http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/rss.xml Interested in finding out what makes one loudspeaker sound different from another? How about the differences between full range and bookshelf? This is the plasce to be and you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. hourly 12 2006-12-01T00:00 http://www.audioholics.com/static/logo.jpg http://www.audioholics.com/ http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/dayton-audio-wt3 The WT3 Woofer Tester by Dayton Audio is a fast, accurate and affordable measurement tool that’s about as easy to use as it gets. Just load the included software, plug the probe into the nearest USB port, calibrate, and you’re good to go. It’s that simple! It’ll measure driver impedance and derive the all-important Thiele/Small parameters - critical to the loudspeaker design process. It will also measure the impedance of various components commonly used in the construction of passive crossover networks such as resistors, caps & inductors. Rounding out this feature set, the WT3 sports some useful extra utilities you’ll likely find handy. All in all, this is one item likely to be a favorite of the DIY community for a long time to come. mark 2008-04-17T22:50:34+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/subwoofer-measurement-part-1 When it comes time to size up a subwoofer's performance, the proof is in the measurement! Audioholics takes a hard look at the science of subwoofer measurements in a two-part series covering a broad spectrum of measurement methods, useful to both pro and enthusiast alike. The purpose of both documents are to present a set of measurement guidelines by which a comprehensive objective assessment of a subwoofer’s performance can be developed. Included within this document’s definition of a subwoofer are: single & multiple driver subwoofer systems; powered and passive systems; systems featuring vented or totally enclosed cabinets; along with less common items such as dipole subwoofers. Let the science begin!" mark 2008-03-05T18:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/subwoofer-measurements You often see us measuring subwoofers using various methods such as: groundplane, in-room nearfield, outdoor on a pole, anechoic, quasi anechoic, etc in our product reviews and technical articles. This article discusses the different approaches to measuring subwoofers as well as tabulates the pros and cons of each method. Depending on the resources on hand of the reviewer, we will typically apply one or more of these methods and will note them as such in the reviews. The idea here is to eliminate external influences that complicate the measurements to yield similarly correct results for each methodology employed. The scope of this overview is limited to subwoofers only and the amplitude response frequencies range of 10 Hz to 320 Hz. Mark Sanfilipo 2007-11-05T23:50:19+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/speaker-spikes-and-cones-2013-what2019s-the-point In recent years it has become common for items of audio equipment to be mounted using “spikes” or “cones”. These come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and materials, at all kinds of prices. The Hi-Fi magazines sometimes ‘review’ these accessories, and recommend their use. However, are they worth buying and using? In this article, we consider their use with loudspeakers, and discuss some alternatives. Jim Lesurf 2007-09-18T16:28:10+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/vertical-vs-horizontal-speaker-designs The center channel’s job is a tough one. The consensus is that around 75 percent of a movie’s content is routed to the center channel loudspeaker. Yet, the design criteria for center channels traditionally require that it fit as stealthily as possible around that big-box television, or that huge sheet of projection screen. The sound can’t go through your glass TV screen and projection screens are usually not acoustically transparent. Ideally, the sound should come from behind the image, through the screen as it does in the movie theaters. But while there are new options with acoustically transparent projection screens, this article will focus on the more traditional problem of what compromises result from the different approaches to center channel design. Chris Seymour 2007-07-20T12:55:06+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/loudspeaker-impedance-series-parallel-connection-basics More often than not a question pops up in our forum about speaker impedance and the result of connecting multiple speakers to a single amplifier. Thus we have prepared this introductory tutorial to help clear up some of these questions. Gene 2006-05-22T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/inductor-coil-crosstalk-basics As a fledgling electronics buff I gathered together the usual hodgepodge of spare parts, old TV's and all the other electrical odds and ends that youngsters bitten by that particular bug seems to collect. Among my most prized possessions were 2 25 lb. spools of insulated, 12 AWG copper wire. Their weighty status didn't spare them however from featuring in many of my early experiments. mark 2006-03-06T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/speaker-break-in-fact-or-fiction Driver "break in", "burn in" or "run in" is a topic that's been debated in various forums for years. This topic continues to ignite occasional flame wars, fueled by the contributions of both uninformed and enlightened alike. mark 2005-08-25T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/lowering-mechanical-noise-floor-in-speakers-pt-2 The mechanical & acoustical performance of a loudspeaker cabinet's panel will be assessed at various stages of construction, with an eye to noting any improvements along the way. This report will conclude with a simple before/after comparison of the acoustical output of one of the test cabinet's panels, followed by a subjective assessment of the system's performance. mark 2005-07-05T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/lowering-mechanical-noise-floor-in-speakers When I design a loudspeaker system for home or studio use, with the goal of maximizing sonic accuracy, there are a handful of key areas I focus on when it comes time to judge how successful the design is. mark 2005-03-17T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/understanding-loudspeaker-frequency-response When I look at Infinity, then Axiom, then Paradigm, and then Rocket, I can't see any consistency with the frequency range and the price. How can a speaker with a frequency range of 60-20,000 Hz cost four times as much as a speaker that has a rating of 30-20,000 Hz? Alan Lofft 2005-03-11T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/how-to-judge-loudspeakers-sound-and-accuracy What do we really mean when we talk about "loudspeaker sound"? We've said it - we've heard it - but what should a good loudspeaker sound like? If we are being true to the goal of seeking higher fidelity, then an ideal loudspeaker should have no "sound" at all. In other words, it should be completely transparent, an open door to the musical performance. Alan Lofft 2004-12-31T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/wireless-surround-sound-speakers-the-future Are wireless surround sound speakers the next big thing? Hong Kong leads the market in the release of wireless 5.1 speaker systems. Wireless and active surround sound speakers with built-in decoders appear to be topping the list of R & D expenditures in various Chinese technology manufacturing companies. clint 2004-10-15T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/loudspeakers-when-is-good-enough-enough-part-3 In this, Part 3 in the series, I'd like my 30+ year journey through speaker design to illustrate how much of the knowledge was gained over long periods, by testing combinations and by following what others were doing to improve their systems. Hopefully it will become apparent that the journey of our industry in audio has been and continues to be an ever-fascinating learning experience… Patrick Hart 2004-09-06T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/series-vs-parallel-networks-first-order-comparison Despite many of the myths that surround series networks and their acclaimed superiority over conventional parallel networks for loudspeaker design, both networks can be designed with identical transfer functions if the load impedance remains constant. Most of the claims regarding series networks are either grossly overstated or blatantly wrong and may cause deleterious effects on system performance. Gene 2004-08-30T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/loudspeakers-when-is-good-enough-enough-part-2 In truth, it is very difficult to know for sure how a speaker by itself really sounds unless you can listen to it in an almost perfectly neutral room. Any listening situation short of that perfectly neutral room and you have no idea how much of what you're hearing is room and how much is the speaker. Patrick Hart 2004-08-30T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/loudspeakers-when-is-good-enough-enough-part-1 Initially, the Audioholics topic that impressed most was their multi-part series on cables . After reading that series just about anyone who… Patrick Hart 2004-08-30T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/filter-crossover-types-for-loudspeakers The filter type can be described in several different ways. Low-pass and high-pass filters in two-way crossover networks are often identified by their "Q". The Q is the resonance magnification of the filter and it is recognized by the shape of the "knee" of the amplitude response. Filters with a high Q tend to "ring" and exhibit poor transient response. Gene 2004-08-30T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article