Bass diffraction is negligible while midrange diffraction matters in cabinet design

Evidence

Diffraction at bass frequencies is generally less of a problem, because the wavelengths are large compared with the cabinet size. However, if the main cabinet contains midrange units then it must also take account of diffrac­ tion effects. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2212

Categorization

• DEFINE: Wavelength vs. obstacle-size relationship explaining diffraction relevance — a core acoustic concept.
• XREF: connects to: Long bass wavelengths diffract less because they exceed cabinet dimensions — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2212; Rectangular loudspeaker cabinets produce significant diffraction even with off-center drivers — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2213; Cabinet edges and centered drivers create diffraction that smooth curves minimize — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2217