@mijostyn You and I shared some stats in our lives. When I brought home the Acoustat X's, my wife let me know how ugly they were as she called them coffins. Within a year I moved up to the Acoustat 2+2s which we had for about 5 years, the Martin Logan Monolith IIIs for 8 years. My current wife (I'm was a widower) decided that they stunk as they were dynamic shy, muddy bass, head in a vise and bright sounding in a 25' X 20' X 11'6" room. Four of my friends and acquaintances had Legacy Focuses so I bought a pair used in 1998. Satisfaction for my wife and I appreciated them (although I longed for the Acoustat 2+2s). After decades of upgraded electronics (2006 + 2019), cabling (as a beta-tester) and tweaks (Hallographs/HFTs/electrical type), I have a marvelous audio system. The one thing I want to change are the speakers for high end types which will provide a more resolving and open soundstage in my custom built listening room. Von Schweikert, Evolution Acoustics and now another friend suggested Usher and a San Diego speaker manufacturer whose name I forgot now are in the running. I like Maggies and Soundlabs best of the planars and stats. I've heard Emerald and several other boxless dynamic speakers at shows and they sounded good, weak bass and less dynamic than I'm used to. I suppose a case could be made for them. Legacy's "newer" baffleless speakers can sound good but most come with DSP which I don't want to use.
Why not more popular?
A couple of years ago, I got my first set of open baffle speakers. I've owned a few pairs of Magneplanars and many box speakers over the years, but my current speakers are the first true open-baffle speakers I've owned.
I am absolutely smitten with the sound. Musical, dynamic, powerful, and an amazing deep, open, airy sound stage, with none of the weird boxy resonances or port huffing that I've heard from so many box speakers.
What I don't understand is why there are so few speaker companies making open baffle speakers, and why are they not more popular among audiophiles?
I am absolutely smitten with the sound. Musical, dynamic, powerful, and an amazing deep, open, airy sound stage, with none of the weird boxy resonances or port huffing that I've heard from so many box speakers.
What I don't understand is why there are so few speaker companies making open baffle speakers, and why are they not more popular among audiophiles?