Get in the Loudspeaker Industry Loop with Voice Coil July 2017

This edition focuses on Adhesive Joints and Cone Treatments and includes a special report on the latest new material options available and an updated directory of Adhesives, Coatings, and Sealant Providers. In our Spotlight article, Dan Knighten discusses the “Practical Measurement of Bluetooth and Lightning Headphones,” and in Test Bench, Vance Dickason discusses the new B&C Speakers DE990TN compression driver and Wavecor’s new SW168WA01 6.5” woofer. That and much more now available.

The results for SEAS Fabrikker's intense R&D program keep showing with more applications for the company's new generation high-quality drivers. Recently announced by Danish company PBN Audio, the new CX871 speaker kit features two different SEAS drivers: the H1699-08/06 MR18REX/XF 7” Midrange Coaxial Loudspeaker, and 2x H1208-08 L22RN4X/P 8” Aluminum Cone Woofer. The result was recently presented by Madisound at the LAAS – Los Angeles Audio Show.

Norwegian speaker designer and manufacturer SEAS Fabrikker is gearing up its new generation drivers, resulting from an extensive R&D effort. Since the company premiered its new full range drive unit in Guangzhou in December 2016, audio designers have been anxiously waiting for news about availability. audioXpress has met the SEAS team at High End Munich 2017 and got the confirmation that the company is now accepting orders for the new H1794-08 FEA18RCZ.

Now available for download, Voice Coil June 2017 features a report on new earphone and headphone technology developments, compiled by Mike Klasco (Menlo Scientific); a directory of manufacturers; and a summary of recommended related trade shows. James Croft reviews a patent for a passive radiator with dynamically adjustable resonant frequency, while Vance Dickason tests Eminence’s new 1” compression driver and SEAS’ 6.5” “King Coax.”

SEAS just announced final plans for a KingRO4Y Mk II edition, a high performance powered loudspeaker kit featuring a L26RO4Y subwoofer and the completely new C18EN002/A midrange coaxial driver, designed by Håvard Sollien at the SEAS R&D laboratory. The project will soon include full assembly instructions, but the first details are already published in the company's website.

Finnish manufacturer Amphion Loudspeakers is announcing a new product bundle that allows producers and sound engineers to take the Amphion sound with them everywhere they go. The compact One12 studio monitor is now available in a bundle with a pair of Amp100 mono amplifiers and speaker cables, all housed in a sturdy wooden travel case padded to ensure easy and safe transportation. The travel set will be presented at the Audio Engineering Society Convention in Los Angeles.

One of the most important speaker building projects published by audioXpress, THOR was designed by Joseph (Joe) D'Appolito, who is world-renowned for his pioneering work on MTM-based (mid-tweeter-mid) loudspeaker configurations. The original THOR transmission-line design was published in May 2002. For this online publication, audioXpress kept the original article unchanged, which has since been updated with availability of the original Madisound/SEAS kit and the publication of a complete kit project on the SEAS website. Read the complete article here.

Mike Klasco explains the evolution of speaker cone materials, from paper to the first experiments in plastics and finally to Polypropylene (PP), which became the preferred resin sheet material for thermoformed speaker cones. The article also discusses recent trends in woven composite cone fabrication. This article was published in Voice Coil, February 2014.

Fern & Roby, from Richmond, Virginia, designs audio speakers using heart pine timber, sourced locally, resulting in beautiful and unique products. The company currently sells The Beam full range tower speakers and the compact bookshelves, The Cube. Both are designed and engineered with vast attention to detail and result in extremely attractive products.

Thiel Audio Introduced the TT1 three-way Loudspeaker at the 2015 CES Show. The TT1, together with the previously introduced bookshelf TM3, is part of the company’s new 3rd Avenue Collection and the first Thiel Audio speaker to be assembled in its new Nashville facility. It represents a novel approach to design and manufacturing, in line with the company’s long-term vision for the high-end brand.