While an open baffle speaker can present a wide image, it cannot present a well-defined image. Consider when one is listening to a recording of a violin. The speaker will radiate sound from both the front and back of the speaker. The sound from the front will travel directly to your ears, the sound off of the back will reflect off of your walls and then to your ears. It will travel a longer distance and will be altered.
So you will first hear the direct sound waves from the front followed shortly thereafter by a second wave from a different angle. It will be time smeared. One might like that big open reflected sound, but if you are into precise imaging with tightly defined notes, it is very difficult. Very room dependent. If one really deadens the room with acoustic treatments, then it would mitigate the problems.
Speakers I've liked have taken great measures to address time alignment, by using sloped baffles, minimal baffles, minimizing edge diffraction, etc. . I have issues with open baffle, dipolar, 360 radiating, and Bose 901-type designs.
But that's me. Speakers are very personal and I have no problems with anyone hating what I like and loving what I hate.
|