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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: B&C Speakers 21DS115 21-Inch Woofer
June 7, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: B&C Speakers 21DS115 21-Inch Woofer

The transducer I examined in this edition of Test Bench came from Italian Pro Sound OEM manufacturer B&C Speakers, who sent the neodymium motor 21DS115, a 21” high power handling woofer. The B&C 21DS115-8 is rated at 1,700 WRMS with a continuous power handling rated at 3,400 WRMS. The 21DS115-8 weighs in at a modest (for an 21” woofer!) 32.8 lb. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, August 2016.
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Test Bench: B&C Speakers DE1090TN Compression Driver
May 31, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: B&C Speakers DE1090TN Compression Driver

The transducer I examined this month came from Italian Pro Sound OEM manufacturer B&C Speakers, who sent the DE1090TN, a 1.4” neodymium motor compression driver with a titanium diaphragm. The DE1090TN compression driver is coupled with B&C Speakers’ ME90 80° × 60° constant directivity horn. At this time, the DE1090TN, with a 36 mm (1.4”) throat diameter, is the highest power handling model (120 W) in the brand's line. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, August 2016.
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Test Bench: Revolution Acoustics SSP6 Actuator
May 25, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Revolution Acoustics SSP6 Actuator

The driver in this Test Bench is not so much an OEM product as an installer product, but it is a very interesting transducer: the Revolution Acoustics SSP6 actuator, which transforms nearly any panel structure into an audio speaker. As promised, I am doing a brief review of the this driver, primarily marketed to Custom Electronic Design & Installation (CEDIA)-type installers. However, that said, it is definitely an interesting transducer.
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Midwest AudioFest 2017 and DIY Speaker Design Competition Returns July 14-15
May 22, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Midwest AudioFest 2017 and DIY Speaker Design Competition Returns July 14-15

Parts Express will hold its annual Midwest AudioFest from July 14–15, 2017 at Parts Express’ headquarters in Springboro (Dayton), OH. The event includes the Parts Express Warehouse Tent Sale, an Audio Swap Meet, a Mobile Electronics Competition Association (MECA) sponsored Auto Sound Competition, and the highlight of the event — the DIY Speaker Design Competition.
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Test Bench: B&C Speakers 8NSM64 Closed-Back Midrange
May 17, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: B&C Speakers 8NSM64 Closed-Back Midrange

The 8” 8NSM64 is a rather unique new pro sound midrange driver from B&C Speakers. It’s a closed-back midrange! Closed-back midranges are often associated with cheap speakers because by using a frame with no relief holes in the back, you don’t have to build a midrange chamber. In this case, the 8NSM64 is a very high-power handling (500 W continuous) 8” midrange for professional PA applications, with a reasonable volume that can be damped with absorption material. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2016.
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Test Bench: TB Speaker 25-2176S Dome Tweeter
May 10, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: TB Speaker 25-2176S Dome Tweeter

The new Tang Band Speaker 25-2176S 1” dome tweeter features a 25 mm wide surround coated fabric diaphragm optimized for high-frequency cutoff above 20 kHz, a unique aluminum assembly that is both self-shielding and acts as a heatsink, a unique aluminum mounting ring for screw down mounting up to 0.5” mounting depth, ferrofluid voice coil cooling and resonance damping, plus gold-plated terminals. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2016.
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Test Bench: Fountek NeoX 3.0 Ribbon Tweeter
May 4, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Fountek NeoX 3.0 Ribbon Tweeter

The transducer I characterized in this Test Bench is a high-end ribbon tweeter from a Shanghai, China-based company, Fountek Electronics Co., Ltd. Fountek was founded in April 2003 with a mission statement to supply strictly high-end two-channel products. We received its new third-generation ribbon tweeter, the NeoX 3.0, with an 80 mm × 12 mm × 0.15 mm thick reinforced sandwich (960 mm2 radiating area), closed-back injection-molded rear cavity with two aluminum heatsinks and a built-in transformer. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2016.
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Test Bench: Scan-Speak 18M-4631T00 Revelator 6.5” Midrange Driver
April 13, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Scan-Speak 18M-4631T00 Revelator 6.5” Midrange Driver

This Test Bench characterizes the Scan-Speak 6.5” 18M/4631T00 Revelator midrange driver, nominally a midrange version of the Scan-Speak 18W/8531G00 with higher sensitivity and shorter XMAX. The original Scan-Speak 18W/8531G00 was a true high-end audio classic and probably one of the most visible high-end drivers ever used in high-end loudspeakers. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2016.
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Test Bench: Two Beryllium Tweeters from Scan-Speak - D3004-604010 and the D3004-604000
April 5, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Two Beryllium Tweeters from Scan-Speak - D3004-604010 and the D3004-604000

In this edition of Voice Coil's Test Bench we review two beryllium dome tweeters from Scan-Speak. These two new beryllium diaphragm neodymium motor tweeters, the D3004/604010 and the D3004/604000, basically share the same platform, with the major difference being the D3004/604010 has a lower Fs due to the larger rear cavity. Both tweeters use a Materion 26-mm 99% pure beryllium dome. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2016
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Test Bench: Bozhen New Audio Lab CQ66 Ribbon Tweeter
March 29, 2017 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Bozhen New Audio Lab CQ66 Ribbon Tweeter

This month brought an interesting high-frequency driver to Voice Coil’s Test Bench, a new high-end ribbon tweeter from a Shenzhen, China-based company, Bozhen New Audio Lab. From Bozhen, we received the CQ66, which is the next generation of its CQ76 ribbon tweeter (featured in Voice Coil’s April 2013 issue). This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2016.
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