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Why not more popular?

A couple of years ago, I got my first set of open baffle speakers. I've owned a few pairs of Magneplanars and many box speakers over the years, but my current speakers are the first true open-baffle speakers I've owned. 

I am absolutely smitten with the sound. Musical, dynamic, powerful, and an amazing deep, open, airy sound stage, with none of the weird boxy resonances or port huffing that I've heard from so many box speakers. 

What I don't understand is why there are so few speaker companies making open baffle speakers, and why are they not more popular among audiophiles?
128x128jaytor
vinylvalet
894 posts
 
Some of Legacy Audio's more expensive speakers are partial open baffles. Legacy calls these speakers hybrid dipolar. Very well regarded sound quality.
chicagoblue1977's avatar
chicagoblue1977
224 posts
 
Open baffle remind me of fat gym teacher. Something just not right
. @tubebuffer that is funny.
erik_squires
16,021 posts
 
You know, conceptually I like open baffle speakers a lot more than I like ESLs.

Ages ago I was smitten with the detail and air electrostatic loudspeakers (ESL) s could provide, timbral accuracy be damned.

Open Baffle speakers, like line arrays, have the potential to overcome all those shortcomings while being overall easier to drive than ESLs, not to mention a wider sweet spot.
falconquest's avatar
falconquest
1,108 posts
 
I have to agree with @wrm57 . I also purchased a pair of well known open baffle speakers. I describe them as the best, most boring speaker I ever owned. They certainly were very detailed and had a great sound stage but just didn’t have the same warm, engaging, musical feeling of a box speaker. I own Legacy’s now.
mrklas
441 posts
 
I think they sound really good at volumes at or below conversation levels.

And while there can be some details that aren't as clear as other manufacturers I think the sound stage is very good.

My friend has a set and there's a difference between his system and mine and they both encourage music enjoyment.
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