Open Baffle. Why are they mostly limited to DIY?


I see a few hybrids from Vandersteen and Spatial Audio, but not much else. 
seanheis1

Showing 2 responses by cd318

Open baffle speakers must be a nightmare to design (bandwidth and cancellation) otherwise they would render all box speakers obsolete.

The problems of getting cone drivers to work perfectly in a box are infinite. Box speakers will always be flawed though some try very hard - Harbeth, Wilson, Magico Fujitsu Eclipse etc. 

The main reason we see so few Open Baffle designs is one that most designers will happily explain.

Noted designers such as Russell Kaufman (RussellK) and Peter Comeau (IAG) will explain the importance of market demand when embarking on any new design.

To succeed with any new design it must be domestically acceptable.

It’s no accident that the likes of PMC and Totem have succeeded with mainly tall slim floorstanders, is it?

As of November 2021, demand for Open Baffles remains too low for many to consider serious manufacture.