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Open Baffle Epiphany!

Rather than asking a bunch of all ready answered questions about OB design, can anyone recommend a good 'white paper' to read to get started?
Thanks.
 
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In looking at drivers for an OB build does neodymium vs. ferrite magnet make any difference. Am thinking the smaller neodymium magnet dimension might cause less interference with the back lobe compared to considerably larger ferrite. However, ferrite would add quite a bit of mass (30#/speaker, or so) to the speaker, possibly resulting in a more solid bass.
 
I wouldn't sweat magnetic size creating interference with the rear lobe too much. There are plenty of successful designs out there using support structures for the driver at the magnet that look like they'd encroach on the rear lobe but nobody seems to worry about it.
 
Thanks.
Have been looking at Hawthorne and Parts Express for drivers. Anyone else offer drivers that should be considered?
Am thinking a B&C 8" coax for the top half and 12" bass driver. X-over at 200 & 1700. 18" x 36" baffle with the coax offset 3" from the centerline.
 
Price no object? I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't go to a pair of AE Dipole 15s or even the Dipole 18s.

http://www.aespeakers.com/drivers.php?driver_id=32

Dipole15-back.png

Dipole15-front.png



http://www.aespeakers.com/drivers.php?driver_id=73

Dipole18-back.png

Dipole18-front.png
 
MX117.MC7150 said:
In looking at drivers for an OB build does neodymium vs. ferrite magnet make any difference. Am thinking the smaller neodymium magnet dimension might cause less interference with the back lobe compared to considerably larger ferrite. However, ferrite would add quite a bit of mass (30#/speaker, or so) to the speaker, possibly resulting in a more solid bass.
Click to expand...

I think you bring a very good point, but at the same time I think it would be nitpicking if we consider the size of the magnet as interfering with the back lobe. In my opinion the ferrite magnet being heavier wouldn't bring much to the table in an OB design, especially if the panel is stiff enough. Neo magnets being able to hold a better magnetic charge than Ferrite, hence why they can be smaller and lighter, but I also believe they wouldn't bring much to the table either, as the advantages of not interfering as much, if any, with the back lobe would be unnoticeable to the human ear.

Again, maybe if the experiment is done we find out that there are marked differences, but my personal opinion is that there won't be any noticeable ones.
 
The AES drivers do look interesting. Not sure about the price penalty, but I'm thinking I would like to stay with the same mfgr for the coax and bass driver (better synergy?) and I don't see a coax with AES.

Was thinking the B&C speakers offered by PEx.
 
finished my No Baffles!

i wanted to try a no baffle project and took some inspiration, of course, from mr. geist. here is an old thread from the poultry man: http://forums.audioreview.com/speakers/no-baffle-over-open-baffle-full-rangers-37582.html

as i am wood working challenged, i thought this would be achievable. i found some old window sashes and cleaned them up a bit. found the hardware at home depot. needed sturdier wire than PG used as i am using my visaton B200s, which are pretty heavy.

anyways, just hooked them up and they sound amazing. have them over H-frames with eminence alphas. using a SEP amp for the visatons and an SS amp for the woofers. rane active crossover set at 190 hz.

really a lousy room; just a corner of my study but this is where the ugly experiments have to go. very open sound. 3D presentation. and the visatons have not been run for a while...
 

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