Registration for Klippel's Sound Quality of Audio Systems 2020 Lecture Is Now Open!

Sound Quality of Audio Systems: Modeling, Measurement & Control, is the title for the 2020 edition of the lecture presented by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Klippel. Already an annual tradition, this three-day event combines both theory and practice, and will take place March 9-11, 2020, at the Technical University Dresden, in Germany. Registrations for the lecture are now open for a fee for general admission, and are free for students.

Following extensive research, Klippel GmbH has announced its new Klippel Controlled Sound (KCS) technology. This is an integrated approach that leverages the company's software and hardware tools for development, measurement and evaluation of new-generation loudspeaker systems, providing mechanical and thermal protection, automatic system alignment, active compensation of transducer nonlinearities and stabilization of the voice coil rest position. In other words, enabling research towards the speakers of the future.

In clear party mode to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Spanish professional loudspeaker manufacturer Beyma introduced several new products at this year’s Prolight+Sound show in Frankfurt. The debuts include three new high performance subwoofers that expand even more the unique LEX range, with its mix of artistic and optimized mechanical design. Beyma also expanded its portfolio in the woofers section with a new 14” driver, a new format for the company, and introduces a new 1,4” exit small compression driver.

Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, announced CSRA6640, a flexible, highly integrated single-chip amplifier solution with Qualcomm DDFA Digital Amplifier Technology. With its single-chip architecture, the CSRA6640 brings a new level of integration to make superior class-D amplification more commercially viable on smaller form factors and lower tier products, helping manufacturers to create portable and power-efficient speakers that offer differentiated audio quality.

Simulation software for speaker design has been around since the 1970s. With the introduction of the IBM PC and DOS operating system in the early 1980s, Thiele-Small (T-S) simulation software for enclosure design became a must-have for speaker system designers. For the most sophisticated design efforts, there are now magnetic circuit design software and finite element analysis (FEA) cone and thermal prediction simulation software. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, March 2017.

Acoustic design and measurement firm Warkwyn, recently acquired by US OEM speaker manufacturer MISCO, announced that it has completed the relocation of all operations from Ontario, Canada to Minneapolis and is now fully operational. The company also announced that its role as North American sales and training agent for Klippel GmbH has been renewed.

In this Q&A, Charlie Hughes credits his success to knowledge, contacts, friendships, and his wife. He earned a physics degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in1988. After graduation he worked for Peavey Electronics in Meridian, MS as a loudspeaker design engineer where he remained for 14 years. In late 2004, he started his own company, Excelsior Audio, located near Charlotte, NC. Excelsior Audio primarily provides consultation and design services to loudspeaker manufacturers. This article was originally published in audioXpress, February 2013.