Unique Speakers, Parts, and Concepts in Voice Coil September 2022 

Voice Coil September 2022 offers an article about solutions for Smart Speakers and Voice Processing by Mike Klasco, and an updated directory of Magnet Vendors and Distributors for 2022. James Croft reviews a recent patent awarded to Tymphany for a new Coaxial Loudspeaker design, and Vance Dickason characterizes two very original drivers in Test Bench. The HF1460 compression driver from Faital Pro and the Tang band the W4-2356 4" full-range woofer with an off-centered voice coil.

Following the review of the Peerless by Tymphany PLS 2” PLS-50N25AL01-08 neodymium motor full range, in this edition of Test Bench I reviewed the 2.5" PLS-65F25AL01-08 ferrite motor full-range model. This 2.5" 8 ohm full-range member of the PLS family, the Peerless PLS-65F25AL01-08, has some differences. Unlike the PLS-50N plastic frame, the PLS-65F is built on a proprietary stamped steel frame that is fully vented below the spider mounting shelf with four 24 mm × 4 mm cutouts for enhanced cooling. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, November 2017.

The 2” to 2.5” diameter full-range drivers are unquestionably one of the most used transducers in consumer electronics. I asked the folks at Tymphany to send a couple of transducers from their Peerless by Tymphany PLS line of full-range 2” to 3” drivers. I specifically asked for the 2” PLS-50N25AL01-08 neodymium motor full range (reviewed here) as well as the 2.5” PLS-65F25AL01-08 ferrite motor full-range (reviewed separately). This article was originally published in Voice Coil, November 2017.

Baidu, a company known as China's search engine is investing heavily in its own voice engine, artificial intelligence (AI), and even hardware technologies, following Google's footsteps. Earlier this year, Baidu acquired Raven, a Beijing-based smart home startup, and the first results of that investment have now been revealed with two voice-activated speakers that run on the company's own AI platform. The design was the result of a cooperation with a Swedish start-up, Teenage Engineering.