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Imperial or Big Baffle for Quality of Bass? (Read 2619 times)
Brian
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Imperial or Big Baffle for Quality of Bass?
01/15/20 at 04:31:53
 
For those who have heard both,
Which Bass do you prefer: Imperial, Imperial SO, or the Master Series big open baffle model ZF15L?

Thanks, Brian
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Steve Deckert
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Re: Imperial or Big Baffle for Quality of Bass?
Reply #1 - 01/25/20 at 20:58:59
 

The only relative comparison is to use the same F15 driver in an Imperial and then compare it to the ZF15L baffle.  The Imperial is going to have more bass and the bass will be just as tight as it is in the baffle.  

Steve
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Brian
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Re: Imperial or Big Baffle for Quality of Bass?
Reply #2 - 01/26/20 at 01:54:54
 
Thank you, Steve!
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Steve Deckert
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If the 1st watt
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Re: Imperial or Big Baffle for Quality of Bass?
Reply #3 - 01/26/20 at 02:36:35
 

As a followup, since the fs of the F15 driver is around 50Hz, much of the Imperial's potential for 30Hz output will be diminished. Even so it will sound much deeper.

That said, the imperial likes large spaces. A small to medium sized listening room will generally not work because the size of the wavefront is so large it creates big standing waves that can cancel most of the lower bass. Even in a larger space, one imperial usually sounds like more bass than two due to less cancellation.

The Dipole effect of the open baffle creates two equally large wavefronts that are out of phase which cancel the base much differently in the room.  Rather than the bass having to go across the room, hit the rear wall and come back and hit the front wall and then return to cancel somewhere in the middle, the open baffle will ultimately create a larger number of smaller standing waves which is what you want compared to a couple giant ones.  Therefor in a lot of rooms, the bass from the ZF15L will probably be higher at the listening position.

Steve

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Brian
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Re: Imperial or Big Baffle for Quality of Bass?
Reply #4 - 01/27/20 at 02:15:01
 
Very informative.
These are for me, two of the most interesting speakers. It is fun to read the comparison.

Does bass from the sub only model sound much the same as from the standard model?
I thought perhaps the ear receiving sound directly from the driver in the standard model in addition to what is heard from the horn might cause an interference pattern of some sort with the sound from the horn; while the S.O. with it's driver partly blocked off from direct radiation might not have the interference.

Brian
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