Pioneer B20 wide range driver on open baffle plus the BOOMer open baffle bass kit

The Boomer is an open baffle speaker kit consisting of two 15” pro sound woofers, a dedicated amp with volume control and variable crossover from 50 to 150Hz and the cables needed to connect everything to your existing amp. The amp provides the key to blending this kit with many different types of drivers. Intrigued by open baffle designs I simulated 8” drivers on open baffles to see how low they would go in the bass. Most did not make it much past 200Hz with any real strong output below that frequency on a 20” baffle. The Boomers stand 48” tall by 20” wide. They each contain one 15” woofer that sits close to the floor leaving the rest of the baffle to sport drivers of your choice. The ones I have used so far and believe are excellent choices are the Wild Burro Audio Betsy, the Pioneer B20 and the TangBand W8-1808.

The Pioneer B20 needs a tweeter. The ZillaTweeter is the best tweeter I have heard with the B20 producing a more live sound than hi-fi sound most domes produce. This is an inexpensive way to get amazing sound without any excuses. I really enjoy the Boomer + the B20 + ZillaTweeter. Overall, the sound is characteristic of the B20 being warm and mellow. These speakers are not overly detailed but the open baffle design does seem to bring out the most the B20 can deliver. There are no box colorations and the B20 seems to relax a bit more than when I have it in a cabinet.

The Boomer provides a platform allowing these types of drivers to excel. The natural roll off below 200kHz only helps. Blending the 15” woofers works beautifully with the amplifiers volume control and variable frequency control. It’s only a matter of time before your system is perfectly matched to your room and your taste. I fiddled with the controls a few days and found turning the volume knob to about 10 o’clock and setting the crossover at about 75Hz provided great performance in my room. The bass can totally overpower a room but can be turned down for more civilized listening. Once dialed in you will experience the benefits of open baffle, full range drivers and bass only large diameter woofers can produce. Boxed speakers will not satisfy the way these do. If space permits and you really want to be transported to the venue, I cannot recommend building a pair of Boomer open baffle speaker kits and partnering them with your favorite wide or full range driver.