Hey Peter;

Maggies are effectively a dipole but the sound that comes out of them is not just periphery, widely dispersed or non localized. They have qualities of directionality. The front is in-phase and the back is out of phase...I think.

Actually, if you turn a Maggie so that you're looking at it edge-on (more like you'd have a dipolar surround mounted), then it will put out a very diffuse sound field. Give it a try.

In the normal orientation, the sound coming off the back-side of a Maggie is reflected off another surface before it gets to your ear, so it is no longer perfectly out-of-phase by the time it reaches your ear.

Interesting....so if one was going to use diffusers or absorbers on the back wall of the Maggies that would not be recommended since your saying that the sound coming from the back of the speaker is supposed to get back to the listener via reflections to give possibly sound re-inforcement?

It's a matter of taste, really -- and probably has a lot to do with the room itself. I've seen all sorts of after-market egg-crate foam modifications to Maggies designed to minimize the backward reflections.

I think they go against the design philosophy of the speaker itself, however. But, as I mentioned above, that design philosophy may not be a good match for some rooms -- hence the mods.

Here is a nice visual depiction of dipole and other radiation patterns. Many other simulations created by the same guy found here.

Okey sushi my eyes are all bugged out now...thanks