The term "baffle" can mean "speaker."
The notion of baffle , which comes from the English word baffle , can refer to a speaker or more specifically to the acoustic box that allows optimizing the quality of the sound emitted by a speaker.
a speaker
In any case, to understand what a baffle is, you must first focus on the idea of a speaker . Called speakers in some countries, loudspeakers are devices that allow the transformation of electrical current into sound .
This means that, as a speaker, a baffle is an electroacoustic transducer : it converts electricity into a sound wave. The process, in its initial step, involves the conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy, which is then converted into sound.
Thanks to the baffles, we can listen to the sounds of audio equipment. The human ear is able to capture sound waves that travel through the air, transforming them into nervous impulses that the brain processes.
acoustic box
As a loudspeaker , the baffle is the structure in which a speaker is placed . In this framework, the speaker is responsible for transforming electricity into sound and emitting the vibrations perceived by the ear, while the baffle allows the quality of said sound to be improved.
Closed baffles are the simplest and most popular. These baffles are constituted as hermetic boxes that prevent the rear wave from leaving the speakers, since they absorb it and convert it into heat that they dissipate.
The infinite speaker
This name is what those mentioned above receive, which consist of a completely sealed design except for the perforation in which the speakers are placed. The infinite baffle is also known as an infinite sonodaffle and serves to prevent compression and decompression waves from mixing. In theory, it is one of the most perfect acoustic systems, although in order for us to take advantage of all its benefits, especially the bass response, the size of the box must be very large .
Thanks to the design of the infinite baffle, acoustic short circuit cannot occur, a phenomenon that consists of the superposition of two identical waves with reverse phases. Since the front and rear faces emit the waves in opposite directions, a depression is generated and the most serious sounds are cancelled, since their waves are the ones that move the air the most, and consequently the resulting sound loses a lot of richness. .
In addition to the large size that the infinite speaker needs to offer the best results, its box must be cushioned with some absorbent material that prevents resonances inside. Its application is reserved in particular for home hi-fi systems with medium power .
bass-reflex
The so-called bass-reflex system uses a closed box that has an opening in which a tube is placed, with the aim of improving bass response. Thanks to this design, the overall performance of the loudspeaker is better, it requires less volume than completely closed boxes and has a lower cut-off frequency.
It also designates the acoustic box in which the speakers are attached.
Regarding the disadvantages of the bass-reflex system we can mention: a worse transient response; an increase in distortion if the aperture is too large; losses in tubes that are too long, due to friction against their surface. Regarding the absorbing material, it is important to use a moderate amount, so that the resonance is not nullified.
"Bafle" is not "waffle"
Do not confuse baffles with waffles . A waffle or waffle is a cake or cookie of Belgian origin that is cooked on a plate (the waffle maker or waffle maker), which gives it a grid shape.