fredpb
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2001
- Posts
- 1,405
- Likes
- 0
Quote:
Some speakers are made to work with an open design. Usually panel speakers (huge flat surfaces that vibrate minutely, but with a large surface area). They can be electrostatic or magnetic (I had Magneplanars like that).
As far as cone type speakers go (non-panel). Driver/cone characteristics are critical. You need to compensate for backwave, resonant frequency, cone rigidity, and other factors.
You have to do this for each driver. Like woofer, midrange, and tweeter (those that are not backless in design). Some enclosures act like capacitive reactance (sealed, acoustic suspension), some like inductors (bass reflex/ported), and resistive (aperiodic). Then there are radiation patterns of the drivers, box volume. Then to top that off, the design and size dictate what is best for speaker placement in the room.
I found planar types to be a pain in the a*s for positioning in my room. Plain box speakers are easier (except for height, base, and distance from wall). My current Vandersteens are of a complex design, and I had to really compromise on my placement.
In short, panel/bipolar speakers are made to be open. But placement and nearby furniture placement are critical. Radiation patterns for these have to be understood because they are quite different from box speakers.
Each speaker just can't be placed anywhere. My speakers even have a back tilt adjustment for the whole speaker.
Open speakers. Not the most practical units in the world.
I often thought of making my own units. But the complexities and cost make it prohibitive.
My favorite speakers I have owned: OLDEST-Dynaco A50's circa 1970. Fulton Tempos (circa mid 80's). Now-Vandersteen IIce Signatures. These are not the only ones I have owned, but just the ones I used in my main system over the years.
These do not represent the "best", only the ones I could afford, and could get.
Originally posted by Joe Bloggs 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. |
Some speakers are made to work with an open design. Usually panel speakers (huge flat surfaces that vibrate minutely, but with a large surface area). They can be electrostatic or magnetic (I had Magneplanars like that).
As far as cone type speakers go (non-panel). Driver/cone characteristics are critical. You need to compensate for backwave, resonant frequency, cone rigidity, and other factors.
You have to do this for each driver. Like woofer, midrange, and tweeter (those that are not backless in design). Some enclosures act like capacitive reactance (sealed, acoustic suspension), some like inductors (bass reflex/ported), and resistive (aperiodic). Then there are radiation patterns of the drivers, box volume. Then to top that off, the design and size dictate what is best for speaker placement in the room.
I found planar types to be a pain in the a*s for positioning in my room. Plain box speakers are easier (except for height, base, and distance from wall). My current Vandersteens are of a complex design, and I had to really compromise on my placement.
In short, panel/bipolar speakers are made to be open. But placement and nearby furniture placement are critical. Radiation patterns for these have to be understood because they are quite different from box speakers.
Each speaker just can't be placed anywhere. My speakers even have a back tilt adjustment for the whole speaker.
Open speakers. Not the most practical units in the world.
I often thought of making my own units. But the complexities and cost make it prohibitive.
My favorite speakers I have owned: OLDEST-Dynaco A50's circa 1970. Fulton Tempos (circa mid 80's). Now-Vandersteen IIce Signatures. These are not the only ones I have owned, but just the ones I used in my main system over the years.
These do not represent the "best", only the ones I could afford, and could get.