This project was inspired by the “Big Air” open baffle system by Jim Strasser (please contact me for additional information regarding that system). That Big Air open baffle is a simple good sounding system based on a different woofer, smaller baffle and does not incorporate a few other things that I have added.
My target cost was to build a pair of open baffle speakers for under $150US. In exploring the possibilities of open baffle speaker systems I reviewed numerous sources to gain an understanding of how they function. I additionally used the worksheet xbaffle.xls (ZIP 692kB) (written by Thorsten Loesch and permitted only for non-commercial use) and the LDC7 worksheet (from the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook by Vance Dickason) to test various aspects of the speaker system before actually constructing it or making changes. I ended up with a larger baffle, a different woofer, a symmetrical crossover, and the inclusion of a rear firing tweeter. Clearly not as simple as the original system but I felt the changes worth the effort. I normally listen to MartinLogan Vista electrostatics and I have come to like the sound field they present. To date I have not found any “box” speaker systems that can equal the electrostatics’ ambiance. Thus was at least part of my desire to explore the open baffle concept.
For more detail: COBIES – Cheap Open Baffle Speakers