Above 100 Hz open baffle speakers can be great given the right drivers. It is much easier to build a plate that does not add colorations than a box.
All of my favorite speakers, the ones that I would own are boxless. Under 100 Hz is a different story. The problem is that building a SOTA subwoofer is an expensive and difficult task and the end result will be a device that is very heavy and expensive to ship. Most manufacturers cut corners resulting in flaws that for those of us who have experienced the best bass find intolerable. I believe those of us with DIY capability can actually do a better job than most manufacturers but in forms that could not be competitively priced.
All of my favorite speakers, the ones that I would own are boxless. Under 100 Hz is a different story. The problem is that building a SOTA subwoofer is an expensive and difficult task and the end result will be a device that is very heavy and expensive to ship. Most manufacturers cut corners resulting in flaws that for those of us who have experienced the best bass find intolerable. I believe those of us with DIY capability can actually do a better job than most manufacturers but in forms that could not be competitively priced.