The art of speaker design

 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 16328
Registered: May-04
.

Grab a beverage, you're about to learn something ...

http://nutshellhifi.com/library/speaker-design1.html
 

Gold Member
Username: Hawkbilly

Nova Scotia Canada

Post Number: 1345
Registered: Jul-07
Excellent read. Thanks Jan.
 

Gold Member
Username: Kbear

Canada

Post Number: 1080
Registered: Dec-06
Thanks Jan. The article clearly shows what you've told us many times, that choices in audio almost invariably involve trade offs. However, it also shows that occasionally great advances are made in the design of audio products that largely create benefits and not drawbacks.

I have to admit that lately I've been intrigued by higher efficiency designs and the ability to run these speakers with a greater choice of amplifiers, many of which eschew negative feedback and perhaps operate in class A 100% of the time. Something worth attempting to hear one day perhaps.

I thought about purchasing (and then perhaps returning within 30 days) a pair of Klipsch Reference speakers from Best Buy to get a sense for the kind of dynamics and immediacy that might be achieved through a high efficiency speaker, but given what I've read about horns it might not be worthwhile to hear such an inexpensive model. Well, there are other options for high efficiency speakers I suppose, like Omega, Pi, Tekton, or even Focal's Chorus line. The 807V, for example, has a rated sensitivity of 92dB and was found by Stereophile to be an easy load on a partnering amp. Not sure how big a difference 92dB is compared to the typical 87-89dB of the speakers I've heard.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 16348
Registered: May-04
.

" ... but given what I've read about horns it might not be worthwhile to hear such an inexpensive model."


Everyone should exprience horns at some time. And experiencing good horns, mediocre horns and bad horns is also worth a recommendation. But computer aided design has done a lot for even lower priced horns. An inexpensive horn doesn't have to honk from uncontrolled resonances today. What have you read that is putting you off horns?


" The 807V, for example, has a rated sensitivity of 92dB and was found by Stereophile to be an easy load on a partnering amp. Not sure how big a difference 92dB is compared to the typical 87-89dB of the speakers I've heard."


I don't know, five dB of sensitivity is like four times as much power in some intances. Obviously, the difference will be in the actual load the speaker shows to the amp. Unless you're using a dynamic, single driver system, two multi-way speakers will not be similar loads in most cases. How does the speaker couple to the room and what is its power response? Then it depends on the priorities of the designer(s). Like we were discussing with amplifiers, sometimes you find a presentation of music that clicks with all of your own priorities and sometimes you wonder just what the he11 the designer listens to that they call music.

I've not heard the latest stuff from Klipsch and they are a very different company than when I sold the line. But it won't hurt to give them a listen, you never know what might happen. If nothing else, you'll have another 3x5 card filled with information to stick in your mental file of "sounds".



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Gold Member
Username: Kbear

Canada

Post Number: 1081
Registered: Dec-06
I think my wariness over inexpensive horn speakers is just what was said in the link you posted and also based on a discussion on the Audiogon forums. I don't really want to hear a poor representation of the technology, however if anyone should know how to design an inexpensive horn it would probably be Klipsch. My impression of Klipsch is actually pretty good based on my Promedia 2.1 system, and several posters on other audio forums say their Reference series actually isn't bad at all.

Anyways, I came across this speaker from Decware that looks very interesting. It uses just one capacitor to protect the ribbon tweeter, and it's rated at 94dB efficiency. Not too pricey either.

http://www.decware.com/newsite/DM945.html
 

Gold Member
Username: Hawkbilly

Nova Scotia Canada

Post Number: 1350
Registered: Jul-07
I don't know whether this holds true for horn speakers, but I've found that there are very good, and very inexpensive versions of most types of speakers......depending on what is 'inexpensive' to you. There are excellent single driver, open baffle, and ribbon/planar speakers under $600....some quite a bit under. The used market would get you there even cheaper. I would be surprised if there isn't a decent horn in the same price range, although admitedly I haven't looked.
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