Posted by Bill Fitzmaurice [ 64.222.183.188 ] on August 19, 2006 at 10:18:38:

In Reply to: Re: Is possible "near field" bass response using only 4 drivers ? posted by Jim Griffin on August 18, 2006 at 21:27:00:

I agree and disagree. As far as sensitivity is concerned a 6 to 12dB increase is likely from boundary reinforcement in the above mentioned scenario, so the box will in effect seem bigger. You might even get something resembling nearfield radiation, since the ceiling and floor would combine to restrict the vertical dispersion angle. But that effect would logically only extend the virtual length of the array to that of the floor to ceiling distance. This is only supposition on my part, though, as I've never measured a six foot bass array in a room with eight foot ceilings to see what happens.

As far as an array for below 100Hz is concerned I fully agree that for home use other options than an array are usually better, mostly from a cost/function standpoint. The exception to that would be if you managed to find drivers with the right specs at a cost too low to pass up. A dozen eights at $5 each might make a fine alternative to one 15 at $120, for instance. But I wouldn't use a dozen eights at $20 each in lieu of one fifteen at $120.

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