Help needed! Where to start with open baffle speakers

[SW1X]

I'm really saying that the bass limit is set by the size of the baffle and trying to compensate for a tiny baffle by using massive EQ isn't a great idea.
Of course, you're quite correct that active EQ for crossover slopes and fine tuning etc. is perfectly valid.

Active EQ and/or boxed woofer design is too much of a compromise as it defies the purpose of the open back speaker design.

England is not an ideal country for open back speakers design as the OB needs to be massive in size (in order to sound appropriately) and requires larger rooms yet the space comes at premium in most living rooms.

These are some of the reasons as why people build small speakers and end up not liking them.

S

[RothwellAudio]

Active EQ and/or boxed woofer design is too much of a compromise as it defies the purpose of the open back speaker design.

Obviously, if you box in the woofer it is no longer an open baffle. I'm not sure how active EQ would defy the purpose of an open baffle though.

[SW1X]

Obviously, if you box in the woofer it is no longer an open baffle. I'm not sure how active EQ would defy the purpose of an open baffle though.

Generally, any type of active or passive equalization tends to deaden musicality because of the added complexity (by having additional passive components, resistors in particular and/or active components) in the equalizing circuits.

That defeats the purpose (of enhanced dynamics and the absence of bass overhang) of an open back speaker design. The major downside is the additional misalignment in timing because of the EQ processes.

The better solution is to match the drivers or/and to minimize their number.

S

[fatmarley]

I'm really saying that the bass limit is set by the size of the baffle and trying to compensate for a tiny baffle by using massive EQ isn't a great idea.

That's just another way of saying what I said In post #22

[fatmarley]

The better solution is to match the drivers or/and to minimize their number.

S

What do you mean?

[SW1X]

Those who are seeking flat response, especially in the bass on a finite OB are seeking it in vain. There is simply no "free lunch" here. Actively pursuing a flatter response by use of excessive filtering or equalization usually comes at a cost of musicality and is generally a bad idea. No X-over or EQ is able to compensate for short comings of a driver or speaker design without killing music!

S

[fatmarley]

Those who are seeking flat response, especially in the bass on a finite OB are seeking it in vain. There is simply no "free lunch" here. Actively pursuing a flatter response by use of excessive filtering or equalization usually comes at a cost of musicality and is generally a bad idea. No X-over or EQ is able to compensate for short comings of a driver or speaker design without killing music!

S

If that's aimed at me. That's not what I asked.

What do you mean by this? - Quote "The better solution is to match the drivers or/and to minimize their number."

[SW1X]

Matching drivers is a complex process. Not only do they need to have a close impedance behavior and similar sensitivity (taking into account 6dB/octave the roll-off) but must also be made of similar materials in order to complement each other.
Ideally drivers should sound great together without a X-over. If they do not, those drivers do not match. Has anyone tried to X-over AlNiCo with paper cone/copper voice coil driver and a Neodynium with platic cone and alu voice coil?

[fatmarley]

Matching drivers is a complex process. Not only do they need to have a close impedance behavior and similar sensitivity (taking into account 6dB/octave the roll-off) but must also be made of similar materials in order to complement each other.
Ideally drivers should sound great together without a X-over. If they do not, those drivers do not match. Has anyone tried to X-over AlNiCo with paper cone/copper voice coil driver and a Neodynium with platic cone and alu voice coil?

We were talking about the low frequency loss caused by the back wave of the driver wrapping round the front of the baffle. You said a better solution to EQ was to - Quote "The better solution is to match the drivers or/and to minimize their number." - What do you mean?

[SW1X]

The best (better) alternative to EQ is to make your OB infinitely large, i.e. make a hole in a wall and place a driver in it and customize the acoustic design of the room accordingly similar to the way Bernard Salabert, the owner of PHY drivers did.

http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/phy/phy.html

S