Another issue of Voice Coil is now out, and this one is certain to create a solid connection. Voice Coil April 2025 is our Cable and Connector focused edition, and includes an updated vendors directory, plus a special Measurement Microphone Directory. And for this issue, Vance Dickason offers a triple dose of his Test Bench that reflects the industry’s momentum in terms of transducer design and materials innovations. Featured this month are the new Beyma CD-314Nd/TI compression driver and horn, the D2908/716000 TPCD metamodal 1" dome tweeter from Scan-Speak's Revelator Line, and the Wavecor TW030TU03 graphene-coated soft dome tweeter.For Industry News & Developments, Voice Coil April 2025 highlights the announcement of a new high-end transducer brand from Italy, RS Speakers. With more than 50 years of experience in the loudspeaker industry, Raimondo Sbarbati, the founder of SICA Altoparlanti, decided it was time to return to his origins and develop a line of hifi speakers, representing the culmination of the design and engineering skills gained along his path. The ultimate personal statement, Raimondo Sbarbati (RS) decided to use his initials for the new signature brand, in combination with the motto “Pura Passione” or “Pure Passion.” Known internationally for its Jensen-branded range of guitar amp loudspeakers, the Italian loudspeaker manufacturer has also leveraged its development and manufacturing experience to create RS Speakers.
Next up, Mike Klasco (Menlo Scientific) compiled the 2025 Cable and Connector Vendors Directory, which is another valuable resource since it is focused on the needs of speaker designers and manufacturers. The wire, cable, and connector market is vast, and compiling a complete directory would be the size of a phone book. Instead, for this updated resource, Voice Coil curated a selection of key cable and connector vendors to provide a focused snapshot of available options in terms of the connectors used between the speaker enclosure and the amplifier, while also including lead-out flex wire suppliers for connections between the voice coil and speaker frame terminals.
The next sourcing resource in this issue of Voice Coil April 2025 is a complete listing of Measurement Microphone manufacturers, which aside from including the obvious names in test and measurement, also lists many of those companies that are not always in the radar for this type of product. This is an expanding product category that deserves its own dedicated directory and includes essential OEM/ODMs so any audio company will be able to find suppliers for special custom projects and/or own-branded products.
And directly to this month’s triple Test Bench characterizations, Vance Dickason starts with the CD-314Nd/TI compression driver and horn from Acustica Beyma, the established manufacturer from Valencia, Spain. The company is increasingly expanding its range of products from solid foundations in professional audio, now also to emerging installation and even high-fidelity applications, while implementing a solid environmental stance. Beyma has accelerated its R&D activities, and this new compression driver is already one example of those efforts. The new 1.4” throat, high-power-handling CD-314Nd/TI compression driver is a new transducer from its extensive line-up of 33 compression drivers. In this case, it was characterized with the new Beyma 60° × 40° TD-1464P horn, targeted for mid- to large-venue PA systems.
Features for the new Beyma CD-314Nd/TI compression driver include a 3” diameter copper-clad aluminum wire (CCAW) voice coil wound on a non-conducting Nomex former, field-replaceable F.E.M. optimized Titanium diaphragm and surround, a lightweight neodymium ring magnet motor structure, and the patented Deplocex thermal technology for lower power compression and increased power handling. The CD-314Nd/TI is rated for 90W AES power handling when crossed above 800Hz, or 130W AES above 1.2kHz, and 110.0dB sensitivity at 1W/1m with the Beyma TD-1464P horn.
The second Test Bench for this April 2025 issue features the Scan-Speak D2908/716000 TPCD metamodal 1” dome tweeter from the brand’s Revelator Line. As recently announced, Scan-Speak has been working on a project with Composite Sound to develop a generation of metamodal thin-ply carbon diaphragms (TPCDs), engineered to fully replace the almost impossible-to-source and extremely expensive beryllium domes in its existing range. As applied to TPCD diaphragms, the metamodal process judiciously adjusts the location of weight and thickness in the diaphragm to control the cone break-up modes and resonances. Scan-Speak has already announced four new tweeters using this technology, completely replacing five of Scan-Speak’s previous beryllium tweeters.
For this characterization, Vance Dickason received the Scan-Speak D2908/716000 1” Revelator TPCD tweeter, which replaced the Revelator Beryllium diaphragm D2908/714000, and now includes a new 1” TPCD thin-ply carbon metamodal diaphragm, combined with the patented Scan-Speak Symmetrical Drive SD-2 neodymium motor structure, a black anodized 120mm diameter machined aluminum faceplate, large roll-coated cloth surround, and uniquely shaped rear aluminum chamber. This new high-end tweeter is specified for 160W (IEC 18.4) power handling (with a 2.5kHz second-order Butterworth high-pass network), long-term 200W (IEC 18.2) power handling, and 92.5dB 2.83V/1m sensitivity.
The third driver to be characterized in this April 2025 issue of Voice Coil is the latest Wavecor TW030TU03 graphene-coated soft dome tweeter. Voice Coil has already featured several of Wavecor’s 30mm tweeters over the past several years, and this latest incarnation is specifically intended for car audio applications. Like the TW030WA13/14 and the TW030WA23/24, the new 4Ω TW030TU03 includes a 30mm wide surround with a precision-coated graphene-reinforced cloth diaphragm optimized for high-frequency cutoff above 20kHz. The design also features internal chambers below the dome and surround edge, dual neodymium magnets vented into a damped rear chamber, copper-clad aluminum voice coil winding with a vented voice coil former, and flexible lead wires. This tweeter also features a black machined and anodized aluminum housing for advanced cooling, a copper-clad pole piece (shorting ring), and minimal mounting area as required for car audio applications. Sensitivity is rated at 92.5dB, with crossover frequency specified below 3kHz (2kHz to 20kHz range).
This issue concludes with an Industry Watch section containing stories compiled by Vance Dickason. Voice Coil is now available for download and already in the mail to print subscribers. Subscribers can go to - www.gotomyvcoil.com - to download this issue.
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