For which speakers? Your front L/R pair or your surrounds?
I have bipolar speakers for my front L/R pair (firing in-phase with drivers of the same type and size mounted on the front and backside of my enclosures) -- Paradigm Reference Eclipse/BP. For people who like music predominantly, I don't usually recommend them as they change the idea of a "suite" spot, where stereo fidelity is easily found.
They can also be problematic if you're sensitive to "reflections" and the butterfly affect (re-resonate) of the objects in your room (harder to tame/fix). Harder, but not impossible. I need to work on my system, but I think I'm moving it to my upstairs bonus room anyhow. (Shorter ceilings 9' instead of 11'4" and carpeting instead of ceramic tile.)
But, they're AWESOME for home theater in where you're not so much looking for a stereo suite-spot but a sound filled room. One thing these puppies do... is FILL the room with sound. They never really get "loud"... just seem to fill the room more.
For surrounds, some like dipoles... some like the traditional monopole (standard front firing speaker). I like monopoles... but had considered the Paradigm ADP-450 dipoles. I think the Dipoles would be great for 7.1 systems as the Rear Surround channel, since it's not discrete (it's matrixed).
But then again, I know my tastes and what I like. Your Mileage May Vary. I've come a long way... from radio shack speakers (yes, really, even their center channel), to Acoustic Research, to Bose Acoustimas, to Klipsch (CF-2), to Paradigm.
hound dog
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Geekboy, For the fronts. I listen to mostly music--all kinds. I may be confuse, but Why do some speakers have a sound hole on the front and some on the back? Does this have anything to do with "firing"?
hound dog: oh, the "port" that they have. Sorry. I'm no expert on port design or anything. Direction of the firing port will have some affect on the sound. My Eclipse biploars have a large port on the bottom BACK of the enclosures. My speakers are 18" from the back wall. If you have rear-firing ports, placement of the speaker will be essential. You don't want to have the speakers up against the wall. This will affect the soundfield from the port and maybe even air flow?
I wouldn't think so..though I am kinda a noob so I may be worng. The fronts I use have one port on the back side and my sub dual 4" ports on the bottom.
matt: you mean for a rear firing port? No, you don't want that up against a wall. Alot of subwoofers are sealed or have "downward firing" ports... which is by design. For regular drivers (not the subwoofers), a rear firing port should not be "blocked" and certainly should not be too close to the rear wall.
Haha, thats not my concern. My speaker placement is fine. So what are the advantages of a "downward firing" port vs. a "frontward firing" port? What would happen if you place the sub with the "downward firing" ports on a hard surface like a wooden floor compared a floor with carpet or a rug under the sub? How would that affect the sound.
matt: I don't know the answer to that. I have a downward firing subwoofer myself. It's sits on "ceramic tile". Lower frequencies behave different from higher frequencies from a reflection (resonate) point. I'm sure it would be somewhat different vs. carpet with a "wood" underflooring. (I use to be in an apartment with carpet and wood underflooring. My house... in that Family Room... has 18" ceramic tile with a concrete slab underneath.) Overall the lowest frequencies (audible and sub-audible bass) have less problems with reflections due the the wavelength being longer.