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time-aligned speakers: stepped fronts vs. sloping fronts

Let me first say my understanding of these things is rudimentary.

But I was thinking about manufacturers who used stepped back fronts (several vertical planes) to achieve so-called time-alignment, vs. those who slope back the whole front baffle at a certain angle/rake.

Thinking about, for instance, the tweeter driver mounted on a sloped baffle, won't its axis of radiation be shooting at a corresponding angle upward, meaning that a listener located directly in front of the speaker and with ears at tweeter height would already be listening off-axis?  Or am I missing something?  Or is that the point?

128x128twoleftears
erik_squires
16,180 posts
 
You are correct, but a lot of tweeters sound better off-axis.


It's up to the designer to balance the off-axis response, with the crossover, to yield the best tonal balance.

As Graveson has noted, sometimes we design speakers for listening at the tweeter axis and find we prefer listening one driver down.  Some speakers are deliberately designed with mid-woofer over tweeter, and designed to be llistened on mid-woofer axis.


This is a good experiment with most speakers, try listening below the tweeter. :)
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears OP
5,318 posts
 

So many variables!

So when listening to speakers with tweeters mounted on sloping baffles, perhaps best to start listening to them pointing directly at you; if not, you'll be hearing the tweeters doubly off-axis (which admittedly, may be still be the design intent).

andy2
1,555 posts
 
if not, you'll be hearing the tweeters doubly off-axis
Although I know what you meant, I don't think the word "doubly off-axis" is a proper characterization.  It's either exactly on-axis or off-axis at certain degree angle in a 3-dimensional space.  The tweeter may be angled upward and the listening position at a lateral angle, overall it's still just off-axis at some angle in a 3D environment.  

The difference with angled baffle is probably more about aligning the phase of the tweeter and the mid driver.  


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