10/7/2015

Speakers:Constructionandpower

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Constructionandpower

Theconstructionofspeakersisapproachedinthesamewayasmusicalinstrumentmaking.Fine
tolerancesandattentiontodetailmakelargedifferencestoperformance.Largemusical
instrumentsandspeakerssuitlowfrequenciesandviceversa.Eachspeakerandinstrumentcan
onlyfunctionefficientlywithlinearitywithin3octaves(octaveisratio1:2).Theoreticallyasingle
speakerwouldhavetochangediameterfrom(1in24ft)(20mm8m)tomaintainsimilarleveland
dispersionoverthefrequencyspectrum.
Themajorityconsistofpaperorplasticmouldedintoaconeshape,looselysuspendedinaframe
soastoeasilymovebackandforthtovibratetheair.Gluedtothebackoftheconeisacoilofwire
(voicecoil)withinastrongmagnetfield.Passingelectricitythroughwirecausesamagneticfield
aroundthewire,whichattractsorrepels,causingtheconetomovebackandforth.Thelargerthe
magnetandvoicecoil(BL)thegreaterthepowerandefficiencyifwellmade.Externallyvibrating
theconewillcausethevoicecoiltogenerateelectricity.Aspeakercanworkwellasamicrophone
especiallyforbassdrums.

Theenergyofthemagnetisconductedthroughthemildsteelpoleplatesandpolepieceand
concentrated(northsouth)acrossthegap.Hopefullythevoicecoilhasbeenperfectlycentredin
thegap.Theclearancesareveryverysmall,lessthanhalfabeesdick.Thesmallerthegapthe
moreintensethemagneticfieldthegreatertheefficiency.Theslightestvariationsinalignment
duringmanufacture,causelargevariationsinperformance.Notwospeakersormusical
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instrumentscanbeidentical.

VoiceCoils.Passingelectricitythroughwirecausesamagneticfieldaroundthewire.Changing
polarityoftheelectriccurrentthroughthewirealsochangesthepolarityofthemagneticfieldcreated
aroundthewire.Theinteractionofthetwomagneticfields,causesthevoicecoiltobepushedout
ofthegapforwardorbackward,dependingonthepolarityoftheelectricitythroughthevoicecoil.

Speakerpolarity.Thestandardtestforaspeaker,istoputabattery
acrossthespeakerterminals.Whenthe+ofabatteryisputontothe+
markedterminalofthespeakertheconeshouldmoveout.Thisisalsothe
correcttestforcheckingthepolarityofspeakersinstereosystems.1.5
Voltbatteryissafetouse.Warning.Neverusethistestona
compressiondriver.

Mostvoicecoilsaredoublelayered,woundwithenamelcoatedcopperwirearoundaformerthen
bondedwithanepoxycompoundandbakedinanoven.Voicecoilscanalsobewoundwith
rectangularaluminiumwiretoachievelessweightandgreateraccuracy.Aconespeakerisapprox
2%efficientthereforeapprox98%oftheelectricalenergyiswastedasheat.

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VoicecoilLength.Atbassfrequenciesthevoicecoilhastomovebackandforthalongdistance,
especiallyathighpower,comparedtothehighfrequencies.Duringmovement,the%ofvoicecoil
inthegapmustremainconstant.Thevoicecoilcanbelongandthepoleplatethinorthevoicecoil
shortandthepoleplatethicktoachievethesameoutcome.Therearearguedadvantagesand
disadvantagesbothways.Midandhighfrequencyspeakersconesonlymoveasmalldistance,
comparedtothelargemovementofbassspeakers.Thevoicecoillengthandpoleplatethickness
aresimilar.

Midandhighfrequencyspeakersareapprox6dBto10dBmoreefficientthanbassspeakers.In
smallpassivesystemsthemidandhighfrequencyspeakersareattenuatedtomatchtheless
efficientwoofer.Inactivesystemsthebassspeakerisdrivenwithhigherpower.Anexampleis
two15inwoofersdrivenwith400Wattstomatcha12inmidspeakerdrivenwith200Watts.

VoiceCoilDiameter.Onthesamediameterspeakerasmallvoicecoilhaslesscontroloverthe
conecomparedtoalargevoicecoil.Withasmallvoicecoiltheconeisabletobemoreresonant
comparedtothesamesizeconewithalargevoicecoil.Somesmallvoicecoilspeakersmay
appeartobemoreefficientbutthisextraefficiencymaybeonlyattheoneresonantbassnote.At
frequenciesabovethisresonantbassnotethespeakermaybelessefficientcomparedtothesame
conewithalargervoicecoil.Costandperformanceofspeakersincreasewithvoicecoilsize.

Thelargerthevoicecoilthebetterthecontroloverthecone,andthereforeimproveddampingand
linearity.Largevoicecoilsareexpensivetomake(limitapprox4in100mm).Assemblingthe
speakerisalsomoredifficult,tolerancestakentogreateraccuracy.Thelargerthevoicecoil
diameterthelargertheareaofthemagneticgap.Tokeepthefluxdensityofthemagneticenergy
(perunitarea)inthegapthesame(forthespeakertoretainthesameefficiency)magnetsizeand
thereforemassofthespeakermustbeincreased.Themajoradvantageoflargervoicecoilsis
greaterpowerhandling.
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SquareWave.Itisnotpossibleforaspeakerormusicalinstrumenttoproduceanacousticsquare
wave.Asquarewavecanonlyexistinelectronicswhere'physical'massandforcedonotexist.A
speakerwillaveragetheelectricalenergyofasquarewaveasthefundamentalperiodofasine
wave,withdiscordantthirdharmonicresonances.

Aspeakerrespondsonlytotheresultantenergyofanelectricalsignal,butnottotheseparate
characteristicsofphasebetweenvoltageandcurrentwithinthatsignal.Alsotounderstandthis
demonstrateshowmuchoftheaudiophileandprofessionalaudiomythsabout'electronictime
alignment'aresimplymarketingfabrications.Howeveracousticalwavelengthtimealignment
betweenthephysicaldistancesofspeakercomponents(wooferandtweeter)isimportantandshould
betakenintoconsideration.

Whatgovernsthe3octaverule?
Soundisawavemotionofairhavinglengthandcorespondingheight,describedasfrequency.At
frequencieswherewavelengthsareequaltoandbecomelongerthanthespeakerdiameter,
decreasinginfrequency,thefrequencyresponseissmooth,anddispersionwidens(directivity).
Theoreticallytomaintainthesamepower,theconemustmove4timesthedistance,foreach
octavedecrease.Conemass,andreducingairresistanceasthefrequencydecreases,causethis.
Thesameasamusicalstringedinstrument(constantvelocity).
Theupperlimitforhighfrequenciesiswherewavelengthsbecomesmallerthanthespeaker
diameter.Thiscausesnodeandlobedistortionwithinthecone(chaoticresonances).Dispersion
narrowstoabeamandthefrequencyresponsebecomeschaotic,soundingharshandscreechy.

Thelowerlimitiswherewavelengthsbecome10timesthespeakerdiameter.Conemovementis
sogreatitbecomesinefficient,nonlinearandgeneratesintermodulation(affectingothernotes).
Thefashionforbassspeakerstobesmallcompromisesperformanceregardlessofmarketing
claims.
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Anidealsystemwillhave4speakers,eachcovering23octaves.Eg.
(1infortheharmonics).(45inforuppervoice).(810inforlowervoice).(1215inforbass).
professionalsystemsusehornsandcompressiondriversforextrapowerandefficiency.

Speakerpower
ConeSpeakersareapprox2%efficient.powerandefficiencyisdependantonBL,whichismagnet
andvoicecoilsize.Bisthetotalmagneticenergyinthegap.Lislengthofvoicecoilwire.Also
massandareaofcone,suspensioncomplianceandfrequency.

Basspower.Themaximumdistancetheconecanmovelimitsbasspower.Tomaintainthesame
acousticoutputtheconemustmove4timesthedistanceforeachoctavedecreaseandviceversa.
1/4distance,foreachoctaveincrease.Twotimesduetoconemasschangingdirection.Two
timesbecauseairisslippery.Asfrequencydecreasesairslipssidewaysdecreasingresistance.
Asfrequencyincreasesairdoesn'thavetimetoslipsideways,increasingresistanceagainstthe
cone(radiationresistance).

Atwavelengthsgreaterthan10timesthespeakerdiameter,conemovementissogreatitbecomes
nonlinearandinefficient.Somemanufacturersmakethesuspensiontighttolimitconemovement,
compromisingbassperformanceforahigherpowerrating.

Highfrequencypowerislimitedbyexcessiveheatthatcandestroythevoicecoil.

Speakermanufacturershavedifficultyspecifyingpowerhandling.Inmarketingtherehasbeena
moderntrendtosellspeakersasbeingcapableof1,000Wattsplus,similartosellingamotorvehicle
asbeingcapableofgoingatthespeedoflight.Atbassfrequenciestheconeexcursionislimitedby
thetightnessofthesuspensionandmaybeatmaximumbetween20100Watts.Abovemaximum
excursionthebassnotesbecomecompressed.

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Conemovementcanbesogreatthatatthepointwherethevoicecoilandconearejoineditcanhit
thepoleplate,makingaloudcrackingsoundandthereforewarning.Thevoicecoilmaybecapable
of50200Wattsbeforeitburnsout(dependingontime).Atmidandhighfrequencies,cone
excursiondoesnotlimitpowerhandling.Thevoicecoilwillkeepgettinghotteruntilitburnsup,and
stopabruptlywithoutwarning.Sometimesexcessiveheatwillcausethevoicecoiltobecomeloose
fromitsformer.Thiswillbeheardasanannoyingmechanicalrattlingsound.

Othertypesofspeakers
Domethemajorityoftweetersaredome,similartotheconespeaker.
Ribbontweetersareexpensive,lessefficient,notcommon,haveexcellentperformance.
Electrostaticspeakersareexpensiveveryfragileandhaveanichefollowing,excellenttransients.
Tobecontinued
EndofTopic2

WrittenbyJohnBurnett

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Created:17Dec2008

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