Support Head-Fi.org by starting all of your Amazon.com shopping by clicking here.
____________________________________________________________________
Today's Featured Head-Fi Blog:  Jude's Blog
____________________________________________________________________
Please help support Head-Fi by becoming a Contributing Member  CLICK HERE

-- Contributing Members, thank you for your generous support! --
Head-Fi Is Sponsored By:
Register FAQ Blogs Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read Today's Posts Search
 

Head-Fi's Sponsors
(Premier Sponsors bolded)

Featured

2008 International
Head-Fi Meet
(Can Jam '08)
Impressions,
Reviews, Photos


Can Jam '08 graphic
courtesy of Edwood

Click on the links below
for Can Jam '08 photos,
impressions and reviews:


NightWoundsTime
lan
agile_one
wavoman
crappyjones123
Luke G
bperboy
jimaxp

 


Can Jam '08 Logo
T-Shirts For Sale


Head-Fi Blogs
and Facebook

Check out Head-Fi's new
Blogs section.

Featured Head-Fi Blogs:

Jude's "Take My Word"

 From Japan - by Sasaki

 LFF's Blog

(
Start your own Blog!)

Attention
Facebook Users



Join the official
Head-Fi.org
Facebook Group


Head-Fi's Sponsors
(Premier Sponsors bolded)

Featured


Go Back   Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio > Equipment Forums > Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum)

Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) Discussion of cables, power (the electric kind), tweaks, & accessories.

Meier Audio CORDA HEADSIX & The Most Recent Sponsored Threads

Celebrating 6 years of Head-Fi, Meier Audio introduces the Limited Edition HEADSIX (portable headphone amp) Head-Fi Support Sales Action




 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-01-2002, 02:30 PM   #1 (permalink)
Headphoneus Supremus:
His PortaCorda walked
the Green Mile.
 
Joe Bloggs's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 3,755

IM Contacts
Send a message via ICQ to Joe Bloggs
Question Open speakers?

Hey, if open headphones are such a successful design, why don't we have open speakers too? Like, three-way speakers with just the minimum structures required to hold the drivers at the right heights and maybe just a plastic / wooden frame to enclose the drivers and prevent damage.

__________________
End of my head-fi journey (for this year): Creative Nomad Zen NX -> Etymotics ER-4P

Founder of the Head-Fi Special Weapons Attack Team
Joe Bloggs is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 02:47 PM   #2 (permalink)
Headphoneus Supremus:
Will upgrade headphones
when there's a MX600.
 
Braver's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 2,297
Default

because it would reflect off the walls and create havoc I guess. open backed speakers in a big field might work tho.

aren't Magnepan electrostats open backed tho?

Braver is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 03:07 PM   #3 (permalink)
Headphoneus Supremus:
His PortaCorda walked
the Green Mile.
 
Joe Bloggs's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 3,755

IM Contacts
Send a message via ICQ to Joe Bloggs
Default

Dipole speakers shoot right toward the back too
__________________
End of my head-fi journey (for this year): Creative Nomad Zen NX -> Etymotics ER-4P

Founder of the Head-Fi Special Weapons Attack Team
Joe Bloggs is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 03:40 PM   #4 (permalink)
Headphoneus Supremus:
Banned Moderator
 
Neruda's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: hippytown (Eugene, OR)
Posts: 3,206

IM Contacts
Send a message via AIM to Neruda
Default

Speakers are different in many ways. for one, most speaker drivers need to be in an an enclosure of a certain volume (whether or not it's ported) to help reinforce bass. However, there are a few types of speakers that I believe fit your idea: infinite baffles and open baffles. Some drivers are built specifically for these types of systems.



however, one f the main reasons to use an open headphone is to improve soundstaging and "airyness," but speakers can do that regardless. (Well, I suppose that sort of depends on the speaker. it does with headphones too for that matter!)
__________________
India has had time to forget more melody than Europe has had time to learn...
Neruda is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 03:54 PM   #5 (permalink)
Headphoneus Supremus:
His PortaCorda walked
the Green Mile.
 
Joe Bloggs's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 3,755

IM Contacts
Send a message via ICQ to Joe Bloggs
Default

Originally posted by Neruda
Speakers are different in many ways. for one, most speaker drivers need to be in an an enclosure of a certain volume (whether or not it's ported) to help reinforce bass.
Is this quite ideal? I don't understand this reinforcement thing really--how do you design the enclosure to reinforce certain frequencies? In physics terms if possible And wouldn't the resonance from the enclosure be out of phase with the sound produced directly from the driver?

And sorry, I can make absolutely nothing of the pic you posted, it looks like a wardrobe to me Can you explain what it is?
__________________
End of my head-fi journey (for this year): Creative Nomad Zen NX -> Etymotics ER-4P

Founder of the Head-Fi Special Weapons Attack Team
Joe Bloggs is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 08:00 PM   #6 (permalink)
500+ Member:
Strongly opposes a DBT-free chair forum.
 
setmenu's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: london uk
Posts: 1,985
Default

There are also hybrids like Martin Logans to consider, they have
open electrostatic panels for mid and top frequencys and an enclosure for a moving cone bass unit.

setmenu is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 08:52 PM   #7 (permalink)
500+ Head-Fi'er

Profile
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: NH, USA
Posts: 654

IM Contacts
Send a message via ICQ to Xevion Send a message via AIM to Xevion
Default

You can actually get some open dynamic speakers too!

The Legacy Audio Whisper is the most open dynamic speaker I have seen short of an electrostatic.



The woofer in the box is a passive speaker, it is actually there to dampen the bass going the wrong way, or something like that.
__________________
Only those who dream can grasp reality.
Xevion is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2002, 12:08 AM   #8 (permalink)
Contributor
Headphoneus Supremus
 
gerG's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 2,385
Default

There have been lots of bipolar (open back) designs over the years. Magnaplanars, Acoustats, Martin Logan, Carver, Apogee are planars. Infinity had a beautiful looking system using cone drivers.

Problem is that as the wavelength gets longer the evil wave from the back starts coming in phase with the good wave from the front. This results in a 6db/octave rolloff below the wavelength corresponding to the baffle size. In short, wimpy bass. That is why the hybrids exist (conventional cabinet for the bass section).

This isn't a problem in headphones. The whole situation gets turned inside out (visualize that one a couple of times) and now you are isolated from the evil wave by the ear pad, unless you have K1000s. In that case the proximity of the good side allows for reasonable bass response, but they still roll off a bit early. I will admit that I have tried a foam surround for my K1000s, and bass was enhanced dramatically. Getting them closer to the ear also helps. That experiment is incomplete.

As for the higher frequencies coming out of the backs of the speakers, it gives a sense of spaciousness and air. Some like it. I don't. I keep trying to figure out a way to get rid of the back blast off those Martin Logans, because I love them otherwise.

There are also Di-polar speakers out there. They add extra drivers on the back of the cabinet to get a similar effect. Bose 901s are the extreme example.
__________________
Opinions from the fringe...
gerG is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2002, 12:12 AM   #9 (permalink)
Contributor
Headphoneus Supremus
 
gerG's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 2,385
Default

Xevion, if you can figure out how those Legacy Whispers work please clue me in! I read Bill's explanation a while back, but there were some details missing. I hope to drop by his shop next time I am in the area and talk to him about it.
__________________
Opinions from the fringe...
gerG is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2002, 12:16 AM   #10 (permalink)
Contributor
Headphoneus Supremus
 
gerG's Avatar

Profile
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 2,385
Default

Ooooh, I forgot to mention the GMAS (Great Mother of All Subwoofers) that was around 10 years ago. I can't remember who made it (Paradigm maybe?) but it was actually a bipolar subwoofer. They overcame the rolloff with equalization, I think. Must have resulted in som HUGE cone excursions. Anybody get to hear one? It is one of my favorite names in all of audio.
__________________
Opinions from the fringe...
gerG is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Reddit!Facebook it!
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off
Forum Jump



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
SEO by vBSEO 3.2.0 Head-Fi.org
All times are GMT. The time now is 09:45 AM.