book

Loudspeakers

by Philip Newell, Keith Holland

October 2006

Beginner to intermediate

416 pages

13h 58m

English

Focal Press

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1.1 A brief look at the concept1.2 A little history and some background1.3 Some other problems1.4 Some basic facts1.4.1 Acoustic wave propagation1.4.2 Mechanical and acoustic impedance1.4.3 Impedance in loudspeakers1.5 The practical moving-coil cone loudspeaker1.5.1 The combined response1.6 Resistive and reactive loads1.7 The bigger pictureReferencesBibliography

2.1 Moving-coil cone loudspeakers2.1.1 Cones2.1.2 Surrounds2.1.3 Rear suspensions2.1.4 The chassis2.1.5 The voice-coil assembly2.1.6 Magnet systems2.1.7 Ferrofluids2.1.8 The complete system2.2 Dome loudspeakers2.2.1 Hard and soft domes2.3 Compression drivers2.4 Ribbon loudspeakers2.5 Heil air-motion transformers2.6 Distributed mode loudspeakers2.6.1 Panel/piston combinations2.7 Beyond magnetics2.7.1 Piezoelectric devices2.7.2 Ionic loudspeakers2.8 Electrostatic loudspeakers2.9 Electromagnetic planar loudspeakers2.10 SummaryReferencesBibliography
3.1 The concept of the infinite baffle3.2 The sealed box3.2.1 Acoustic suspensions3.3 Reflex enclosures3.4 Acoustic labyrinths3.4.1 Modern transmission lines3.5 ABR systems3.6 Bandpass cabinets3.7 Series driver operation and isobaric loudspeakers3.8 General discussion3.9 Cabinet lining materials3.10 Cabinet constructions3.11 Cabinet shapes and diffraction effects3.12 Front grilles3.13 Cabinet mountingReferences
4.1 The horn as a transformer4.2 Directivity control4.3 Horn design compromises4.4 Non-linear acoustics4.5 Examples of non-linear acoustics in loudspeakers4.6 Practical horns in studios and homes4.7 Implications for practical horn design parameters4.8 Summary of results4.9 General horn characteristics4.10 Phasing plugs4.11 Acoustics lenses4.12 Horn types4.13 Materials of construction4.14 Vestigial horns and ‘waveguides’4.15 Flare ratesReferences
5.1 What is a crossover?5.2 Reconstruction problems5.3 Orders, slopes and shapes5.4 Filter shapes5.5 Target functions5.5.1 Minimum and non-minimum phase effects5.5.2 Corrective measures and side-effects5.6 Active versus passive crossovers5.7 Physical derivation of crossover delay5.8 Digital crossoversReferencesBibliography
6.1 Amplifiers – an over-view6.2 Basic requirements for current and voltage output6.3 Transient response6.4 Non-linear distortions6.5 Amplifier classes and modes of operation6.5.1 Class A amplifiers6.5.2 Class A derivatives6.5.3 Class AB6.5.4 Class D6.5.5 Class G and H6.6 MOSFET or BJT?6.7 Choosing an amplifier6.8 Loudspeaker cables and their effect on system performance6.8.1 The bare minimum6.8.2 The status quo6.8.3 Cable designs for loudspeaker use6.9 The amplifier/loudspeaker interface6.10 Some provable characteristics of cable performance6.11 Some passing comments6.12 Multi-cabling6.13 Polyamplification and multiamplification6.14 System designReferencesBibliography
7.1 The anechoic and reverberation chambers7.2 Boundary loading and room gain7.2.1 Restriction of radiating space7.2.2 The mirrored room and mutual coupling7.3 Room reflexions7.3.1 Resonant modes7.4 Flush-mounting7.5 Multichannel considerations and phantom imaging7.6 Stereo perception in rooms7.7 Rooms for critical listening7.8 Electronic, digitally adaptive response correction7.9 Minimum and non-minimum phase responsesReferencesBibliography
8.1 The chain8.2 Recording monitors8.2.1 Basic requirements8.2.2 Proportional costs8.2.3 Different approaches8.2.4 Crossover points8.2.5 Power consideration8.2.6 Interfacing with the rooms8.2.7 A word about listening levels8.3 Mixing monitors8.3.1 Location dilemmas8.4 Mastering loudspeakers8.5 Domestic loudspeakers8.6 Musical instrument loudspeakers8.6.1 Cabinet designsSummaryReferencesBibliography
9.1 The general situation9.2 Test signals and analysis9.2.1 Frequency response plots9.2.2 Waterfall plots9.2.3 Harmonic distortion9.2.4 Intermodulation distortion9.2.5 Delta-functions and step-functions9.2.6 Acoustic source plots9.2.7 Cepstrum analysis9.2.8 Modulation transfer functions9.2.8.1 Application of room equalisation9.2.8.2 A D-to-A dilemma9.3 Sound fields and human perception9.3.1 Further perceptual considerationsReferencesBibliography
10.1 Physics or psychology?10.2 The musical dependence of compatibility10.2.1 Sine waves and pink noise10.3 Real responses vs. preconceived ideasAcknowledgement
11.1 The great low frequency deception11.1.1 The air spring11.1.2 Size, weight and sensitivity11.1.3 Further consequences of small size11.2 Commercial solutions11.2.1 The time penalty11.2.2 The transient trade-off11.3 The evolution of the desk-top monitor11.4 The great time deception11.5 Resonant tails and one-note bass11.6 The masking of detail11.7 Theoretical equalisation and excess phase11.8 Modulation transfer-function and a new type of frequency response plot11.9 Summing-upReferences
12.1 Surround sound in professional studios12.2 Cinema sound12.3 Music mixing12.4 Sub-woofers – discrete and managed12.5 Size versus performance compromises12.6 Compound sub-woofers and electronic control12.7 System considerationsReferences

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About the authors

Philip Newell began working professionally with loudspeakers in 1966, in the maintenance department of a shop selling high fidelity sound reproduction equipment in the town of his birth, Blackburn, England. Within a year he had begun to work for the Mecca chain of dance halls as a live-sound engineer. By 1970 he was working at a recording studio in south London, where he designed his first studio monitoring system. Philip moved to Pye Records in late 1970, when Pye was one of the UK's premier record companies with a large recording complex near Marble Arch, in central London. He worked primarily as a studio maintenance engineer, but was also involved in many recordings, and then moved to a fledgling Virgin Records organisation ...