In general the smaller the room, the more uneven the bass frequency response with monopole speakers

The room sizes I've used are rough estimates based on my experiences -- I didn't measure all the rooms involved:

In small (up to 200 square feet) and medium-sized rooms (200 to 400 square feet), reduced excitation of side-wall-to-side-wall and floor-to-ceiling standing waves gives dipoles an inherent advantage over monopole speakers in the bass frequencies.

In very large rooms (over 800 square feet) rough bass frequency response is not often a problem -- the problem in those rooms is usually generating enough bass output.

In large (400 to 800 square feet) or very large rooms (over 800 square feet) greater room reverberation times (compared with smaller rooms) can make dipole speakers sound artificially "spacious" in the midrange frequencies. I often don't enjoy dipole speakers for that reason -- but I know others who like that effect. This may have much more to do with dipole speaker placement in the room rather than inherent in a dipole design, but that's been my experience.

I do enjoy dipole bass because it reduces the room's effect and bass instruments usually sound much more lifelike. You can still get a nasty bass boom from the front to back wall standing waves but hopefully you can move your listening seat forward or backwards by a few feet to reduce the problem.

A tall ceiling (over 10-12 feet) could compound that problem (with all types of speakers there is often too much reverb with tall untreated ceilings). Remember that dipoles are not completely directional.

The best sounding speakers I've ever heard in an ordinary home were Legacy Whispers which have dipole bass up to 200-300Hz.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - REVIEW: Linkwitz Lab Orions Speakers - Doc Jr 8156 13:36:20 09/23/05 (16)

I've read speaker reviews since the 1960's (none have come close to the broad-based enthusiasm I read about the Orions) - Richard BassNut Greene 10:08:47 09/26/05 (5)

Re: I've read speaker reviews since the 1960's (none have come close to the broad-based enthusiasm I read about the Ori - Pepe Le Loco 10:38:40 09/26/05 (4)

In general the smaller the room, the more uneven the bass frequency response with monopole speakers - Richard BassNut Greene 11:08:42 09/27/05 (1)

Re: In general the smaller the room, the more uneven the bass frequency response with monopole speakers - Pepe Le Loco 21:03:22 09/27/05 (0)

Re: I've read speaker reviews since the 1960's (none have come close to the broad-based enthusiasm I read about the Ori - Drew Eckhardt 13:56:29 09/26/05 (0)

Re: I've read speaker reviews since the 1960's (none have come close to the broad-based enthusiasm I read about the Ori - macÂ Â 11:14:44 09/26/05 (0)

Linkwitz Lab Orions Speakers - Drew Eckhardt 13:35:22 09/25/05 (1)

Re: Linkwitz Lab Orions Speakers - Doc Jr 8156 21:20:11 09/25/05 (0)

Sensible Sound issue #105 - johnvb 16:35:10 09/24/05 (3)

Re: Sensible Sound issue #105 - Davey 17:20:12 09/24/05 (0)

actually - johnvb 16:42:19 09/24/05 (1)

Re: actually - Doc Jr 8156 18:50:24 09/24/05 (0)

Linkwitz Lab Orions Speakers - Fishboat 05:23:37 09/24/05 (0)

Linkwitz Lab Orions Speakers - jimmyjames8 17:31:18 09/23/05 (0)

some questions - Bruce from DC 15:38:05 09/23/05 (1)

Linkwitz Lab FAQ - macÂ Â 17:01:59 09/23/05 (0)

Follow Ups

In general the smaller the room, the more uneven the bass frequency response with monopole speakers - Richard BassNut Greene 11:08:42 09/27/05 (1)

Re: In general the smaller the room, the more uneven the bass frequency response with monopole speakers - Pepe Le Loco 21:03:22 09/27/05 (0)

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