All items in category Magazine Articles
A Look Inside Douglas Self’s "Small Signal Audio Design" 4th edition
by Jan Didden

A Look Inside Douglas Self’s "Small Signal Audio Design" 4th edition

Whether it is power amplifiers, vinyl reproduction preamplifiers, active crossover filters or, as in this case, small-signal circuits for a very wide range of applications, Douglas Self is one of those authors who consistently has produced reference works about technical audio. You may think that as a fourth edition, it would just be a refinement on the three editions that went before it but Self always adds new material and new insights to make it worthwhile to get this new book.
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Low Frequency in Loudspeakers: It’s All About the Bass!
by Mike Klasco

Low Frequency in Loudspeakers: It’s All About the Bass!

All the speaker design techniques to achieve more bass, challenging Hofmann's Iron Law. The same bass in a smaller enclosure? Deeper or louder bass for the same enclosure back volume? Higher efficiency for a given alignment? A cleaner lower distortion bass? Learn about the companies, products, and technologies that make all this possible. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, November 2023.
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Simulation Techniques: Lumped Element Modeling of Transducers
by René Christensen

Simulation Techniques: Lumped Element Modeling of Transducers

An exploration of the possibilities for product development focusing on modeling of transducers. As many engineering tasks require a common ground from which discussions among those involved in a project can take place in a structured manner, this often involves a so-called model of the concept or product. This article discusses one such model: the lumped element model. This article was originally published in audioXpress, March 2023.
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Voice Coil Patent Review: Controlled Passive Radiator
by James Croft

Voice Coil Patent Review: Controlled Passive Radiator

James Croft has fun reviewing a Controlled Passive Radiator patent awarded to inventor Tony Doy, on behalf of Sonos (Santa Barbara, CA.) The patent details multiple techniques to control a passive radiator, including a device buffering successive samples of audio content and predictive techniques on active designs. With this extensive review, Voice Coil readers will gain a valuable perspective on key possible innovation areas. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2018.
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Bass Reflex Performance Envelope - Part 3: A Practical Example
by Gary Gesellchen

Bass Reflex Performance Envelope - Part 3: A Practical Example

In this article, Gary Gesellchen (Vanatoo) completes his Bass Reflex Performance Envelope exploration. After concluding the main analysis portion of the article determining his novel approach to estimating the performance envelope available from bass reflex loudspeakers, Part 3 shows an example to see how his calculations all work together, and addresses some practical considerations. This article was originally published in audioXpress, September 2023.
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Patent Review: Dual Coil Electrodynamic Transducer with Channels for Voice Coil Cooling
by James Croft

Patent Review: Dual Coil Electrodynamic Transducer with Channels for Voice Coil Cooling

James Croft reviews a published design submitted on behalf of Harman International Industries on January 2017. The design details an important approach to solving the everlasting problems of heat generation that limits the power handling capacity and the distortion-free acoustic output capability of loudspeakers, as well as their efficiency as electroacoustical transducers. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, September 2018.​​​​​​​
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Bass Reflex Performance Envelope - Part 2: System Analysis
by Gary Gesellchen

Bass Reflex Performance Envelope - Part 2: System Analysis

This Bass Reflex Performance Envelope article series describes a novel approach to estimating the performance envelope available from ported loudspeakers. Part 2 expands on the system analysis, showing how driver and port sizes determine how loud and how low a system will play, and how that relates to generally available drivers. This article was originally published in audioXpress, August 2023.
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Bass Reflex Performance Envelope - Part 1: The Foundation
by Gary Gesellchen

Bass Reflex Performance Envelope - Part 1: The Foundation

Targeting speaker designers/builders, Gary Gesellchen (Vanatoo) wrote a sequence of three articles discussing Bass Reflex Performance. Essentially, this series takes a novel approach to estimating the performance envelope available from ported loudspeakers, considering port and driver sizes and multiple applicable parameters, and comparison with the performance from a passive radiator. This article was originally published in audioXpress, July 2023.
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R&D Stories: The Role of Resonance in Audio Clarity
by Roger Tall

R&D Stories: The Role of Resonance in Audio Clarity

Years of research conducted by ClarityCap, the audio capacitor manufacturer, and the UK-based Institute of Acoustics at the University of Salford, explored how the resonance from the body of a capacitor in a loudspeaker crossover circuit has an audible impact on sound quality. The article details the extensive testing, measurements, and conclusions, which allowed ClarityCap to perfect its manufacturing process, minimizing resonances in capacitors. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2024.
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Audio Electronics: Is Digital Jitter Really a Problem?
by Ethan Winer

Audio Electronics: Is Digital Jitter Really a Problem?

Since the dawn of the digital era decades ago, the timing error known as "jitter" in A/D/A converters has been accused of harming audio fidelity. Some people claim that jitter adds audible distortion and noise, affects bass fullness, and even harms stereo imaging width and depth. This article explains what jitter is, what causes it, and even lets you hear jitter in controlled amounts so you can decide for yourself how damaging it really is. Originally published in audioXpress, January 2024.
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