"My conclusion in 1994 was that reducing harmonic distortion makes no audible difference if you couldn't hear the harmonic disortion in the first place! "
LOL, maybe your drivers are perfect to start with!
Actually, I always mount the drivers in a slot, or plenum:
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/images/graphics/d_woof1.gif
With the back closed in, sized, and ported as per the TS parameters for the drivers used.
The first time I did this was with two identical dual 15 boxes, and they sounded so different it took me a while to figure out what was going on. The push-pull box sounded 'weird', the push-push box sounded more like a 'normal' speaker. Then it was noticed that the push-push was closer to a Klipsch Cornwall in sound character, where the push-pull sounded more like the Klipschorn in sound character.
Ultimately it was judged to have more LF output with less bulk and distortion than the typical PA junk everbody was hauling around. I have not built a big bass horn since then.
Notes:
I was using a $37 Eminence driver, nothing special. If you are using $300+ drivers with shorting rings in the magnetic circuit to reduce distortion, you will probably not hear as much difference.
Someone else pointed out that there may not be that much of a difference at low levels, that may be true. All my systems end up getting played at supidly loud levels anyway, so the point seems kind of moot(PA, dance clubs, etc).
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