Simple Explanation

A speaker setup where the front and back sound waves are kept completely separate by using a wall or large sealed surface as the enclosure.

Concise Technical Definition

A speaker mounting configuration that acoustically isolates the front and rear waveforms, typically using a large or sealed structure to prevent interference.

Layman-Friendly Analogy

Like yelling through a wall—what comes out the front doesn’t mix with what’s behind it.

Industry Usage Summary

Used in subwoofer and custom installations where the speaker is mounted into a wall, ceiling, or baffle that acts as an acoustically infinite space, minimizing distortion and maximizing efficiency.

Engineering Shortcut

Rear wave blocked completely; no acoustic short-circuit; wall = infinite enclosure.

Full Technical Explanation

An infinite baffle is a speaker design approach in which the rear sound wave of a driver is completely isolated from the front wave by mounting it into a wall, ceiling, or large board that acts as an acoustical barrier. The baffle prevents the rear wave from interfering destructively with the front wave (a problem called acoustic cancellation). Theoretically, the enclosure is "infinitely large" to eliminate pressure buildup and resonances behind the speaker. In practical terms, this often means mounting the speaker in a wall with a large sealed air volume behind it (such as an attic or crawl space). Infinite baffle setups are popular in high-fidelity subwoofer installations for their clean, deep bass and minimal distortion—so long as true isolation is achieved.