I have been following this thread with some interest as I have recently bought my first pair of OB speakers. These are a few thoughts from a simple pig.
It seems that some of the OB designs are really just a psuedo infinite baffle design, such as the JE Labs baffle set ups. The baffles are so wide that they get the drivers to perform at almost full range capability, or at least get the lions share of the bass response they have. But they are so big that they dominate a room, in essence they are a false front wall.
I certainly see the value of the DIY side of OB speakers. A hobbyists with a minimum of tools and skills can put together a very attractive baffle with a bit of thought and attention to detail. But I certainly can understand that people may find them less than attractive due to the exposed drivers. My wife certainly does not appreciate my speakers when viewed from the back, which is what happens when you walk into the room. But there certainly is value in terms of costs of drivers when bought from Madisound or Parts Express and the cost of the baffle, and crossover parts.
When going with a narrower baffle, the system complexity can escalate quickly. My Hawthorne baffles are 15 inches wide, but use two 10" helper woofers per side, as well as a 10" coax driver. While this gives you respectable bass, it still needs a subwoofer to be a true full range system. I was fortunate to buy an Infinity Cascade 15 sub on close out, but its a $1500 MSRP sub. I certainly don't think you need one that expensive, but a good sub is a few bucks. Add to the mix the need for a plate amp for the bass drivers per speaker, and the system gets complex. now if you want to do electronic x-over you can possibly be adding one more amp for the tweeter and the associated cabling.
In some ways I see an OB speaker as a poor mans electrostatic/planar kind of speaker. You get the same kind of boxless sound, but it does lag behind in terms of transparency and low level detail. But you gain better dynamic contrasts, perhaps a bit deeper bass, and may not need as robust, expensive amplification. In my particular set up I got high efficiency OB speakers, and can run an 8 wpc SET amp. But I also need a 200 watt plate amp per speaker for the bass section....and then the sub.
Every speaker design has its strengths and limitations. OB are no different. I certainly see the value to the cost conscious hobbyist, and it allows them to use far better drivers than what might be found in a comparably priced commercial offering. I can see the attraction of the boxless sound also. I like what my speaker system does, but I also know its short comings. There have been some onteresting OB designs done commercially, like the Carver Amazings, the emerald Physics, the Linkwitz, and what not. There have also been hybrid speakers using OB elements like the vandersteen, Dahlquist, Alon and what not.
I think the format is worth exploring, as long as you go into it with an understanding of what is and is not possible. Which is not what i did, but I am fortunate that things are working out nicely. I do wonder if car audio woofers might have an application in a home open baffle system. Some are meant for some infinite baffle kind of arrangements, and this might translate into OB compatibility.
But this is just the opinion of a simple pig. If you want a second opinion go ask the cows for they are wise. Do not talk to the chickens as fowl are liars and they cheat at cards.
Regards
Mister Pig
