Test Bench: Trueanalog TAFE28 Silk Dome Tweeter

For this edition of Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the TAFE28, a 28 mm silk dome tweeter from Trueanalog. This is the first time Test Bench has characterized any product from Trueanalog, and the company sent Voice Coil its new 28 mm diameter silk dome tweeter, intended for high end hi-fi and recording studio applications. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2019.

The driver to be characterized in this Test Bench is from B&C Speakers and is the DCX464, a pretty unusual ring radiator compression driver. First, because it’s a coaxial compression driver - a rare category of compression driver, and second because the DCX464 compression driver and the accompanying horn measure down to an honest 300 Hz, which is quite a low frequency considering only a few OEM horns on the market go even as low as 400 Hz. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2019.

We know many of our readers will enjoy this extended book review by our technical editor, Jan Didden, about Bob Cordell’s Designing Audio Power Amplifiers, 2nd Edition. When Cordell published his long-awaited first edition of Audio Power Amplifier Design, it was hailed as a significant addition on the subject. Reactions of readers made it clear that Cordell hit his mark, and in this article, Didden explains why the long-awaited second edition is an essential buy. This review was originally published in audioXpress, October 2019.

In this article for audioXpress, Piotr Szczechowiak and Tomasz Zernicki, the two founders of Zylia, explore the fascinating world of true 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) audio experiences in 3D spaces. With 6DoF technology in VR/AR, users can experience 3D audio content from an unlimited number of listening points, wearing an appropriate headset and headphones to plug into an immersive experience that allows them to move freely through the entire audio soundscape. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2019.

This Voice Coil’s Spotlight, written by Vance Dickason with commentary from Floyd Toole, Wolfgang Klippel, Andrew Jones, and James Croft, focuses on Zero Phase in Studio Monitors. As Dickason explains, "the implication of using FIR filters to zero out the phase of a loudspeaker to improve its subjective performance seems inherently flawed given all the research done over years that concluded that the human ear is not very sensitive to phase or group delay." This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2019.

Stuart Yaniger reviews the DPA d:vice MMA-A Digital Audio Interface, a two-channel microphone preamp and A/D converter that allows the use of the renowned DPA microphones with any iOS device, a Mac or a PC. Apart from being an audio measurement expert, Yaniger is also an enthusiastic music recordist and this device not only fit in his pocket but he also found it to be "a slick piece of engineering and industrial design." Originally published in audioXpress, October 2019.

One of the most important audio events for the speaker building and DIY audio communities, the Midwest Audiofest (MWAF) is held in Springboro, OH, in July every year. Sponsored by an impressive group of vendors and hosted by Parts Express, this event combines several activities including a huge tent sale at Parts Express. For Thomas Perazella the highlight of the event is the Speaker Design Competition, for which he was again one of the competition judges. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2019.

The October 2019 edition of Voice Coil is packed full of essential reading material. Vance Dickason discusses Zero Phase in Studio Monitors with commentary from industry experts. In Acoustic Patents, a new Speaker Structure design patented by Yamaha, and a new Passive Acoustic Radiator Module, invented by Joseph Sahyoun are under review. And Test Bench characterizes a new high power coaxial compression driver and horn from B&C Speakers, and a 28 mm silk dome tweeter from Trueanalog. Now available to download!

The October 2019 edition of audioXpress closely reflects the highly diverse and exciting areas of innovation in the audio industry. There’s a Market Update on Audio Installation, one of the highest growth and most innovative segments in the audio industry, and our report of the 2019 Midwest Audiofest Speaker Design Competition, followed by a review of Bob Cordell’s 2nd Edition book on Designing Audio Power Amplifiers, and an important insight on modern Class-D amplification. We also review the DPA d:vice MMA-A Digital Audio Interface, explain the potential of true 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) audio experiences, how Auralization allows building virtual acoustic models, and so much more!