wood is optimized by evolution or beeing stiff and not heavy. Paper is only the poor copy version of this, it uses wood fibres, but with less quality as in wood as they will be shorter in paper. Also paper does not benefit from the 3D structure of wood. It will be no easy task to make a material with same stiffness as wood in this small size. A main point is the property desired is anisotrop in wood. It is directional, you need to use the wood in the right orientation. Making a cone out of a massive block will be suboptimal. paper is qusi isotrop, so orientation does not matter, but it is less stiff than wood in the optimal orientation.
All other (arifical) materials are not better unless we use a 3D structure like hexagonal honeycombs. This is not possible to produce in very very small.
All other (arifical) materials are not better unless we use a 3D structure like hexagonal honeycombs. This is not possible to produce in very very small.
5 cm. is almost exactly 2"
Isn't the problem with hard, stiff materials that they have very poor internal damping, meaing that the material has large resonances. IIRC that's what happens in very hard cones (such as the aluminium ones from seas). Very nice response as long as the cone behaves like a piston but horrible 10+ dB break-up resonances when it doesn't.
/U.
Isn't the problem with hard, stiff materials that they have very poor internal damping, meaing that the material has large resonances. IIRC that's what happens in very hard cones (such as the aluminium ones from seas). Very nice response as long as the cone behaves like a piston but horrible 10+ dB break-up resonances when it doesn't.
/U.
Well as pointed out earlier it is in a system that is only $500. I think the point to speaker is not that its the end all be all, but rather a really good product that can be made at a good price point. Like Tang Bands, nobody says their the best, just really good for what they are.
If these drivers were around $10-$20 each, I would consider trying 'em out.
If these drivers were around $10-$20 each, I would consider trying 'em out.
I saw the PopSci issue, but never heard the speakers. A wood driver like that would either have a relatively low Fs or a high maximum usable frequency. The pitfall of wood is that it transmits sound TOO well. Sound reflected off the inside walls of a cabinet is not supposed to radiate out of the speaker through the cone. If the cone is not well damped, resonances occur at the midrange. To counter this, some driver manufacturers use high loss surrounds for extra damping. This is a bad solution because now the midrange is muddy. So, the wood cone is a useless marketing gimmick. Expect colored sound with these. Poly or carbon fiber cones would do the job better.
Nappylady said:The reason that's important is because the wood is so much less prone to break up at higher frequencies.
Breakup occurs because the speaker cone is being pushed back and forth so fast that it would rather change shape, than keep up with the voice coil. This behavior is inversely correlated to the speed of sound through the material. So, stone or crystal would make a nearly ideal material, since sound waves travel through them so fast.
Sound waves travel fast through wood, so a well-engineered cone will have a very large range from Fs to breakup.
Notice that the 5cm diamond midrange (5cm... that's like 2.5-3", right?) is rated from 600hz to 25,000hz. A 10" woofer, coupled with that driver, could cover the *entire* human hearing range and then some, without dispersion problems, and plenty of bass!
*DROOL*
I think I'm going to go talk to my sister... she's a geologist; she knows about rocks and crystals.
My point was that the cone is PRODUCING the sound waves, not simply ALLOWING them to pass through. It's totally irrelevant.
Sound coming off the rear of the cone would be nicely attenuated with sticky doping; wood might have huge advantages, and the 3D cross coupling of the large molecules would be a great benefit.
However, to make it into a cone, softening is required, and this would necessarily reduce the rigidity, even when dried.
Wonder what a rubber/silica viola would sound like?
Cheers,
Hugh
However, to make it into a cone, softening is required, and this would necessarily reduce the rigidity, even when dried.
Wonder what a rubber/silica viola would sound like?
Cheers,
Hugh
Hi
There is poly cones, paper cones, bextrene cones, alu cones, ceramic cones......and wood cones.
There is no reason for it´s sound bad!!!!!!
.....if poly can sound good!!!!!!
The perfect loudspeaker no exist.
Then, some trade off, will be accepted.
All material has a bad side......
If a violin was made of maple wood and sound good, a loudspeaker that is developed for play the violin, will be neutral in your sound playback.........
That a violin was made of wood no means that speaker wood cone sound like a real violin. This is cheap marketing.....
Wood cones can sound good???......maybe yes, maybe not, but the most important factor is the engineering of it.
Engineering make that a paper cone sound good, or bad.......with the wood is same.
Of course, not anything material is appropiate for make loduspeakers cones.
There is poly cones, paper cones, bextrene cones, alu cones, ceramic cones......and wood cones.
There is no reason for it´s sound bad!!!!!!
.....if poly can sound good!!!!!!
The perfect loudspeaker no exist.
Then, some trade off, will be accepted.
All material has a bad side......
If a violin was made of maple wood and sound good, a loudspeaker that is developed for play the violin, will be neutral in your sound playback.........
That a violin was made of wood no means that speaker wood cone sound like a real violin. This is cheap marketing.....
Wood cones can sound good???......maybe yes, maybe not, but the most important factor is the engineering of it.
Engineering make that a paper cone sound good, or bad.......with the wood is same.
Of course, not anything material is appropiate for make loduspeakers cones.
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