Some Thoughts on Plastics for Speaker Enclosures

Discussing speaker enclosures, this article examines all the different options for plastic applications and the implications for loudspeaker driver design in general. Enclosure characteristics, construction features, advantage comparisons between wood and wood particle board cabinets, and production techniques are some of the topics explored. This article was published in Voice Coil, March 2022.

The March 2022 issue of Voice Coil offers a complete overview of loudspeaker cabinet design options, plastic enclosure materials, and production techniques, as well as an updated directory of Speaker Enclosure Vendors. This month, in Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the Mundorf U80W from its latest U Series of Air Motion Transformers. And addressing demanding professional audio applications, this issue also includes a Test Bench on Eighteen Sound’s NSD1095N Compression Driver and XT120 Horn. Start reading online. Printed copies are on the way.

Loudspeaker designers can look forward to a couple of exciting materials that have been in stealth mode but are about to step into the spotlight. A lightweight military aviation-grade nanocomposite from Alpine Advanced Materials, HX5 may be an alternative to beryllium and high-performance aluminum alloys used in woofer, midrange, and full-range cones. Compared to aluminum, cones can be made at half the weight with comparable strength. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2022.

The February 2022 edition of Voice Coil is now available and brings the latest information about speaker diaphragms and all the innovations in cones, domes, and surrounds. Martin Turesson tells the story of Composite Sound and its second-generation Metamodal TPCD technology, while Mike Klasco discusses advancements in materials and processes for speaker diaphragms and surrounds. And in Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the latest Satori MW19TX-8 midbass woofer by SB Acoustics using TPCD (TeXtreme) technology, before addressing the latest Industry updates.