Voice Coil February 2022 Highlights Innovation in Speaker Diaphragms

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.

While Voice Coil Test Bench reviews only make use of the Large Signal Identification (LSI) data from the Klippel analyzer, the reality is that there is an amazing list of 30 modules available for the KA3 that are seriously valuable for transducer and system development. As space permits, I will be covering a number of these modules in future issue of Voice Coil. The first module in this series is the Time Frequency Analysis (TFA) module. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2021

This Test Bench article characterizes the SB Acoustics Satori MW16TX-8 TeXtreme Cone 6.5” Woofer, the third diaphragm transducer in Test Bench using this material, following the Eminence N314X-8 compression driver, and the SB Acoustics TW29TXN-B-4 dome tweeter. TeXtreme diaphragms are definitely finding acceptance among loudspeaker manufacturers. The MW16TX-8 is part of the SB Satori line of high-end transducers and has a substantial feature set. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2021.

Ora Sound Graphene, the Canadian company that is the world's first commercial producer of free-standing graphene membranes for speaker drivers, announced the closing of its $3 million Seed financing round today. The deal was led by Ecofuel Fund along with Export Development Canada (EDC), BDC Capital and certain members of New York Angels. Existing investors TandemLaunch, and BoxOne Ventures also participated in the round.

The February 2021 edition of Voice Coil offers an overview of the Cone Industry in 2021, with an updated directory of loudspeaker cone, diaphragms and suppliers of relevant materials and components. Next up, James Croft reviews an interesting patent for a "Directional Loudspeaker," claimed by Dutch & Dutch BV, and Vance Dickason focuses his measurements on two small-sized drivers, typical of today's most popular consumer products. The first in Test Bench is the Wavecor FR070WA05, a 2.75" aluminum cone full-range driver, and the second is the AUGWL0006-JN01, a new 2.25" woofer from Eastech’s Punktkilde lineup.

We looked at the most-read articles of 2020 in audioXpress.com (which also includes selected articles from Voice Coil magazine), and we created this Top 10 list of news stories and online articles. 2020 was another record-breaking year for audioXpress.com, with visitors from all over the world returning often to read the more than 6,600 stories available. Which of the topics and stories published online in 2020 were the most popular? Here are the results!

Since 2013, Focal Aria has been a leading loudspeaker range for the French brand. With its natural flax cone and sleek style, Aria marked a decisive point in Focal’s history. And the story continues. As part of its process of constant renewal, Focal engineers and designers have revamped the Aria 936 flagship model to present the new Aria K2 936, featuring an updated version of the iconic K2 cone - used in JMLab Vega and Antea high-fidelity speakers since 1986 - combined with an Ash Grey exclusive finish.

This Voice Coil Focus article explores the fabrication, materials, and performance aspects of speaker cones, a critical component in driver design. With the author's extensive experience in dealing with innovative speaker designs and bringing concepts into production, the article explains vital aspects of both paper pulp cone fabrication and polypropylene cones, addressing even the lesser known aspects, such as software simulation programs used to model results before starting tooling. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, February 2020.

Always exploring all the latest information regarding cone and diaphragm technology, Voice Coil regularly publishes reports on key new materials with the potential to excite the loudspeaker industry. In this special focus article, Mike Klasco (Menlo Scientific, Ltd.) explores new approaches that explore thin ply carbon materials, like Swedish advanced composite specialist Oxeon is attempting with its TeXtreme Thin Ply Carbon Technology. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, February 2019.

Voice Coil February 2019 is now available and features a Cone and Diaphragm Technology Focus, including an expanded directory of Loudspeaker Cone Industry Suppliers, and an updated directory of Headphone/Earphone Parts vendors - the first of its kind. In Acoustic Patents, James Croft discusses a new patent awarded to Polk Audio, updating the original Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) loudspeaker with a new improved crosstalk cancellation version, and Vance Dickason characterizes the new Bold North Audio MS-10W woofer, a direct replacement for the famous white 6.5” driver on Yamaha’s NS10 studio monitors!