Article: Suitability of Low Frequency Drivers for Horn-Loaded Loudspeaker Systems

[WMcD]

Submitted for your consideration:

Many people are familiar with Don Keele's AES preprint article on drivers. He references private communications with Richard Small (The "S" in T-S parameters, of course).

Small published an AES pre-print which references private communication with Keele on the matter.

Gil

Suitability of Low-Frequency Drivers for Horn-Loaded Loudspeaker Systems.pdf

[mas]

Thanks Gil! As always!

If I may take the oportunity, may I also suggest a refernce that builds upon and exceeds the reference to which Gil mentions above...

Theory and Design of Loudspeaker Enclosures, by J.E. Benson

While many of us are familiar with the eferences of Thiele and Small, and regard them as definitive, they are in fact, not. This distinction goes to Benson, who was the examiner for Richard Small's PhD thesis.

And quoting Don Davis from the preface to the work: "Dr. Benson wrote us re Richard Small, "Much of Dick's work was done with an analogue simulator whereas all my results were obtained by digital computer from theoretically derived equations."

But rather than me run off about it, I will quote several comments by Don Keele:

"It is a classic, and even more comprehensive and detailed than Thiele and Small's loudspeaker papers as published in the AES Journal (if you can believe that!). He goes into an exhaustive analysis of the infinite-baffle, closed-box, damped vented box, passive radiator vented box, and the acoustic resistance controlled systems. The papers are very instructive and a "must read" for anyone seriously interested in low-frequency cabinet design.

I includes the only complete mathematical model and formula that models all of the previously mentioned systems that I know of! It includes both analysis and synthesis of all of the systems, including innumerable design tables, charts and graphs. The color graphs and tables are stunning! Its very mathematical but written in an easy to understand manner. I highly recommend it!"

So there you have it, from Keele himself...

...And an addendum:

...I will also offer an additional observation, having queried Amazon.com for availability. I can't help but ROFLMAO at the idiots who denigrate a work because they happen to be too stupid (yup, stupid!) to appreciate a text that just indeed happens to be a serious exhaustive engineering text and not some "speakers for complete and utter idiots" text who evidently desire an exhaustive text based upon feelings and qualified by by response charaqcterisitcs expressed in terms of the various temperatures and colors so common in wine tasting and audiophile circles.

For those desiring a work of the latter nature, there are plenty of exorbitantly priced 'audiophile' magazines aimed very definately at those who lack any understanding of acoustics and electronics and who faint at the mere suggestion of mathematics (except for the absurd cost of the pap they chose to purchase and read). But for those who desire a truly serious and exhaustive text addressing the physics of speaker behavior, you can't top this 244page text. It is indeed THE REFERENCE.

[DrWho]

Does that book by Benson go into any mathematics for horn loaded enclosures too?

I would be curious to know how his math differs from that of Thiele/Small.

Thanks as always for the articles Gil [Y]