Trends in Microspeakers

Voice Coil April 2019 featured another great Focus article by Mike Klasco (Menlo Scientific) discussing trends in Microspeakers. With more than 1.6 billion mobile phones built annually, each with a microspeaker for the speakerphone and another for the receiver, this side of the speaker industry attracts the giants. Get the full scoop on one of the hottest market segments.

The June 2019 edition of Voice Coil is now available. This issue focuses on Headphone Measurement Equipment, including a complete directory and profiles of some of the better known vendors in the industry, while James Croft reviews a new Sealed Acoustic Suspension Chamber Enclosure design, invented in Sweden. On Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the new 6” 6PR160 pro sound midwoofer from Faital Pro, and the new SW280WA-01 shallow mount 10" home audio subwoofer, from Wavecor.

Voice Coil May 2019 features an overview of Asian speaker manufacturing outside of China, with a detail portrait country by country. Mike Klasco reports on Loudspeaker Enclosure Materials, focusing on new and improved material alternatives. James Croft reviews a new patented design from Harman to improve reproduction in boundary-coupled systems, and in Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes two new 1” compression drivers, one from Celestion, and another from SB Audience, a new brand from SB Acoustics targeting pro audio applications. All this and the usual Industry Watch updates, now ready to download!

Always exploring all the latest information regarding cone and diaphragm technology, Voice Coil regularly publishes reports on key new materials with the potential to excite the loudspeaker industry. In this special focus article, Mike Klasco (Menlo Scientific, Ltd.) explores new approaches that explore thin ply carbon materials, like Swedish advanced composite specialist Oxeon is attempting with its TeXtreme Thin Ply Carbon Technology. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, February 2019.

For the January 2019 edition of Voice Coil magazine, Mike Klasco and Nora Wong have compiled a special Focus article on New Materials for Earphones and Headphones. For those looking to differentiate their new products, the two Menlo Scientific consultants provide a unique and valuable perspective on multiple possibilities and designs for drivers, materials for assemblies and enclosures, choices for headbands and ear cushions, signal processing, and even cables.

Voice Coil April 2019 is now available. In this edition, Mike Klasco discusses Microspeakers and the trends in one of the hottest loudspeaker market segments. This is followed by an up-to-date Directory on Microspeaker vendors. James Croft reviews a patent for an intriguing low-frequency enclosure system incorporating an isobaric or compound woofer enclosure. And for this month's Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the SEAS L26ROY and the B&C Speakers 14NA100-8 pro sound woofer.

Voice Coil March 2019 is now available and this issue focuses on the vital, but seldom addressed, topic of loudspeaker enclosure materials. Mike Klasco reviews and looks ahead at all the materials and design approaches for loudspeaker enclosures, and the edition also includes a complete directory for sourcing vendors in this area. James Croft reviews a Coaxial Centerbody Point-Source (CCPS) Horn Speaker System patent, and Vance Dickason characterizes three new tweeters on Test Bench.

Voice Coil February 2019 is now available and features a Cone and Diaphragm Technology Focus, including an expanded directory of Loudspeaker Cone Industry Suppliers, and an updated directory of Headphone/Earphone Parts vendors - the first of its kind. In Acoustic Patents, James Croft discusses a new patent awarded to Polk Audio, updating the original Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) loudspeaker with a new improved crosstalk cancellation version, and Vance Dickason characterizes the new Bold North Audio MS-10W woofer, a direct replacement for the famous white 6.5” driver on Yamaha’s NS10 studio monitors!

Voice Coil January 2019 is now available. This edition focuses on New Materials for Earphones and Headphones and also includes a valuable listing of Earphone and Headphone Manufacturers and a schedule of headphone-centric events for the year. In Acoustic Patents, James Croft looks at a new patent of a multilayer voice coil plate and flat speaker based on the same, while in this month's Test Bench Vance Dickason features a 1" compression driver from Radian Audio Engineering, and a 1" soft dome tweeter from Eminence. This is much more, now available in print and download.

In this article, we will take a look at what is trending in audio signal processing for the poster child of integrated electronics speakers… the soundbar. As an audio consumer product category, soundbars remain a top seller, having replaced receivers and their associated passive speaker systems, which have sadly been reduced to legacy product categories. More than 10 million soundbars are sold annually but most deliver barely more performance than a table radio. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2018.