Is the box speaker a dinosaur?

[Gregadd]

I'm not suggesting that the box speaker is a dragon in need of slaying. On the contrary. It was the Magico Q7 and EA MM7 that caused me to think perhaps we have gone as far as we can go; at least at a price and size that has a real world applicability. Both designs benefited from a no holds barred approach. Having said that, Avalon is set to release another SOTA speaker in January. It will be fascinating to see what they have achieved.

 

[treitz3]

Good afternoon, gentlemen and happy holidays to all. I just want to let you know that all personal comments have been removed from the discussions from page 10 on. Please refrain from making any comments that are not part of the topic being discussed. Comments that are directed as a personal jab, statement or opinion with regards to another member of this forum are a violation of the TOS of the WBF.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?1207-Terms-Of-Service

Please focus on the topic being discussed, rather than the person discussing it.

Tom

 

[Gregadd]

Examples of cabinet bracing



I don't know that the rise of headphones is backlash to the box speaker. The question is will they come back assuming they are not engaged in dual use. Certainly the headphone craze is not limited to earbuds. http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?7711-Beyerdynamic-vs-Sennheiser-vs-Stax/page2
Hybrids,( open baffle high frequency drivers with boxed low frequency drivers.) are prevalent have used panel speakers since the late seventies. Omni-directional speakers like MBL Ohm, and Physiks are another option.
Even if we stopped making box speakers today the current crop would last for at least another generation. I could be very happy with a box speaker. Some of my favorite box speakers are significantly expensive than their planar competitors

http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/loudspeaker-cabinets


http://www.google.com/search?num=10...8j3.31.0.cpsugrpq2high..0.0...1.1.mRMkGrli2wk

http://www.google.com/search?num=10...8j3.31.0.cpsugrpq2high..0.0...1.1.mRMkGrli2wk

 

[Gregadd]

It is often the case that the cabinet costs considerably more than the components it houses. This was not always the case, but as increasing competition drops the prices of the raw loudspeaker drive units, deforestation and the cost of fuel and labor keeps driving up the cost of high quality materials used in speaker cabinets. It is no longer uncommon for a $100 box to be housing $20 worth of components. The continuing emphasis on looks over sound quality reinforces the manufacturers decisions in this regard.
http://www.audioholics.com/education...eaker-cabinets

 

[DonH50]

Disclaimer: I did not read through the thread.

I would have guessed panel speakers were the dinosaurs, if anything. Panels must be much larger for the same output (at least until we get high-current room-temperature superconducting magnets), have that back wave to contend with, and are generally harder to set up than box speakers. HT and it's requirement for more speakers seems to lead to more, not fewer, box speaker systems. Couple that with arguably fewer people able to afford homes with large media rooms to provide space for a set of panels, and box speakers appear here (or, "hear") to stay...

It is also easier for the average speaker designer to grab conventional speakers and build a box than to design and manufacture a good panel speaker, IMO; where does one buy panels (planer magnetic or electrostatic)? The box also allows tuning and better control of driver extension, e.g. higher damping compared to a typical panel.

There has been some interesting research into generating sound by using small emitters and wave interference theory to create a "holographic" sound system with no conventional drivers. Perhaps that is the future.

All that said, I am not giving up my Maggies! - Don

 

[Gregadd]

]Yes box speakers are easy to build difficult to master. Most of the points you raised I have already addressed, But let's address the claim of $20 of parts in a $100 box. Let's suppose we could change that just be mouitng the tweeter and midrange drivers on an open baffle. Maybe then we we could have 60 dollars worth of parts in a 60 dollar box.

Lastly a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[A.wayne]

Yes ....

 

[Jim Smith]

Yes ....

Au contraire...

 

[Gregadd]

Don boxless speakers can also look like this:

 

[A.wayne]

View attachment 7226]View attachment 7224Yes box speakers are easy to build difficult to master. Most of the points you raised I have already addressed, But let's address the claim of $20 of parts in a $100 box. Let's suppose we could change that just be mouitng the tweeter and midrange drivers on an open baffle. Maybe then we we could have 60 dollars worth of parts in a 60 dollar box.

Lastly a picture is worth a thousand words.

Yes doors are cheaper to manufactuer than pretty boxes ...

 

[A.wayne]

View attachment 7227Don boxless speakers can also look like this:

Sound like that too ..

 

[Gregadd]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm just trying to get you guys to think outside of the box.

 

[A.wayne]

Well i have done so for years , favoring hybrids (box/dipoles) for over 30 yrs , in my main systems none are straight boxes nor do i favor the sound of straight panel speakers ...

If i had to choose one type to live with ( box or panel ) it would be a straight box speaker , a large box speaker would tick more of the boxes than any straight panel speaker ....