Haha, yeah I reacted right away to this scammer. Then he removed his gift nonsense and with that my reaction to it too and posted it again. Of course I told him to get lost again. Wonder if he will stop trying now you posted this warning?
Hi Steve. Just scammed yesterday. I noticed something fishy that the scammer wanted giving me speakers, headphones than macbook, iphone 14 thru telegram.
Steve, --Not only do I get a scam gift offer from someone posing as you every time I comment, but I just got one from "Mike O'Brien" this morning, resulting from the comment I left here yesterday. --Commenters beware.
5 years living with open baffles and I'll never go back to boxes. I'm a musician with guitars, drum kit, piano, banjo and fiddle all being played in my listening room daily. Really good box speakers sound like a really good stereo, open baffles sound much less like hifi and much more like real instruments in the room.
Would you say open baffle speakers can rock? I love music like Rock, Hard Rock and even some Metal. I‘m not concerned about clarity or speed but bass and warmth.
@@seventeendegree oh yes, they rock! I also listen to classic 80s/90s metal and hardcore punk occasionally.....brings me back to my teenage and early twenties. Open baffles make that stuff sound way better than it should......they are often pretty poor recordings but the open baffles provide a lot of slam, dynamics and space. Zero worries about them rocking, they absolutely do when it's required.
The best explanation ever for the differences in the bass was delivered several months ago on another forum by Charlie Conger: ''Open baffle woofers are velocity transducers as opposed to sealed boxes which are pressure devices. They stimulate the room in different ways. The sealed subs will shake the walls and doors and thump your chest. You will hear bass loudly outside a closed door or through a wall or ceiling. With an OB sub, not so much. OB subs also do not radiate energy to the side or up and down and therefore do not excite 2/3 of the room modes. Only modes along the axis of the room from front to back are significantly excited. Sealed box woofers have reflections inside the box that are impossible to avoid. These are all distortions that we have come to know and accept as right and good. Since the vast majority of listeners grew up with this sound it is what we more readily accept. That having been said dipole bass is really hard to beat when it comes to accuracy of reproduction, particular above around 30-40 Hz. They can, when combined in multiples, and with powerful amplifiers produces lots of very high quality bass. But they will never, at any given level, shake the room like a sealed box. ''
You know ... this OB speaker has a neodymium motor in the woofer and uh, these are okay with low power and the 100dB at 3m but if heat in the gap flux rises to 80 degrees, it damages the magnet, basically it weakens its strength, so take care at high volumes. I was walking around a rust-bucket scrap yard and happened to find an old car door speaker (never done a day's work all its life) that was lying like a prize in a driver's seat foot well and uh, when I turned it over, it had one of these ... lightweight neodymium magnets with the conical-shaped hole in the back of it, and these lightweight junk speakers go back a long way, you know hobbyist speaker-builders have been using OB with Eminence 15-inch woofers since the year 2007 and with that same baffle slit called a rectilinear drone? Back in 2007, the Hi-Fi amplifier recommended was 'Class A' with no switching, so Single-Ended tube or at the very least, Yamaha or Technics and it needed adjusted in the Output to lift the damping Q factor. These woofers are on SALE just now and so I was trying to find one with the Q already lifted for you know, do it yourself people, but there were too many 15-inch Kappalite versions to read through, I mean Steve ought to have taken a photo of the motor so we could source that woofer but you know, he never did. I mean maybe he wants to sell some ready built ones? 😁
Given this information I wonder if open baffle speakers would be a good choice in listening situations where transmission of noise is a problem, like an apartment or townhouse?
@@garyalexander5686 Interesting you mention that, Gary, because a few days ago when when I fired up my newly buillt Linkwitz LXmini setup the FIRST thing she said was, ''They sound so smooth!'' After a few hours of listening she added, ''They're not like the others you have. They don't irritate me when you play them loud.''😃
I heard these speakers at the NY Audio Show recently. They sounded to me as Steve described, even though the room was rather small. I remember this brand from when they first started out. They were displaying at RMAF. No one had heard of them. I remember sitting on the floor with one of the company founders. He'd completely disassembled one of the speakers so that we could see how they worked and what parts were used. He was a very open, easy-going guy. Not unlike his wonderful speakers. Thanks for this review, Steve.
Great review! I have built a very similar set of speakers using lowther PM5A’S and SB audio’s OB 15” bass drivers. In the 15 years since first setting them up I have tried various configurations and developed a really great passive crossover very similar to the one you showed in your review, - but without ironcores & a quasi 2nd order cross. This wasn’t an obvious solution but the result of trial and error and by far the best sounding and most efficient solution. We all owe Nelson Pass and Jon Ver halen some gratitude they designed this Open baffle scheme in the early 2000’s. At the time I had a pair of front loading horns for the lowthers the size of tuba’s and after a few years of them was revising the set up when I just tried it with out the horns -basically an open baffle setup and I was amazed. I’ve been running OB’s since. The grass is always greener though and I sure would like to A/B these speakers with a pair of klipsch and or altecs. Maybe some time soon. . . Thanks again for the review and all the clear listening and thinking.
I heard Pure Audio Speakers at the Pacific Audio Show this summer. They were a bit bigger than these I think (the Trios probably) Sounded wonderful. Better than most of the speakers costing ten times as much on show. They didn't sound like a speaker, they sounded like music appearing miraculously out of thin air
Steve, at 75 I felt like my audio system was complete. I have a wilson Watt/puppy plus REL Tx9 subwoofers. Powered by Classe DR-9 monoblocks. However your Pure Audio Project Duet 15 speaker system turned my audio world upside down. So I’m using the Duet 15 without the passive crossover. Instead I am using Nelson Pass Biamp 6-24 crossover and 4 channels of Nelson’s ACA design plus his B! Passive preamp. I can only say WOW! This system ahas to be experienced to be appreciated. Now I am not saying that it is better than my main system but it is so very different. You have certainly made my audio world come alive. Now I am going to add my Well Tempered Turntable to the Duet to more fully experience what these can deliver. Thank you!
Fascinating review, thanks Steve. I totally get the "difference in the sound of recordings". I am a convert to Lowther speakers and they too do this really well (no coincidence on the use of an 8" full-range driver). I use an active sub with "room correction" in the external crossover (which is tuned to the room with it's own microphone). The sub crossover has been the biggest single upgrade to the sound. I am something of a purist and had to be lent one to be convinced but I now get the bass detail without shaking the windows in exactly the way you describe. I am a techie by nature but as a music lover I have to conclude that you simply cannot measure good sound. Part of the engagement with this hobby is why one amp can sound better than another despite measurements telling you it is a thousand times worse...
I own the quintet 15"s with the Voxativ AC 1.6 Your spirited review truly affirms my own feelings towards my speakers. PAP has some incredible products. They are easy to own, they can be disassembled and shipped with ease. PAP will also work with you very fairly if you desire to upgrade your components.
As someone who finds speakers endlessly fascinating, I appreciate Steve reviewing such a wide variety of speakers. Most of his reviews cover reasonably priced gear, which is exactly what is most appropriate for such a channel. But I also appreciate learning about speakers like this one and others that are beyond my financial reach. It's a great time for us music lovers and Steve helps us get more enjoyment from this hobby. Great job!
Hi from Hiroshima, Steve! Have been enjoying your reviews for a long, long time. (First time to comment,tho'). Love your positivity and your down-to-earth, friendly approach. Also, you have a similar open-mind & curiosity to seek out music from so many different genres; love how you integrate them into your product reviews. Respect from the wee Scotsman in Japan. x
@@klepp19 Vocative sound was more refined than my Forte IIIs, with vocals, guitars and snare drums sounding more realistic. Imaging is same or better than the Forte IIIs. Big difference for me from the Forte IIIs is the sound is so much more open and unrestrained with the Duet 15s, which I assume is from the open baffle design. Recently paired the Duet 15s with the Music Fidelity A1 integrated amp and the sound is wonderful. Border Patrol DAC arrives today, so looking forward to see if it plays well with the Duet 15s and the A1. Forte IIIs may have had the edge when playing music with a prominent horn section, but not by a lot. Hope this helps.
This is so interesting! This makes me think, maybe this is why open back headphones, especially good ones like the Focal Clear Mg I have, are so detailed and realistic. I was listening yesterday to a smattering of old songs, like some “You’re So Vain.” On that track I was startled to hear some complex harmonies to the right that I had not heard on lesser systems. It was the realism that was startling. And of course, they are likewise open baffle sound sources. Perhaps open baffle’s really are the ideal way to hear music.
Viewer system of the day is almost exactly my taste for both systems, what a classy audiophile! Thanks Steve for sharing this review of the duet 15, Ze'ev is a total gentleman and his speakers are insanely good dare I say it up there with the best you can get IMO. 😀
Hey Steve. I always learn something interesting in your vlogs. It may disappoint you that I wasn't that interested in the $6K open baffle speakers made in Germany as great as they may sound. Your reference to Dick Hyman Plays Duke Ellington was the rabbit I enjoyed chasing and playing on my home office JBL Stage a 170's - also thanks to you. Audio is life.
I think you nailed it about the internal pressure, to elaborate forward the mechanical impedance the driver sees in a boxed speaker is different on the inside, this cannot allow the driver to follow the signal symmetrically. I don't have the technical knowledge to validate this thesis, but given we can recognize even an alnico magnet to sound better then ferrite due to more symmetrical/stable field, the mechanical impedance symmetry to me seems to be one of the most important factors of OB especially in upper bass/ low midrange.
Really enjoyed this review a lot (if I did not feel locked in with my current speakers, these would be a definite consideration, I love Steve enthusiasm for them), but also forgot to congratulate Steve on 50 millions views!
Lol. About 9 months ago I sent you images of my system. Speakers are Pure Audio Project Quintet 15 with Voxativ Field coil full range drivers and 4 woofers per side. Never a box speaker again in my life!!!
First estimate of attendance at the Central Park concert in 1981 was 500.000, but later estimates determined the park space could fit about 50.000 people. Still a huge and exiting event, but quite a discrepancy with the early half a million estimate. Cool you where there Steve, but as said it was a neighbourhood concert. Still listening to this album too at times! A classic!!!
All things being equal, open baffle dipoles are the best sounding speakers around. Electrostatic, ribbon, isodynamic, or dynamic, you can't beat the open uncoloured sound of a dipole.
Finally got my first pair of open baffles into my system this summer, and at this point at least, I don't see myself ever going back to box speakers. I wish I had the space and the money for these Duets...I'm sure they sound amazing. I think everybody should at least try open baffle speakers, assuming that you have enough room to get them away from the walls.
33 years as an Audiophile i have only heard not owned the Quads either model 57 or 67 i was young and those speakers blew me away ! Also heard a pair of Daquest 10s steve talks about sometimes those were very good also would those be consifered open baffle ?
I built some open baffle speakers using Lii Audio F15's and W15's, and I'm never going back to box speakers. These throw a much wider, deeper, and more 3D soundstage than anything else I've owned. Can't wait to get my decware in to use with them.
@@JC-lk3oy Did you build your own crossovers? Back in the 80's I built some large transmission line speakers and wound the coils at a college physics lab using their homebrew winder.
I have been thinking abt open baffle as a DIY project , get a carpenter to make the baffle from some fine solid wood , buy a single driver spkr like Lii Audio silver 10” ( 96dB sensitivity ) , put IsoAcoustic Gaias on the feet. Pair it with a class A tube amp. It wld costs around US2k. Use a Rel sub if deeper bass is needed. My summer 2023 project.
Robert, this is exactly my plan with a Decware zen amp, 2 watts through a Lii driver and pair it all with my Hsu Research sub ... a good network streamer and I'll be set for years of music enjoyment!
I don't know what you wound up with but the area a 15" driver covers is far more than at 10". So my recipe says gotta go 15, they are plenty fast and there is no substitute for cubic inches in terms of moving air and exciting the room. The other driver can be just about anything - 6" dual cone, Ribbon, horn and then depending on that choice the trick is in the crossover.
Regarding woofer enclosure types in addition to ported and sealed there's the TL (transmission line) cabinet that has some of the benefits of open-baffle designs. My Sanders Sound Systems hybrid 'stats use this type of enclosure to make the woofer "speed" closer to the electrostatic panel and it works very well indeed.
Wish I had spent a little more time listening to these at the NY audio show. I enjoyed them very much when I did, but ended up spending more time with another open baffle speaker (Spatial Audio Labs, which I loved, maybe my fave speaker at the show). Nice review! Open baffle speakers are so...open sounding. Much like the panel sort of speakers I like, but with more dynamics.
Steve, the saying you were searching for is.... "There's no replacement for displacement!" It referrs to engines, but applies to woofers too! I've learned that, for me, anything less than a 10" woofer simply sounds like it's working too hard. I don't agree with smaller woofers sounding "faster". I need to feel some mid-bass thump in my chest when I turn it up.
Once you heard the all new Clarisys Audio Panel Loudspeakers your be hooked for life ! They will be at the 2023 Florida Audio Expo Show this month ! They bring the Concert in your room REALLY !😇🤫
Hi Steve, your explanation of sound coming back through the cone is not true for the woofer but definitely true for the midrange. It's due to relationship between sound wavelengths and box dimensions. This is the reason Kef's Meta technology works so well. Tweeters usually have a completely sealed back. Now we need Kef to produce an open baffle speaker using the LS50 Meta driver.
Hey Steve, I'm like you in the the bass heavy thing is not really for me but that is not any part of the reason I use the REL S/510 sub. It "takes the load off" all of the other drivers trying to reproduce lower frequencies and is adjustible in output and frequency response. The other drivers are free to really do their thing and the bottom end gets nicely filled out. (I'm sure you are aware of this too) I can never hear the sub when it is adjusted properly. I wish I could adjust it by remote, although at least I'm getting some exercise! The whole sound flattens out as soon as I turn off the sub. I'm looking at an older Duet used. It is in my city so hopefully I can go hear it. Looks like the same Voxativ but different bass driver, not the latest crossover but close.
High sensitivity open baffle speakers are dynamic That don’t load up the room like box speakers do. 2/3rds of the problems are gone as far as the room. No side wall or floor too ceiling interaction. Especially in the bass which is critical. You can hear texture & tone with fast articulate bass. No box speaker can do this. Also higher up in frequency they sound much more open transparent Especially if you have a low crossover point say 500hz & up the sound is very coherent Having a crossover from 1.5khz & up is not good It messes up the sound you can hear it
I have said it before and I will say it again, Steve has seen the open baffle light. Yes, you hear musical information you have never heard before with OB's because the box coloration is gone. Speed and dipole radiation changes everything. And you can approximate this design for far far less than 6.4K with DYI components. Which I have done. If anyone would like to hear how let me know. BTW a great parallel to why OB's are great would be to imagine a movie theater playing Fantasia with arrays of Altec 604 coax's - essentially open baffle. Driven by tubes of course. They had achieved audiophile nirvana way back then and didn't even know it. My dad a very early audiophile was there to hear Fantasia and was changed forever.
As we grow older, our very high frequency hearing weakens. Our wise old brains adjust to this by analysing the higher midrange in more detail, studying each of the nuances. Well, as long as we enjoy it.........
My Cornwalls had been my reference since 1980 until I left them on the other coast. So glad nothing has changed except that Chorus IIs will fit better for me now.
Thank you for the review Steve, I'm a big fan of your videos. I've been listening to music since I was a child, but only recently I decided to build a system a little better, but as I didn't have much knowledge, it ended up not going well. I bought Totem Sky Tower speakers and the Rega Elicit-R amplifier to listen only to digital music (Qobuz) using Allo Digione Signature + Allo Shanti. In the audition room the sound was good, but in my house I find it too bright in many songs. As I know that you have already reviewed Totem speakers, which amplifier would be suitable for my Totem, since apparently the Elicit with the Sky Tower, in my living room, is not working very well.
But at the end of the day Steve, $6400 for Birch wood is truly expensive. OB’s of this type can be built for $2k. My former OB’s were hand built and made of actual solid wood baffles of both Maple and another set of a beautiful Mahogany. A local woodworker designed the baffles. I wish I could send you a photo of them. They were truly beautiful!
Great review, but I question the longevity of the foam surround on the midrange driver. The woofer has an old school (treated paper?) surround similar to what you would find in in older (like mine) Klipsch woofers. Sound augmentation relies on the 180 deg. out-of-phase sound from the back of the spkr being delayed just enough to bring it back into phase with the sound from the front of the speaker. This makes placement both critical, and frequency dependant. Do you have any comments on this Steve?
Steve love it if you could do a PAP Duet vs Trio especially the horn.I myself have wondered what the difference was with the PAP Trio/Quintet 10 vs 15 -basically a discussion of the libe
Hi Steve I have been following you and your work/channel for many years with a great degree of interest. You have become one of the few remaking reviewers that I trust implicitly! Now of course comes my Q. How difficult or not is it to position the PureAudio speakers within a typical room for best results?
One would expect at $6500/pr most customers arent going to subject them to many "elements". The raw drivers are out there too. A blast from an air compressor once or twice a year should take care of dust. How many times do you see tube amps with all their guts out in the open?
I had not heard that Simon & Garfunkle album. It is incredible. Thank you for the recommendation! Sadly, I would love to audition a good set of open baffles, but they are way out of my price range and DIY route is not an option for me. I really didn't care for the Maggies I have heard personally, but like one of the other comments, I have been to 100's of live shows and would love to hear a good set of open baffles to compare to my R700's
Hi Steve, Very good review. You recently also reviewed the spatial audio open baffles. How Dinther compare to the pure audio. Which ones do you prefer?
I would have liked more review of any audible effect of the big drawback with open baffle speakers which concerns lower-bass from the rear interfering / cancelling the forward projected bass although the larger baffle size on this would help that somewhat. Thats why its not used far ore commonly
GeorgeC AV, While I'm not an expert, I can tell you that you are a bit off in your understanding of bass and open baffles and how the low frequencies cancel each other. While you ARE correct that the baffle dictates the frequency that needs to be reached for the wavelength to "wrap" around the baffle and interfere with the opposite polarity wave from the rearward cone excursion, the front and rear waves only cancel at the sides where they actually mix. The front propagating wave and the rear propagating wave don't cancel at the listening position, only at the sides of the speaker. This is a "figure eight" pattern as opposed to a single, front wave propagation, which gets omni-directional at the wave length that "wraps" around the box. Hope this helps.
@@sjhorton1184 thanks for that and I must say my previous understanding was that it did interfere with particular the bass at listening positions as the bass wave moving rearward reflected back into the room. Maybe you are correct in which case I wonder why there are not more of them as many box speakers also need to be placed well off the wall
In fact there is a comb-filter effect but it comes from the rear wall reflecting the sound. That is why dipoles need a lot of distance from the rear wall to enable deep bass response. I know because gaving dipoles myself (electrostatics).
Quite some time ago I had a very respected speaker and enclosure designer explain to me, in as simple a way possible, how loudspeaker "Q" is delt with. He explained it this way. Imagine a spring with a weight on one end of the spring. Hold up the spring from the end without the weight. Now slowly move your hand up and down. Your design should be such that the movement if the weight, being held up by the spring, is minimal to nothing. The math of dealing with speaker "Q" is about the same. Another interesting part that relates to this. Take an empty coke bottle. Like you did when you were 10 years old. Blow horizontally across the top of the empty coke bottle. Whoot Whoot! That's all part of the math.
Steve - love the sensitivity rating on this line of speakers. How do we sort out horn vs coax ? I'm into everything, likely including a powered sub and driving with a Billie Amp so now it's the trio vs duet and horn vs coax? Thanks for your posts.
Steve, it’s awesome that you are introducing your viewers to such a wide range of speakers. I moved to open baffles (Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires) a year ago and I’ll never own another box speaker. They’re that good. Hopefully I’ll hear the PAPs in the not-too-distant future.
I build my own speakers now. Open baffle only and never going back. I'm seriously considering going commercial. I will not charge high-end prices. NEVER...!
Steve, am considering a pair of PAP Duet (your review inspiring) , but want to ask you what you feel would be minimum distance from all to front face of baffle? I hope you have time to answer me, many thanks.
@steve Im looking at getting some open baffles-Have you heard the Qualio IQ? It’s open baffle tweeter and open extended range midrange driver, but box 9.5” woofer. So really a hybrid. Im looking at that. Similar price to these…
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac interesting-HiFi Pig mentions very briefly he had Pure audio in for review “many moons ago” and he was blown away by the Qualio IQ saying it was the best thing he ever heard in his room by a lot-essentially a good alternative if you don’t have the space for AvantGardes-I always wanted to own those but I don’t have the space. Anyway he doesn’t really say what he thought of the pure audio or even which model he reviewed. I can hear audio of the Qualio on TH-cam, but Im more of your age where we used to be able to just go listen to stuff…I remember that S&G performance though I wasn’t there… I wish I could just go listen to all of these in person…
Well, I guess it's how you define recently. Was a couple of years ago, and all I can say in broad strokes is that I much prefer the sound of the pure audio project. That said Spatial might make a return engagement sometime this year. We will see.
If I could do it I would keep both speaker sets. I Have 2.3 watts and full range drivers in a large folded back loaded horn for the imaging and open sound. Sometimes a powerful amp and big speakers would bring the feel to the bones kind of sound would be nice.
Large folded horns are the best approximation of a OB since the sound is routed out of the box in the most efficient way possible. TL's are trying to do this also but are not getting it all out.
There's an Audiophiliac/Steve Guttenberg imposter scamming my viewers, DON'T respond! I don't do giveaways or ask for money (except for my Patreon).
Haha, yeah I reacted right away to this scammer. Then he removed his gift nonsense and with that my reaction to it too and posted it again. Of course I told him to get lost again. Wonder if he will stop trying now you posted this warning?
You must be pretty naive to believe Steve would organise a giveaway through Telegram, this scammer must be a real amateur.
Hi Steve. Just scammed yesterday. I noticed something fishy that the scammer wanted giving me speakers, headphones than macbook, iphone 14 thru telegram.
Thanks!
Steve, --Not only do I get a scam gift offer from someone posing as you every time I comment, but I just got one from "Mike O'Brien" this morning, resulting from the comment I left here yesterday. --Commenters beware.
5 years living with open baffles and I'll never go back to boxes. I'm a musician with guitars, drum kit, piano, banjo and fiddle all being played in my listening room daily. Really good box speakers sound like a really good stereo, open baffles sound much less like hifi and much more like real instruments in the room.
But dipoles have to be pulled away from the back wall otherwise the near field reflections can degrade the sound.
Yes, and if we do not recharge the dilithium crystals we will never reach warp speed
Would you say open baffle speakers can rock? I love music like Rock, Hard Rock and even some Metal. I‘m not concerned about clarity or speed but bass and warmth.
@@seventeendegree oh yes, they rock! I also listen to classic 80s/90s metal and hardcore punk occasionally.....brings me back to my teenage and early twenties. Open baffles make that stuff sound way better than it should......they are often pretty poor recordings but the open baffles provide a lot of slam, dynamics and space. Zero worries about them rocking, they absolutely do when it's required.
Great description of them! I’ve owned 2 pairs of OB’s, so I know what you’re saying!
The best explanation ever for the differences in the bass was delivered several months ago on another forum by Charlie Conger:
''Open baffle woofers are velocity transducers as opposed to sealed boxes which are pressure devices. They stimulate the room in different ways. The sealed subs will shake the walls and doors and thump your chest. You will hear bass loudly outside a closed door or through a wall or ceiling. With an OB sub, not so much. OB subs also do not radiate energy to the side or up and down and therefore do not excite 2/3 of the room modes. Only modes along the axis of the room from front to back are significantly excited. Sealed box woofers have reflections inside the box that are impossible to avoid. These are all distortions that we have come to know and accept as right and good. Since the vast majority of listeners grew up with this sound it is what we more readily accept. That having been said dipole bass is really hard to beat when it comes to accuracy of reproduction, particular above around 30-40 Hz. They can, when combined in multiples, and with powerful amplifiers produces lots of very high quality bass. But they will never, at any given level, shake the room like a sealed box. ''
Yep. That neatly explains why I can play my Magneplanars LOUD in my room but they can barely be heard outside it.
You know ... this OB speaker has a neodymium motor in the woofer and uh, these are okay with low power and the 100dB at 3m but if heat in the gap flux rises to 80 degrees, it damages the magnet, basically it weakens its strength, so take care at high volumes. I was walking around a rust-bucket scrap yard and happened to find an old car door speaker (never done a day's work all its life) that was lying like a prize in a driver's seat foot well and uh, when I turned it over, it had one of these ... lightweight neodymium magnets with the conical-shaped hole in the back of it, and these lightweight junk speakers go back a long way, you know hobbyist speaker-builders have been using OB with Eminence 15-inch woofers since the year 2007 and with that same baffle slit called a rectilinear drone? Back in 2007, the Hi-Fi amplifier recommended was 'Class A' with no switching, so Single-Ended tube or at the very least, Yamaha or Technics and it needed adjusted in the Output to lift the damping Q factor. These woofers are on SALE just now and so I was trying to find one with the Q already lifted for you know, do it yourself people, but there were too many 15-inch Kappalite versions to read through, I mean Steve ought to have taken a photo of the motor so we could source that woofer but you know, he never did. I mean maybe he wants to sell some ready built ones? 😁
Given this information I wonder if open baffle speakers would be a good choice in listening situations where transmission of noise is a problem, like an apartment or townhouse?
@@garyalexander5686 Interesting you mention that, Gary, because a few days ago when when I fired up my newly buillt Linkwitz LXmini setup the FIRST thing she said was, ''They sound so smooth!'' After a few hours of listening she added, ''They're not like the others you have. They don't irritate me when you play them loud.''😃
@@keplermission looks great
I heard these speakers at the NY Audio Show recently. They sounded to me as Steve described, even though the room was rather small. I remember this brand from when they first started out. They were displaying at RMAF. No one had heard of them. I remember sitting on the floor with one of the company founders. He'd completely disassembled one of the speakers so that we could see how they worked and what parts were used. He was a very open, easy-going guy. Not unlike his wonderful speakers. Thanks for this review, Steve.
Would you post any link for video?
@@dilbyjones th-cam.com/video/ejYiY69w4vs/w-d-xo.html
Great review! I have built a very similar set of speakers using lowther PM5A’S and SB audio’s OB 15” bass drivers. In the 15 years since first setting them up I have tried various configurations and developed a really great passive crossover very similar to the one you showed in your review, - but without ironcores & a quasi 2nd order cross. This wasn’t an obvious solution but the result of trial and error and by far the best sounding and most efficient solution. We all owe Nelson Pass and Jon Ver halen some gratitude they designed this Open baffle scheme in the early 2000’s. At the time I had a pair of front loading horns for the lowthers the size of tuba’s and after a few years of them was revising the set up when I just tried it with out the horns -basically an open baffle setup and I was amazed. I’ve been running OB’s since.
The grass is always greener though and I sure would like to A/B these speakers with a pair of klipsch and or altecs. Maybe some time soon. . . Thanks again for the review and all the clear listening and thinking.
Every video you do has me listening to the albums you use. Would really like a whole video on your go-to reference LPs.
I heard Pure Audio Speakers at the Pacific Audio Show this summer. They were a bit bigger than these I think (the Trios probably) Sounded wonderful. Better than most of the speakers costing ten times as much on show. They didn't sound like a speaker, they sounded like music appearing miraculously out of thin air
The Songer room was better to me! But PAP was good on jazz with his vinyl.😊
I bought these speakers several months ago. I am very pleased with them. They fill the room with great sound. Playing with McIntosh components.
Steve, at 75 I felt like my audio system was complete. I have a wilson Watt/puppy plus REL Tx9 subwoofers. Powered by Classe DR-9 monoblocks. However your Pure Audio Project Duet 15 speaker system turned my audio world upside down. So I’m using the Duet 15 without the passive crossover. Instead I am using Nelson Pass Biamp 6-24 crossover and 4 channels of Nelson’s ACA design plus his B! Passive preamp. I can only say WOW! This system ahas to be experienced to be appreciated. Now I am not saying that it is better than my main system but it is so very different. You have certainly made my audio world come alive. Now I am going to add my Well Tempered Turntable to the Duet to more fully experience what these can deliver. Thank you!
Love your enthusiasm for audio Steve. Keep it up!
Fascinating review, thanks Steve.
I totally get the "difference in the sound of recordings". I am a convert to Lowther speakers and they too do this really well (no coincidence on the use of an 8" full-range driver). I use an active sub with "room correction" in the external crossover (which is tuned to the room with it's own microphone). The sub crossover has been the biggest single upgrade to the sound. I am something of a purist and had to be lent one to be convinced but I now get the bass detail without shaking the windows in exactly the way you describe.
I am a techie by nature but as a music lover I have to conclude that you simply cannot measure good sound. Part of the engagement with this hobby is why one amp can sound better than another despite measurements telling you it is a thousand times worse...
I own the quintet 15"s with the Voxativ AC 1.6 Your spirited review truly affirms my own feelings towards my speakers. PAP has some incredible products. They are easy to own, they can be disassembled and shipped with ease. PAP will also work with you very fairly if you desire to upgrade your components.
I love my PAP and a review that really sums up the attributes of these speakers. Well worth a listen
As someone who finds speakers endlessly fascinating, I appreciate Steve reviewing such a wide variety of speakers. Most of his reviews cover reasonably priced gear, which is exactly what is most appropriate for such a channel. But I also appreciate learning about speakers like this one and others that are beyond my financial reach. It's a great time for us music lovers and Steve helps us get more enjoyment from this hobby. Great job!
Always love your reviews and shirts.
Hi from Hiroshima, Steve! Have been enjoying your reviews for a long, long time. (First time to comment,tho'). Love your positivity and your down-to-earth, friendly approach. Also, you have a similar open-mind & curiosity to seek out music from so many different genres; love how you integrate them into your product reviews. Respect from the wee Scotsman in Japan. x
This is actually a very straight forward DIY type design.
Taking Nothing away from PureAudioProject... DIY speaker guys have been doing these for many many years.
I replaced my Forte IIIs (which I liked a lot) with the Duet 15s and I really enjoy the “no box” sound.
I recently sold my Cornwalls and considering the Duet 15! How are the Voxativ mids and how is image focus which is important to me?
@@klepp19 Vocative sound was more refined than my Forte IIIs, with vocals, guitars and snare drums sounding more realistic. Imaging is same or better than the Forte IIIs. Big difference for me from the Forte IIIs is the sound is so much more open and unrestrained with the Duet 15s, which I assume is from the open baffle design. Recently paired the Duet 15s with the Music Fidelity A1 integrated amp and the sound is wonderful. Border Patrol DAC arrives today, so looking forward to see if it plays well with the Duet 15s and the A1. Forte IIIs may have had the edge when playing music with a prominent horn section, but not by a lot. Hope this helps.
Congratulations Steve on your 50 million views. Absolutely amazing achievement. 👍😎
This is so interesting! This makes me think, maybe this is why open back headphones, especially good ones like the Focal Clear Mg I have, are so detailed and realistic. I was listening yesterday to a smattering of old songs, like some “You’re So Vain.” On that track I was startled to hear some complex harmonies to the right that I had not heard on lesser systems. It was the realism that was startling. And of course, they are likewise open baffle sound sources. Perhaps open baffle’s really are the ideal way to hear music.
speakers that let me hear the differences are one of my best ways of telling if its a great speaker.
Steve: absolutely LOVE todays shirt choice!! 😀
Viewer system of the day is almost exactly my taste for both systems, what a classy audiophile! Thanks Steve for sharing this review of the duet 15, Ze'ev is a total gentleman and his speakers are insanely good dare I say it up there with the best you can get IMO. 😀
So excited to see this review. Don't know why, but I am in love with its looks. Hope Steve finds it sound good too.
Very nice insight into the semantics of music performance. Explains the 'why' aspect of becoming audiophile.
Thanks
Hey Steve. I always learn something interesting in your vlogs. It may disappoint you that I wasn't that interested in the $6K open baffle speakers made in Germany as great as they may sound. Your reference to Dick Hyman Plays Duke Ellington was the rabbit I enjoyed chasing and playing on my home office JBL Stage a 170's - also thanks to you. Audio is life.
Very Cool Video!!!! I have never seen a speaker with no back and sides but it is very interesting indeed. Really enjoy your videos Steve!!!
I think you nailed it about the internal pressure, to elaborate forward the mechanical impedance the driver sees in a boxed speaker is different on the inside, this cannot allow the driver to follow the signal symmetrically.
I don't have the technical knowledge to validate this thesis, but given we can recognize even an alnico magnet to sound better then ferrite due to more symmetrical/stable field, the mechanical impedance symmetry to me seems to be one of the most important factors of OB especially in upper bass/ low midrange.
Really enjoyed this review a lot (if I did not feel locked in with my current speakers, these would be a definite consideration, I love Steve enthusiasm for them), but also forgot to congratulate Steve on 50 millions views!
Lol. About 9 months ago I sent you images of my system. Speakers are Pure Audio Project Quintet 15 with Voxativ Field coil full range drivers and 4 woofers per side. Never a box speaker again in my life!!!
I have to say, that may have been in the top few most genuinely positive reviews I’ve ever heard. Beautiful
Thank you!
If you like these, listen to the Linkwitz Lab LX521.4, or LX Mini speakers!
Fantastic review, as usual! I was wondering how the Pure Audio Project compares with the Klipsch at low listening volumes (50-60db)? Thanks.
Yes, i just read you can NOT overdrive it, not really sure. Voxative can answer this assertion, with more insightful detail.
Great review 👍
First estimate of attendance at the Central Park concert in 1981 was 500.000, but later estimates determined the park space could fit about 50.000 people. Still a huge and exiting event, but quite a discrepancy with the early half a million estimate. Cool you where there Steve, but as said it was a neighbourhood concert. Still listening to this album too at times! A classic!!!
I’d love to hear Hawkwind’s “Space Ritual Alive” on the Duets. Sounds like a great match👍
All things being equal, open baffle dipoles are the best sounding speakers around. Electrostatic, ribbon, isodynamic, or dynamic, you can't beat the open uncoloured sound of a dipole.
50,000,000 views!!! The fire engine is on the way because Steve is on 🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Finally got my first pair of open baffles into my system this summer, and at this point at least, I don't see myself ever going back to box speakers. I wish I had the space and the money for these Duets...I'm sure they sound amazing. I think everybody should at least try open baffle speakers, assuming that you have enough room to get them away from the walls.
33 years as an Audiophile i have only heard not owned the Quads either model 57 or 67 i was young and those speakers blew me away ! Also heard a pair of Daquest 10s steve talks about sometimes those were very good also would those be consifered open baffle ?
I built some open baffle speakers using Lii Audio F15's and W15's, and I'm never going back to box speakers. These throw a much wider, deeper, and more 3D soundstage than anything else I've owned. Can't wait to get my decware in to use with them.
No
@@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120 Yes, DQ-10s were open baffle, but not for the bass driver.
@@JC-lk3oy Did you build your own crossovers? Back in the 80's I built some large transmission line speakers and wound the coils at a college physics lab using their homebrew winder.
I have been thinking abt open baffle as a DIY project , get a carpenter to make the baffle from some fine solid wood , buy a single driver spkr like Lii Audio silver 10” ( 96dB sensitivity ) , put IsoAcoustic Gaias on the feet. Pair it with a class A tube amp. It wld costs around US2k. Use a Rel sub if deeper bass is needed. My summer 2023 project.
Robert, this is exactly my plan with a Decware zen amp, 2 watts through a Lii driver and pair it all with my Hsu Research sub ... a good network streamer and I'll be set for years of music enjoyment!
@@daviddowns3154 Hhhh nice to know. I’m using a Willsenton R800i with rolled tubes , a bit of an overkill at 50W class A. Good luck on your endeavor.
I don't know what you wound up with but the area a 15" driver covers is far more than at 10". So my recipe says gotta go 15, they are plenty fast and there is no substitute for cubic inches in terms of moving air and exciting the room. The other driver can be just about anything - 6" dual cone, Ribbon, horn and then depending on that choice the trick is in the crossover.
Regarding woofer enclosure types in addition to ported and sealed there's the TL (transmission line) cabinet that has some of the benefits of open-baffle designs. My Sanders Sound Systems hybrid 'stats use this type of enclosure to make the woofer "speed" closer to the electrostatic panel and it works very well indeed.
Wish I had spent a little more time listening to these at the NY audio show. I enjoyed them very much when I did, but ended up spending more time with another open baffle speaker (Spatial Audio Labs, which I loved, maybe my fave speaker at the show). Nice review! Open baffle speakers are so...open sounding. Much like the panel sort of speakers I like, but with more dynamics.
I'd really like to audition the Duet 15's against my Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires, but that's easier said than done.
Now that one really interests me! Gotta find a way to hear a pair of these. Thanks, Steve. I'm on the hunt!
The company will let you try them without obligation. That was a big factor when i purchased mine.
Steve, the saying you were searching for is.... "There's no replacement for displacement!" It referrs to engines, but applies to woofers too! I've learned that, for me, anything less than a 10" woofer simply sounds like it's working too hard. I don't agree with smaller woofers sounding "faster". I need to feel some mid-bass thump in my chest when I turn it up.
Nice haircut! Looking good :D
Can you give a comparison with the trio 15
Classic that you previously reviewed
Once you heard the all new Clarisys Audio Panel Loudspeakers your be hooked for life !
They will be at the 2023 Florida Audio Expo Show this month ! They bring the Concert in your room REALLY !😇🤫
I was at The New York audio show too. I thought that these were the best speakers at the show especially for those small hotel rooms.
Hi Steve, your explanation of sound coming back through the cone is not true for the woofer but definitely true for the midrange. It's due to relationship between sound wavelengths and box dimensions. This is the reason Kef's Meta technology works so well. Tweeters usually have a completely sealed back. Now we need Kef to produce an open baffle speaker using the LS50 Meta driver.
Steve! I don't think that I have ever seen you "smitten" before ❤️!
😀
SO what are the power amp requirements for the Duet 15? Best type of amp for the speakers? Are the Duets bright or sweet?
Hey Steve, I'm like you in the the bass heavy thing is not really for me but that is not any part of the reason I use the REL S/510 sub. It "takes the load off" all of the other drivers trying to reproduce lower frequencies and is adjustible in output and frequency response. The other drivers are free to really do their thing and the bottom end gets nicely filled out. (I'm sure you are aware of this too) I can never hear the sub when it is adjusted properly. I wish I could adjust it by remote, although at least I'm getting some exercise! The whole sound flattens out as soon as I turn off the sub. I'm looking at an older Duet used. It is in my city so hopefully I can go hear it. Looks like the same Voxativ but different bass driver, not the latest crossover but close.
Good luck with that, definitely play music you're very familiar with.
High sensitivity open baffle speakers are dynamic
That don’t load up the room like box speakers do.
2/3rds of the problems are gone as far as the room. No side wall or floor too ceiling interaction.
Especially in the bass which is critical.
You can hear texture & tone with fast articulate bass.
No box speaker can do this.
Also higher up in frequency they sound much more open transparent
Especially if you have a low crossover point say 500hz & up the sound is very coherent
Having a crossover from 1.5khz & up is not good
It messes up the sound you can hear it
I cross my OB's at 1200 and they sound great.
It would be great to compare PureAudioProject Duet15 vs Lii Audio Liionidas ( W15+Silver 10 )
Steve, have you ever thought of reviewing the Decware ZOB open baffle speakers? I would love for you to do this!
I have said it before and I will say it again, Steve has seen the open baffle light. Yes, you hear musical information you have never heard before with OB's because the box coloration is gone. Speed and dipole radiation changes everything. And you can approximate this design for far far less than 6.4K with DYI components. Which I have done. If anyone would like to hear how let me know. BTW a great parallel to why OB's are great would be to imagine a movie theater playing Fantasia with arrays of Altec 604 coax's - essentially open baffle. Driven by tubes of course. They had achieved audiophile nirvana way back then and didn't even know it. My dad a very early audiophile was there to hear Fantasia and was changed forever.
Steve brilliant video it's a wow also your shirt is wonderful hats off to the maker.peace
As we grow older, our very high frequency hearing weakens.
Our wise old brains adjust to this by analysing the higher midrange in more detail, studying each of the nuances.
Well, as long as we enjoy it.........
When i get older loosing my hair.....
ACA monoblocks and Pure Audio Trio 10 work very well in my apartment setting. I added a Sunfire Junior to beef up the lows… just totally dig it
My Cornwalls had been my reference since 1980 until I left them on the other coast. So glad nothing has changed except that Chorus IIs will fit better for me now.
Thank you for the review Steve, I'm a big fan of your videos. I've been listening to music since I was a child, but only recently I decided to build a system a little better, but as I didn't have much knowledge, it ended up not going well. I bought Totem Sky Tower speakers and the Rega Elicit-R amplifier to listen only to digital music (Qobuz) using Allo Digione Signature + Allo Shanti. In the audition room the sound was good, but in my house I find it too bright in many songs. As I know that you have already reviewed Totem speakers, which amplifier would be suitable for my Totem, since apparently the Elicit with the Sky Tower, in my living room, is not working very well.
But at the end of the day Steve, $6400 for Birch wood is truly expensive. OB’s of this type can be built for $2k. My former OB’s were hand built and made of actual solid wood baffles of both Maple and another set of a beautiful Mahogany. A local woodworker designed the baffles. I wish I could send you a photo of them. They were truly beautiful!
Congrats Steve!
Nice speaker! Voxativ driver. Voxativ is one of my favorites!
Great review, but I question the longevity of the foam surround on the midrange driver.
The woofer has an old school (treated paper?) surround similar to what you would find in in older (like mine) Klipsch woofers.
Sound augmentation relies on the 180 deg. out-of-phase sound from the back of the spkr being delayed just enough to bring it back into phase with the sound from the front of the speaker.
This makes placement both critical, and frequency dependant.
Do you have any comments on this Steve?
Very expressive and informing review!
Steve love it if you could do a PAP Duet vs Trio especially the horn.I myself have wondered what the difference was with the PAP Trio/Quintet 10 vs 15 -basically a discussion of the libe
Hi Steve
I have been following you and your work/channel for many years with a great degree of interest. You have become one of the few remaking reviewers that I trust implicitly!
Now of course comes my Q. How difficult or not is it to position the PureAudio speakers within a typical room for best results?
I can understand the open baffle with the speakers drivers themselves but why is the crossover exposed like that to collect dust and other elements?
One would expect at $6500/pr most customers arent going to subject them to many "elements". The raw drivers are out there too. A blast from an air compressor once or twice a year should take care of dust.
How many times do you see tube amps with all their guts out in the open?
I had not heard that Simon & Garfunkle album. It is incredible. Thank you for the recommendation! Sadly, I would love to audition a good set of open baffles, but they are way out of my price range and DIY route is not an option for me. I really didn't care for the Maggies I have heard personally, but like one of the other comments, I have been to 100's of live shows and would love to hear a good set of open baffles to compare to my R700's
Hi Steve,
Very good review. You recently also reviewed the spatial audio open baffles. How Dinther compare to the pure audio. Which ones do you prefer?
Best viewer of the day yet
how would you compare the Buet15 to Spaital Audio OB offerings?
These remind me Lx521 I built 5 years ago which serve as my HT system now. Same dipole principle. 😅
I would have liked more review of any audible effect of the big drawback with open baffle speakers which concerns lower-bass from the rear interfering / cancelling the forward projected bass although the larger baffle size on this would help that somewhat. Thats why its not used far ore commonly
GeorgeC AV, While I'm not an expert, I can tell you that you are a bit off in your understanding of bass and open baffles and how the low frequencies cancel each other. While you ARE correct that the baffle dictates the frequency that needs to be reached for the wavelength to "wrap" around the baffle and interfere with the opposite polarity wave from the rearward cone excursion, the front and rear waves only cancel at the sides where they actually mix. The front propagating wave and the rear propagating wave don't cancel at the listening position, only at the sides of the speaker. This is a "figure eight" pattern as opposed to a single, front wave propagation, which gets omni-directional at the wave length that "wraps" around the box. Hope this helps.
@@sjhorton1184 thanks for that and I must say my previous understanding was that it did interfere with particular the bass at listening positions as the bass wave moving rearward reflected back into the room. Maybe you are correct in which case I wonder why there are not more of them as many box speakers also need to be placed well off the wall
In fact there is a comb-filter effect but it comes from the rear wall reflecting the sound. That is why dipoles need a lot of distance from the rear wall to enable deep bass response. I know because gaving dipoles myself (electrostatics).
Be interesting to see how the spatial audio speakers compare to these.
I may be getting some Spatials in a few months.
Quite some time ago I had a very respected speaker and enclosure designer explain to me, in as simple a way possible, how loudspeaker "Q" is delt with. He explained it this way.
Imagine a spring with a weight on one end of the spring. Hold up the spring from the end without the weight. Now slowly move your hand up and down. Your design should be such that the movement if the weight, being held up by the spring, is minimal to nothing.
The math of dealing with speaker "Q" is about the same.
Another interesting part that relates to this. Take an empty coke bottle. Like you did when you were 10 years old. Blow horizontally across the top of the empty coke bottle. Whoot Whoot! That's all part of the math.
I'm curious if moving to the Trio15 will get you the extra bass response without having to resort to a subwoofer?
Not exactly, sealed or ported box bass has more slam and punch. The trio is definitely recommend for larger rooms. Or Quintet
sounds like synergy twixt one of the most expensive driver brands and a budget option. voxative's most pricey driver is $69,000 (pair)!
great video Steve.
Steve - love the sensitivity rating on this line of speakers. How do we sort out horn vs coax ? I'm into everything, likely including a powered sub and driving with a Billie Amp so now it's the trio vs duet and horn vs coax? Thanks for your posts.
Awesome stuff as usual Steve but I have to ask...
Why, whY, WHY not the Trio 15 model instead?
Like you say, bigger is better.
Steve, it’s awesome that you are introducing your viewers to such a wide range of speakers. I moved to open baffles (Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires) a year ago and I’ll never own another box speaker. They’re that good. Hopefully I’ll hear the PAPs in the not-too-distant future.
I build my own speakers now.
Open baffle only and never going back.
I'm seriously considering going commercial.
I will not charge high-end prices. NEVER...!
Do it!
What are you using for the internal wiring and speaker cable for these speakers-please specify.
Hi Steve, how are the Duet's for low volume late night listening ?? You normally mention it.
It’s good, but not as good as the Cornwall.
wow-0-wow wise words on a topic dear to my heart
Steve where do we buy the PureAudio ?
excellent review. How would you compare these to the Spatial Audio open baffles?
I'm baffled by this design...
I'm open...
I saw / heard S & G in London's Hyde Park c2004. The Everly bros were their support act! It was AMAZING
Steve, am considering a pair of PAP Duet (your review inspiring) , but want to ask you what you feel would be minimum distance from all to front face of baffle? I hope you have time to answer me, many thanks.
50 Million views..Are you camera shy yet Steve 😆..... Another great take on a speaker
Take care from Down Under 🙏
Steve i wish to listen this beautiful OB but if coupled with luxman 595 ase will be good?
@steve Im looking at getting some open baffles-Have you heard the Qualio IQ? It’s open baffle tweeter and open extended range midrange driver, but box 9.5” woofer. So really a hybrid. Im looking at that. Similar price to these…
No I have not, but since the woofer is enclosed in a box it certainly can't match what the duet can do.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac interesting-HiFi Pig mentions very briefly he had Pure audio in for review “many moons ago” and he was blown away by the Qualio IQ saying it was the best thing he ever heard in his room by a lot-essentially a good alternative if you don’t have the space for AvantGardes-I always wanted to own those but I don’t have the space. Anyway he doesn’t really say what he thought of the pure audio or even which model he reviewed. I can hear audio of the Qualio on TH-cam, but Im more of your age where we used to be able to just go listen to stuff…I remember that S&G performance though I wasn’t there… I wish I could just go listen to all of these in person…
Hey Steve, any idea what's the crossover frequency between those two drivers ???
Hey, it's got wizzer cone. Haven't seen those since my old 6 X 9 car speakers. Those things tend to ring like a bell.
Hi Steve. You already reviewed the Sapphire M4s recently so how do they compare? Why no mention?
Well, I guess it's how you define recently. Was a couple of years ago, and all I can say in broad strokes is that I much prefer the sound of the pure audio project. That said Spatial might make a return engagement sometime this year. We will see.
If I could do it I would keep both speaker sets. I Have 2.3 watts and full range drivers in a large folded back loaded horn for the imaging and open sound. Sometimes a powerful amp and big speakers would bring the feel to the bones kind of sound would be nice.
Large folded horns are the best approximation of a OB since the sound is routed out of the box in the most efficient way possible. TL's are trying to do this also but are not getting it all out.