Voice Coil April 2022 is now available and brings an interesting overview of the latest updates to Loudsoft's FINE Suspension Nonlinear FEA Spider and Surround Design software. The Denmark-based company founded in 2000 by Peter Larsen continues to expand the possibilities of its tools for speaker development, now with an expanded transducer engineering tool, specific to the development of speaker surrounds and spiders (dampers). As Vance Dickason details, the program allows for the simulation of different types of surrounds and spiders from imported DFX files or created from templates with parameters selected by the user, and then outputs the compliance curves similar to the Kms and Cms curves measured by a Klippel DA2 or KA3 analyzers. Read about what's now possible.
In this edition's Voice Coil Focus, Mike Klasco covers Cables, Lead Wires, and Connector/Terminal Technology. For speaker and headphone/earphone devices, when it comes to connectors, cables, and the conductor wire, the key aspects are the voice coil magnet wire, the leadout flex wire to the transducer terminals, the terminals and connectors, speaker wire to the amplifier, cables for earphones and headphones, the connectors on these cables, and the like. This issue focuses on a characterization of the Audio Video cable business, addressing the fundamental blocks of conductors, pull strength, and insulation/jacketing, while adding information about the latest innovations in this domain.
And of course, this Klasco’s focus article is complemented by an updated directory of Cable and Connector Vendors 2022, compiled by Mike Klasco and Nora Wong (Menlo Scientific). The wire, cable, and connector market is huge and a full directory would be the size of a phonebook, but this Voice Coil directory provides a valuable sampling of some of the key cable and connector manufacturers and vendors available.
Mike Klasco also contributes a personal perspective on the state of the industry. In an article titled "The Possible End of Entry-Level Products," he discusses the current geo-political challenges, the remaining effects of the global pandemic on the supply chain and logistics, and the effects of growing inflation on pricing. No one can remain indifferent to what is happening in Ukraine and with Russia, and no industry remains immune to these recent events, much less the loudspeaker industry.
In this month's Voice Coil Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the AMT 23CM1.1-C Air Motion Transformer from Mundorf. This high-end AMT is the second model from the series recently launched by this established supplier of crossover components to hi-fi and high-end loudspeaker manufacturers. Following the explication of the U80W Mundorf AMT, published in the March 2022 issue of Voice Coil, Dickason dives deeper into the series and proprietary diaphragm material used in all the Mundorf AMTs. Features for the Mundorf AMT 23CM1.1-C include a 130mm × 53mm pleated AMT diaphragm, an optimized injection-molded rear chamber, a flat round metal face plate, 90dB sensitivity, and 125W power handling with a minimum second-order 2.2kHz high-pass network.
The other Test Bench for this issue focuses on Beyma’s new 1" CD1ND Compact Polyimide Diaphragm Compression Driver and TD-194 Horn, clearly a product oriented for demanding professional audio applications. From this company headquartered in Valencia, Spain, comes a new transducer from its extensive line-up of more than 30 compression drivers. The 1” throat uber-compact CD1ND compression driver delivers a “high-quality” cost-effective option for studio monitors or stage monitors, as possible examples. The Beyma CD1ND compression driver uses a 1” (25.1mm) diameter edge-wound voice coil, wound with aluminum wire on a non-conducting former, driving the field-replaceable polyimide diaphragm and lightweight FEA-optimized neodymium ring magnet motor structure. Rated for 20W AES power handling and a 2kHz recommended crossover frequency, the Beyma CD1ND was measured with the Beyma TD-194 90° × 40° constant directivity horn with a 1200Hz cut-off frequency.
Finally, in this issue’s Industry Watch section, which contains the customary dose of news and updates, Mike Klasco remembers the life and achievements of John C. Koss, the founder and former chairman of Koss Corp., who passed away in December 2021, at 91.
This edition of Voice Coil is 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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