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About Vance Dickason
Vance Dickason has been working as a professional in the loudspeaker industry since 1974. A contributing editor to Speaker Builder magazine (now audioXpress) since 1986, in November 1987 he became editor of Voice Coil, the monthly Periodical for the Loudspeaker Industry, today published by KCK Media Corp. His globally acclaimed book Loudspeaker Design Cookbook is now in its 8th Edition, published by KCK Media. A life member of the Audio Engineering Society, Vance received the 1995 AES Citation Award for his long term contribution to audio education, and the 2013 Beryllium Award, Lifetime achievement from ALMA (Associating of Loudspeaker Manufacturers and Acoustics, now ALTI Association). Since 2001, he also does business as Vance Dickason Consultancy based out of Portland, Oregon, working as an independent engineering consultant to loudspeaker manufacturers.

All items written by Vance Dickason
Test Bench: Tang Band Speaker W8-2314 High-End Coaxial Driver
October 3, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Tang Band Speaker W8-2314 High-End Coaxial Driver

This Test Bench characterizes the W8-2314, a new 8" high-end home audio coaxial driver from Tang Band (TB) Speaker. The TB Speaker W8-2314 is built on an eight-spoke two-part ABS injection-molded frame that incorporates a separate injection-molded trim ring. Incorporated into the frame is the underhung-type woofer motor that consists of a circular array of six neodymium slugs - an arrangement that makes room for the concentrically mounted 25 mm tweeter and tweeter rear cavity. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2019.
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Test Bench: Faital Pro 6RS140 Midwoofer / Midrange
September 25, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Faital Pro 6RS140 Midwoofer / Midrange

This Test Bench examines a new pro sound woofer from Faital Pro. The Faital Pro 6” 6RS140 pro sound woofer has a power handling rating of 200 W (AES) and targets applications as a midbass or midrange in three-way stage or studio monitors, as well as midrange arrays in large PA systems. The frame is a proprietary four-spoke cast-aluminum frame, and like many small diameter drivers, it does not have a venting below the spider mounting area. Cooling for this driver is provided by a 20 mm diameter pole vent with a 22 mm flared exit. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2019.
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Test Bench: The New Wavecor SW280WA01 Shallow Subwoofer
September 4, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: The New Wavecor SW280WA01 Shallow Subwoofer

This edition of Test Bench characterizes a new shallow mount 10” home audio subwoofer. The SW280WA01 is a new low-profile subwoofer from Wavecor, the China-based high-end OEM partnership with former Vifa engineers Allan Isaksen and Per Madsen. This new driver, the SW280WA01 represents some interesting driver technology that has application in small narrow spaces. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2019.
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Test Bench: The New Faital Pro 6" 6PR160 Midwoofer/Midrange
August 28, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: The New Faital Pro 6" 6PR160 Midwoofer/Midrange

This Test Bench characterizes Faital Pro’s new 6” 6PR160 pro sound midwoofer/midrange. This is a driver from the Italian pro sound OEM’s extensive line of high power handling mid-bass woofers. Applications for the 6” 6PR160 include use as midbass or midrange in three-way stage or studio monitors, as well as midrange arrays in large PA systems. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2019.
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Test Bench: Bianco 44CD-K Compression Driver from SB Audience, a New Brand from SB Acoustics
August 20, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Bianco 44CD-K Compression Driver from SB Audience, a New Brand from SB Acoustics

This Test Bench characterizes the Bianco 44CD-K from SB Audience, a new brand from SB Acoustics. The FEA-optimized ferrite compression driver arrived with its H-250 90° × 90° exponential horn. The SB Audience 44CD-K features a 44 mm (1.75”) diameter voice coil wound with round copper wire on a high-temperature Kapton non-conducting former, driving a single piece Kapton diaphragm and surround. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2019.
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Test Bench: Celestion CDX1-1732 1" Compression Driver
August 14, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Celestion CDX1-1732 1" Compression Driver

The Celestion CDX1-1732 is driven by a 44 mm (1.75") diameter voice coil wound with edge-wound copper-clad aluminum wire on a high-temperature fiberglass non-conducting former driving a single piece polyimide diaphragm and surround. For this Test Bench, Celestion supplied its 1” H1-7050 “No Bell” elastomer (plastic rubber) damped cast aluminum 70° × 50° exponential flare horn. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2019.
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Klippel Controlled Sound (KCS) - Controlled Sound Technology for Nonlinear Compensation of Loudspeakers
August 3, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Klippel Controlled Sound (KCS) - Controlled Sound Technology for Nonlinear Compensation of Loudspeakers

Following extensive research, Klippel GmbH has announced its new Klippel Controlled Sound (KCS) technology. This is an integrated approach that leverages the company's software and hardware tools for development, measurement and evaluation of new-generation loudspeaker systems, providing mechanical and thermal protection, automatic system alignment, active compensation of transducer nonlinearities and stabilization of the voice coil rest position. In other words, enabling research towards the speakers of the future.
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Test Bench: B&C Speakers 14NA100-8 14” Pro Sound Woofer
June 26, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: B&C Speakers 14NA100-8 14” Pro Sound Woofer

This Test Bench focuses on the 14NA100-8, a new high power handling 14” pro sound woofer from B&C Speakers. This is the highest power handling in the brand's 14” group with a continuous power handling rating of 1.6 kW (800 W nominal). Applications range from two- and three-way PA speakers and compact two-way monitor designs for high SPL in limited spaces. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, April 2019.
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Test Bench: The L26ROY 10” Subwoofer from SEAS
June 19, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: The L26ROY 10” Subwoofer from SEAS

This month I characterized the 10” L26ROY subwoofer from SEAS’ new Extreme line. The SEAS L26 series from SEAS was popularized by several of Siegfried Linkwitz designs (sold by Madisound as kits), including his "pièce de résistance," the LX521.4, which utilized four L26RO4Y subwoofers (the four-layer version). These 10” woofers were built in Taiwan for SEAS, but that production has now been brought home to Norway and reintroduced as the Extreme subwoofer line. The new L26ROY has a well-appointed feature set. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, April 2019.
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Test Bench: The SB Acoustics Satori TW29DN-B-8 Tweeter
June 12, 2019 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: The SB Acoustics Satori TW29DN-B-8 Tweeter

In this Test Bench we will be looking at the 29 mm TW29DN-B cloth dome tweeter from the SB Acoustics Satori line of high-end devices. This new TW29DN-B-8 SB Satori tweeter is a wide surround format-type similar to the original Vifa DX tweeter, or the current Scan-Speak D2604 or D2607. However, all of these are 26 mm diaphragm tweeters, and the new Satori ST29DN-B-8 is a 29 mm diaphragm type. This article was published in Voice Coil, March 2019.
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