Hi wbwatts,
Standing waves, which produce regions of exaggerated bass frequencies and areas of cancellation are generated in any square or rectangular room. The frequencies at which standing waves occur are dictated by the specific dimensions of a given room.
In the same manner, the back waves from the woofers in an enclosure of symmetrical dimensions will produce standing waves inside the speaker cabinet. These may cause various parts of the wooden enclosure to resonate or vibrate at specific frequencies. If they are sufficiently severe, these internal standing waves will introduce colorations to the reproduced sound, making the speaker less accurate and less neutral.
Some designers use elaborate internal bracing between the cabinet walls to damp the vibrations set up by standing waves. Axiom's approach is to make the enclosure of asymmetrical dimensions to prevent standing waves from occurring.
A similar approach is often taken in the interior design of recording studios--uneven walls and asymmetrical dimensions prevent standing waves from occurring.
Regards,
