Alpair 10.3 best enclosures...no damping?

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
Actually in most conditions you gain 'speed' with damping (assuming the cabinet is intended to be damped in the first place, with 99.99999% are) rather than lose it. Assuming the box is meant to be damped, as most are, removing the damping from the cabinet will likely increase ringing in the time domain and depending on the specific enclosure type potentially result in unwanted harmonic modes &c. affecting the response higher up. In a BR floor-stander of the contemporary type for e.g., you'll likely end up with something in the 140Hz - 170Hz region through the lengthwise Eigenmode unless it is either absorbed or broken up. These can usually be spotted on an impedance graph, along with greater settling time on an impulse plot. By removing the damping below the driver in FH3 you're allowing the horn to provide gain over a slightly wider BW (in effect running it slightly higher). This may be useful depending on the output impedance of your amplifier and / or any series R in the circuit which will change the driver's effective mass-corner.

Be all that as it may, the thing is, while most people naturally state they want 'accuracy' when asked what they want, many actually gravitate toward a slightly underdamped behaviour (as far as this particular issue goes) when it comes to actually listening. So within limits, it's [yet] another case of name your poison. But what applies in one enclosure does not necessarily correlate universally, except in the broadest sense of underlying physics, so I'd be wary about assuming what you like in one box will apply to others, especially if they're not designed for providing [relatively] broadband gain.
 
Not necessarily. But especially with wideband drivers, which usually have a direct connection to the amplifier, its output impedance and the presence of any series R in the circuit are a part of the system and they do affect behaviour. That's one side of it. What I was principally trying to say though is that all other things being equal, a reduction in damping (especially for speakers where it is factored into the alignment, i.e. the majority) will likely result in increased ringing, which technically means a slower rather than a faster settling time. There is relatively little reduction in the SoS through damping materials per se, unless you go to fairly high densities. Some materials are more efficient at different frequencies than others of course. You could use the old click test to damp a box until you're audibly satisfied, which is probably still the best way of doing it.
 
Well (bis) I put every piece of damping stuff I found around (please don't call me my wife is looking for two Ikea cushions ;-)
And I've to admit that bass are now very good, and the lack of speed (or whatever you call it) seems now gone (at higher listening volume than usual because eI mostly listen during the night).
So, let starts from scratch and let me buy the recommended weight of DACRON.
So many thanks Scott for bringing the light to me and my ignorance.
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.