Speaker Design Info

You guys might have seen this already...

This is a must read for all speaker enthusiasts. It is technical but can be understood by most. Best explanation of speaker and driver technology I have found on the 'net (so far).

http://www.nutshellhifi.com/library/speaker-design1.html

As comprehensive at this is, there is no mention of my favorite Beryllium domes.

If you can filter through the writer's subjective, there is plenty of objective on driver materials that makes a lot of sense. I can relate to a lot of it because I have heard many of the driver materials he mentions. His East vs. West Coast explanantion is one of the best.

I've read the article twice already and my materials knowledge is getting better. Sadly, the writer does not mention my favorite Beryllium domes, although I suspect Be would test well. Be is used in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and military applications because its resonance is so much higher that the other metals and so has less chance of coloring the 20 Hz -20 kHz spectrum.

The writer does not go into ported vs. acoustic speakers although I suspect he would view a port as a source of distortion (which is not necessarily harsh but simply a difference to the input signal.) Same goes for passive radiators. These bass augmentors are rarely found in high-end anymore so I think he has already dismissed these features.

The writer only hints at what his ideal setup would be. I get the sense from his conclusion that a three way design is best. He mentions a frequency range where no crossovers should be placed. This implies using a single midrange driver. I also sense he likes 8" woofers, which most high-end sepakers have today. His ideal cabinet would be made of Baltic Birch and heavily braced internally. The cabinet would have rolled edges to minimize reflections.

Thoughts, anyone?

I have owned many types of speakers over the years.
Every thing from Bose 901's , AR's ,Klipsch ,JBL's and my current ADS L810's.
Speaker selection is a very personal process.
Everybody hears differently and what may sound good on paper sounds horrible in person.
Klipschhorns and AR 10pi's were my best sounding speakers I have owned.
I currently have a pair of ADS that I like the sound of very much.
Many speakers that get it "right" may not sound the same to somebody else.
I see time and time again how studio monitors sound correct but are not an enjoyable listen.
The holy grail of 'what goes in comes out' is why we have so many ways of skinning the cat.
Just my observation.

Many tanx for the info.
I'm with the minimalists.

Your comments about self-perception is ALWAYS true but somewhat flawed. The vast majority of casual on-line reviewers have only heard a few brands and it is easy for them to give a glowing review of what they own. You can find reviews on almost any credible speaker and the "best ever" comments are invariably repeated.

So rather than delve into the trap that is personal preference, I'm looking at speaker performance using more objective measures like frequency response and distortion. Sure, you can question lab results but the fact remains that there is a strong positive corellation to sound quality. After all, speaker designers like the writer of the above website use lab results as a way to cross-check what they are hearing.

Are you a ONE WATTER? I'd like to hear Lowthers and a SET amp.

Are you a ONE WATTER? I'd like to hear Lowthers and a SET amp.

No, but i like a lot their audio minimalist approach. No crossovers, a full range driver and the cabinets design and materials are very much appealing to my audio tastes.

This Stereophile series of articles takes a look at speaker meaurement and how they relate to acoustic results.

http://www.stereophile.com/reference/99/index.html
http://www.stereophile.com/features/100/index.html
http://www.stereophile.com/features/103/index.html