Louder, Faithful, and Consistent. Using Digital Signal Processing to Improve Loudspeaker Performance

Within the audio chain, the loudspeaker could be the element that most influences a user’s auditory experience. A loudspeaker is not only the final element that converts electric input into an audible output, but it is also responsible for an increasing portion of the system’s cost, inefficiency, weight, and size, making it a crucial element for the costumer and the manufacturer. This article, published in Voice Coil, May 2016, discusses ways to use digital signal processing to improve loudspeaker performance.

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.

Since its publication in 2010, “Current-Driving of Loudspeakers" by Esa Meriläinen, was received with both enthusiasm and skepticism. Effectively, Meriläinen anticipated the criticism when writing in his book preface: “The subtitle of the book may at first sound too much promising or inflated, which it, however, is not at all; for as will show up especially in chapter 4, the issue is indeed about a fundamental fallacy in sound reproduction technology.” In this article, published originally in Voice Coil, July 2010, Joseph DeMarinis not only reviews the book but also runs tests of the theory.

It’s that time of the year again. September means our Speaker Focus edition is here and once again we have a powerful selection of articles, starting with a great recap from Mike Klasco on the Evolution of Compact Deep Bass Subwoofers. We follow with three great DIY articles from Ward Maas, Ken Bird, and Perry Marshall. Of course, there’s also the second part of Richard K. Mains’ techniques on how to eliminate room reflections in woofer measurements, and a great interview with David MacPherson, owner of Studio Electric. Read on!

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.

Loudspeaker design is not a trivial exercise, and as a result, high-performance acoustic simulation software is essential to get accurate predictions that help an engineer develop superior products. Demand for simulations at early design stages are increasing because cost and timing constraints make it impossible to prototype and test every design idea and much can be learned from simulation results, which cannot be obtained in the test chamber. Actran, MSC Software Company’s acoustic simulation solution, based on Finite Element Analysis (FEA) technology, provides predictive simulation capabilities to assess the vibro-acoustic performance of audio devices, which include speakers and microphones.

Recently I attended the excellent, The Home Entertainment (T.H.E.) Show in Newport, CA. Celebrating its 6th anniversary, and still mourning the tragic loss of its president and founder, Richard Beers, T.H.E. Show Newport exceeded its own 2015 attendance figures, with more than 10,000 attendees. I left with excellent memories of a wonderful organization, a very pleasant location (Irvine), and the motivation to return. Some excellent systems left me with enduring impressions that I thought fit to share in this space.

Creators of high-performance professional loudspeaker technologies, Fulcrum Acoustic have introduced the FLS115 Subcardioid Subwoofer. A powerful complement to its companion FL283 Subcardioid Line Array, the FLS115 is ideal for the most demanding venues, including performing arts centers, houses of worship, sporting facilities, and nightclubs.

In this testimony, British company Flare Audio explains their unique approach to loudspeaker design based on the theory of Waveform Integrity, combining driver alignment and a patented enclosure structure and porting technology. All Flare’s sound reinforcement solutions use FaitalPRO drivers.

Free Field Technologies (FFT), an MSC Software Company, announced the release of Actran 16. The new release provides new audio and electroacoustic capabilities; acoustic propagation in huge domains and at high frequencies; new aeroacoustic modeling capabilities for fast virtual testing; and co-simulation with other MSC Software tools for multi-discipline analyses. The new release also introduces performance enhancements, including on graphical user interface and its meshing tool.