Why so few commercial OB / dipole speakers?

[keyser]

Why are there so few commercial OB / dipole speakers? These days so many DIY people think dipole speakers are the way to go in high end sound reproduction, but why has this not yet been picked up by the masses?
I hear Linkwitz' Audio Artistry isn't very successful. Jamo's R909 has had some attention in the press. Is this model well sold?

What are your thoughts?

[Zaph]

Commercial buyers aren't willing to put up with the complexity, cost and placement limitations.

2 channel is pretty much dead in the mass market, and you can imagine the above issues made worse with a multichannel actively crossed and EQ'ed dipole system. Not impossible of course, but pretty unlikely.

Personally, I'm still a fan 2 channel audio and I've been dabbling in dipole for about a year now. But I'm pretty confident that dipole will never be a mass market item. In fact, it's pretty unpopular in the DIY segment too. It just doesn't seem like it because of the vocal few talking about it.

Consider this: looking at some statistics for my web site, the most popular design is still a $20 3" full range speaker. (that's sad) People want cheap, simple and flexible placement options in addition to the obvious good sound quality requirement. If anyone (or myself) ever designs a dipole that fulfills the missing cheap, simple and flexible, that will be a hit. By nature, it doesn't seem likely.

John

[sqlkev]

John is exactly right!
It would be hard to market such a complex system to the average consumers. In this day and age, people value space as well. In-walls are getting more popular in home theaters.

[bigwill]

Space exists to be filled with speakers!

[robertG]

Some DIYers think that OBs are better than boxed speakers... until they decide to DIY something else.

Regular buyers (those who are not in DIY) will almost always prefer a regular box type speaker. I don't know exactly why, probably the fact that a small tower is better looking than a flat panel? Or because the wife (or SO) doesn't like a pair of big and ugly baffles in the middle of the room (or at least a couple ft. from a wall anyway), with apparent cones and wires behind...

The Jamo speakers had a lot of press, but given their price, seems to me that most consumers will still prefer a pair of small boxes - along - if need be, with a small "sub" hidden somewhere.

I guess OBs will become mainstream when Bose decide that a single panel is cheaper to make than a complete box...

[robertG]

Some DIYers think that OBs are better than boxed speakers... until they decide to DIY something else.

Regular buyers (those who are not in DIY) will almost always prefer a regular box type speaker. I don't know exactly why, probably the fact that a small tower is better looking than a flat panel? Or because the wife (or SO) doesn't like a pair of big and ugly baffles in the middle of the room (or at least a couple ft. from a wall anyway), with apparent cones and wires behind...

The Jamo speakers had a lot of press, but given their price, seems to me that most consumers will still prefer a pair of small boxes - along - if need be, with a small "sub" hidden somewhere.

I guess OBs will become mainstream when Bose decide that a single panel is cheaper to make than a complete box...

[AJinFLA]

Magnepan is still in business after all these years and seem to be doing just fine. Selling OB, 2ch, placed like dipole speakers. Rather large ones too.

cheers,

AJ