A-Superb-Sound_W0QQitemZ160153831550QQihZ006QQcategoryZ50597QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[kev313]

I don't know enough about those Altecs to know whether that is a good size baffle or not, but it looks small to me.  Google "open baffle calculator" and you'll get a program to work it out.  At that price, I'd rather build 'em.  Also, although supposedly great drivers, Altec 604's can get really expensive so the total cost of that project could be pretty high.  Don't know about the 755's.

[Islander]

Sound Hounds here in Victoria had a large pair of open baffle speakers on display a year or two ago. I don't remember the brand, but they were the size of doors, roughly six feet tall and two-and-a-half feet wide. I couldn't judge the sound quality, since they were in the main room of the shop with the front door open to the street noise and they're on a busy street. The baffles were made of light-coloured wood and visually really dominated the room.

[DrWho]

I would never consider an open baffle. It's about as anti PWK design philosophy as you can get: low efficiency, high distortion, and uncontrolled polars. One might also argue that the bandwidth is severely limited too.

Also, from a modern room acoustics perspective, it would be impractical to properly treat a standard listening environment. At best it might work in a large room with the speakers many feet from any boundary.

[kev313]

I would never consider an open baffle. It's about as anti PWK design philosophy as you can get: low efficiency, high distortion, and uncontrolled polars. One might also argue that the bandwidth is severely limited too.

Also, from a modern room acoustics perspective, it would be impractical to properly treat a standard listening environment. At best it might work in a large room with the speakers many feet from any boundary.

 

One need not argue.  It's true (in my experience), the bandwidth IS severely limited.

[oldtimer]

For those who are truly interested in a single driver full range speaker, I recommend checking these out. I have heard them, with a highly modified Behringer amp, and they are very nice.

http://www.maxxhorn.com/

[oldtimer]

Seriously, go to the website. 60 day trial period. If you like them maybe you can arrange a payment plan? For two channel these speakers give a holographic soundstage and don't lack for bass. And as a plus, they are so tall that if waf is a factor Khorns will seem like a very reasonable compromise.