Open Baffle Spekers, anyody tried any?

I've been looking recently on the net at open baffle speakers (which often/usually requires a bit of D-I-Y to make them)

I was wondering if anybody has tried (made) any and if so what was your opinion of them?


jaspal

 

There is some help to get at WWW.BD-DESIGN.NL.

They have a point source OB system which I think you can get in both a DIY solution and a finished version. However I think it's undergoing some design changes for the moment. So the attachment might not be 100% relevant.

It is not to spot on the homepage as this is undergoing a redesign.

It consists af 2 x 15 " BD15 bass drivers and a single 8"-9" broadbander.

The basses are driven by their own amp with a build in line filter to x-over to the broadbander.

The broadbander could be of any preferable brand and I think it's only your own wallet that decides which one. But talk to them about it.

Gerner

Here is a drawing of the cab:

 

and of course you can do it with an active crossover - the OB designs are quite useful for that because you might need a serious DSP to equalize your room nodes. that's why the emerald
physics sell their current model with a modded behringer all-in-one unit.

 

I was thinking of building an open baffle baffle speaker with these co-axial drivers http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/drivers.htm.

 

Ciao Anu

Well I guess it's not quite open all the way if a compression driver is involved....

Jamo has a similar (though not comming with built in anything except a traditional filter), but here neither the treble is open.

The BD-DESIGN Quasar I refered to is truely open (almost 100%).

True is that there are many ways to filter it. Just mind you if you ever go bit-perfect PC-playback being your source, then a Behringer kills it!

Gerner

 

Hi Alan

This is neither a true open baffle due to the treble is a closed driver. But true pointsource here.
It shows though perfect TS-parameters for OB operation. Less need of EQ-ing downwards. But slightly more slobby bass compared to typical Qt's.

I assume the only *true* OB system are some ribbons, electrostatic and magnestatic loudspeakers.

However it is, there is some magic to a non-enclosured sound.

Gerner

 

Behringer isn't that bad. Everything I've heard from them is passable ie. DCX2496 and the Feedback Destroyer.

 

"That bad"..I didn't address that. I just told if any are using bit perfect as a source, it *is* bad.. The Behringer kills the effort. It's an oversampling device.

Bit perfect is only to be enjoyed in a NOS-world. Without any digi DSP'ed processing.

So just from that point of view, I cannot accept it in my chain. Neither it can do anything I cannot do in the analogue world. (Statement only of course....:MILD

If a Behringer is bad belongs in another topic I think?

Gerner

 

Thanks for the replies so far...

I'm not really a DIYer and I think some of the options do seem expensive for my pocket (anyway). Sorry I should have made budget clear.

I have been looking at the Hawthornes Silver Iris, so far that's my preferred solution atm, although it will require a little DIY which I could probably cope with.

Any other people that have gone OB on the (fairly) cheap?

jaspal.

 

Depends on what the problem your trying to fix with EQ is. In some cases its worse but in other situations where its corrected vs. non corrected its quite the opposite.

The thought of a pure signal chain is great in a perfect room and system. Not sure how many of those there are around the world though, I'm thinking single figures at most.

Hmm... guess we'll have to disagree. Its such a wide ranging subject and there's so many iterations of system and room interaction that it really is difficult to suggest one and only one path is or isn't folly. I can see where your coming from but others including myself, have found merit in what you perhaps define as the antithesis of a correct playback chain. The really interesting part is directly comparing the two in your own room and with your own equipment. That's when things become clear and perspectives start to change. But after all that hot air, as long as your enjoying the music then little else matters.

 

Dear Shin

With all this I of course agree, my friend. I'm not rebelling the DSP world as a mission of mine.

There is no doubt that both the analogue approach to tweaking in a room as well as dialling in loudspeakers to perfection can do most of the trick.
The DSP machines can do it as well + a lot more such as "anulling" the room etc.

My point is that I do not appreciate what those machines are doing to the digital signal.
They degrade the sound quality, but that might be for the best of all anyhow, as it cures anomalities from imperfect speakers as well as the room.

So my stance is week as I have never tried the devices here in my own setup. But can only prove that harassing data is bad.

And my listening room is in a way very bad (reverbant), and is very good because it's big, 100m2.

But my brain sort of annuls my room and leave it as it is with peace, where as my source shouldn't start teasing my brain with broken data as this causes stress and activate my adrenalin pump


Gerner

 

See the latest copy of HiFi World (p78). Peter Comeau is starting a series on open baffle designs, leading to a new World Designs kit.

 

Siemens Eurodyn with good old-fashioned analogue EQ (sorry, but audiophile BS about "purity" of signal is mostly just BS IMNVHO) was one of the best sounds I've ever heard.
Open baffle seems to require a large room, lots of free space and some amount of EQ AFAICT. This is probably why it's not a very popular approach. The results can be spectacularly good, though.

 

i have the Hawthorne Audio 10" Silver Iris's and IMO they are cracking value for the money, and i can not really go back to a boxed speaker

i have also used a full range driver made for OB, the Omnes Audio L8 which was nice, and some old Tannoy HPD 12"s that worked supprisingly well as well

 

check out the 'beyond the ariel' thread on diyaudio.com

warning, it's the longest audio thread ever, seriously...

 

robertseymour: Great to read that you like them!

Any reason you opted for the 10" and not the 15" Silver Iris's? Could it be that your room is small.

Also, do you use any kind of sub with them?

Thanks,

jaspal.

 

yes, i have a smallish 11ft square room with a large bay window, and the folks at HA, recommended that the 10" would probably work better than the 15" in my room.

i do not use a sub, in my room, i find they give enough bass IMO, certainly to a person who is used to ported bass, they will sound bass light, but i can hear every bass note, it is just not in your face.





Regards

 

robertseymour: nice, simple but nevertheless pleasing on the eye baffles! I like the contours

What made you choose that baffle design?

I gather that if the baffle is less in height i.e lower then one gets more bass although if too low then the bass will swomp the midrange.

Out of interest how are you keeping the baffle upright?

jaspal.

 

hi,

the design just happened really , started off with a rectangular baffle, tapered the sides then curved the top. has been likened to gravestones though

there is a simple trianglular support at the back held by the 3 screws on the front, not particulary permenent, but is stable and allows easy dissasembly for storage etc.

generally the larger the baffle, more bass, as the bass rolls off lower, but with higher Qts drivers, they dont need as larger baffle, main thing is just to experiment with shapes and sizes, very fun

 

If you haven't decided which drivers to buy, take a look at this website:

http://www.petoindominique.fr/php/lb.php