Cube Audio Nenuphar Single Driver Speaker (10 inch) TQWT Enclosure

ricevs, good suggestions about OB and direct wiring but can I suggest a separate thread on OB designs for a fuller discussion. I would chime in since I have a number of designs and drivers in mind and intend to put them together this year including field coils.

I do like some open baffle speakers, but, I would think that if it were so easy to make a "much better version of the Cube speaker" by making a very easy to build and cheap open baffle version, Cube or someone else would have done so already.  There are probably good reasons why went with what appears to be a version of the Voigt pipe form of loading.  

Still, it would be great to have a thread with DIYers showing off their designs.  I've heard some really interesting OB speakers, including some monster, cost is no object designs using twin 18" fieldcoil woofers in a baffle more than 4.5 feet wide.  

Nelson uses Cube f8 in OB

https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-26-nelson-pass-harmonic-distortion-page-2

The reason Cube (and most companies) do not make open baffle speakers is that it is not an easy sell. The baffle needs to be large, you need space behind the speaker or you do what Nelson does and add woofer below. They are selling a look....a lifestyle......slickness....they are not selling super hot rods.

Look at the crappy wire and banana plug Nelson is using....he is not a tweak, for sure......no Ground Enhancer, No Bybee, no wiring directly to the voice coil wire.....and not good wire......probably has the same banana things on the amp end of the speaker wire.....you know...so he change change wires or amps real fast.....Hot rodding is so easy.....and takes so little time....and the sonic rewards are amazing..........but, he just has no interest in it. He even told me so.

It is not just the large front baffle and space requirement that works against OB, they do not go as deep bass-wise because of the lack of reinforcement and because of out of phase cancellation.  I personally don't give ultra deep bass a high priority, so OB speakers are attractive, but, the market seems to really put such a premium on ultra deep bass--hence the use of subwoofers, popularity of high wattage solid state amps that can deliver bass punch, etc.  

A lot of the modern speakers with their very narrow front profiles sound the way they look, to me--thin and lacking is weight.  I do wonder if not enough concern is given to baffle-step and diffraction issues with some of these thin baffle designs.