"...What am I missing?"
The time delay on the rear woofer corresponds to the time it takes for the output of the front woofer to wrap around the cabinet and reach the rear woofer. So the reversed-polarity rear woofer "fires" just as the output from the front woofer reaches it, and this way cancellation occurs behind the sub, rather than off to the sides, as with a dipole. The rear woofer's output might also be attenuated a bit relative to the front woofer, I dunno... never actually done it.
Duke
The time delay on the rear woofer corresponds to the time it takes for the output of the front woofer to wrap around the cabinet and reach the rear woofer. So the reversed-polarity rear woofer "fires" just as the output from the front woofer reaches it, and this way cancellation occurs behind the sub, rather than off to the sides, as with a dipole. The rear woofer's output might also be attenuated a bit relative to the front woofer, I dunno... never actually done it.
Duke