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Component placement for open baffles?

Hey folks,

If I understand correctly, traditional box speakers radiate mostly forward, while panel and open baffle speakers radiate in a figure 8 pattern to the front and rear.

I also understand that open baffle speakers radiate far less to the left and right than do box speakers. 

Does that mean that component placement (a multi shelf rack) in between open baffles would have less of a negative affect sonically vs box speakers?

Thought I should ask around before experimenting from a wrong location to begin with. Much more time and effort moving the rack vs the speakers!

Also, I have read in several places that some people arrange their open baffles as close as half a foot from their corresponding side walls with no toe in. I just moved my open baffles to be exactly half a foot from the side walls so jury is still out on improvements, etc.

One thing I can notice is that the sound is different in many ways. Mostly in terms of sound stage and imagery. Still getting used to and enjoying the open baffle experience. 

Thanks and happy listening everyone!

 

 

hleeid

Showing 3 responses by bdp24

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 

That's about how I do my planars too @coralkong. Speakers 5' from the front wall, equipment racks about a foot away from the wall, their front edges about 2.5' behind the speakers. 

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 

You're SO right about scale @hleeid. After experiencing big planars, box enclosure speakers sound like the whole soundstage has been miniaturized and squeezed through two little holes in the wall. Huge grand pianos sound like a child's doll house looks. Voices sound like the singer is resting on his or her knees (or is a midget ;-). The suspension of disbelief evaporates! 

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 

Cool @hleeid, whatta ya got, Spatial Audio Labs? I don’t have open baffles, but I have a long history with planars, with which ob’s have much in common. Yes, the lack of output to the sides of both ob’s and planars mitigates the degree of both side wall and between-the-speakers first reflection problems. Not eliminates, but mitigates.

One recommendation I can make is to position your ob’s as far from the wall behind them as possible, with a minimum of 5’ a good number. That eliminates one problem: the rear wave arriving back at the ob before the 10ms delay necessary for the brain to perceive the front and rear waves as separate events, rather than the rear wave being a smearing of the front.

Then to be aware of the fact that the reflected rear wave will when arriving back at the ob will interact with the wave now coming out of the front of the ob. That front and rear wave interaction can cause comb filtering: the combined waves can be in prefect phase with each other (producing a boost in frequency response at some frequencies), or 180 degrees apart in phase (their combined outputs being the same as on the sides of the ob---a null at some frequencies).

So as you may surmise, it will take some experimenting to find good/better/best speaker positioning, and some prioritizing of your sound quality goals. Compromises may be necessary! But that’s true with "box" speakers too.

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