Omnidirectional sound source

An omnidirectional sound source comprising:

• a low-profile baffle having an apex, an outer surface of shallow aspect ratio tapering away from said apex, an axisymmetrical, downward-curved convex shape of generally uniform thickness and a bounded periphery;
• an orifice located at said apex of said baffle, said orifice having an opening that is smaller than or comparable to wavelengths of audio-frequency sound (e.g. 100-10,000 Hz) and is thereby shaped to diffract planar sound waves impinging thereon and passing therethrough and to produce transmitted sound waves that are diffracted in accord with Huygen's principle and will propagate said waves omnidirectionally and of uniform intensity while guided by said surface shape of said baffle;
• and
• an audio-frequency loudspeaker mounted to an underside of said baffle, positioned beneath said orifice, producing planar said sound waves directed at said orifice and impinging thereon and diffracted thereby and said loudspeaker having a periphery that extends at least to the periphery of said orifice and
• a flat, bottom-plate mounted fixedly beneath and to said low-profile baffle and positioned to ensure that said baffle has no regions of abrupt curvature and/or edge diffraction along said bounded periphery, thereby maintaining said omnidirectionality.