If DCM only tried this speaker as a open baffle first I think they would had sold them this way. These speakers sound best with no wood around the midrange driver but the front baffle. They also sounded better with the corners on the midrange baffle cut off. I marked off 2 3/4 inches on each side of the midrange driver at the top of the baffle and cut the corners off at a angle. This improved things even more...drawing you into the music even more!