So, I've got basic electronics knowledge due to a tech elective from college (circuit rules, components, etc.)
But I need a ground-up education on how to design speakers (crossover, component selection, cabinet design, etc.)
I've read lots of stuff on the internet (and a lot from this board) but would like a book that goes from square one on up. Recommendations?
But I need a ground-up education on how to design speakers (crossover, component selection, cabinet design, etc.)
I've read lots of stuff on the internet (and a lot from this board) but would like a book that goes from square one on up. Recommendations?
In my opinion, square one should be Acoustics by Leo Beranek. This book lays out the fundamentals on how to mathematically model a loudspeaker and almost all other books use these electro-mechanical-acoustic circuit techniques as a starting point. Excellent (maybe required) reference if you want to work through the Thiele and Small AES papers.
This is an area seriously in need of an update in my opinion. Many of the new tools have changed the game. Personally, I've not found Vance's book to be of any use. I like Joe D's book on measurements but it is not aimed at the step-step process.
I've been lucky in that I had a mentor. Looking back over what I know it isn't in any book that I know of and it really isn't that complex if you have a basic engineering background.
Right now I'm enjoying Floyd Toole's new book but it isn't a "how" book but more of a "why" resource. Pick it up anyway because the "how" is pretty useless without the "why".
Pick up a good measurement system and spend several hundred hours using it. Pick up a copy of "Master Handbook of Acoustics" by Alton Everest. Floyd Toole's is "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms". Neither of those tell you what you want to know but they are great books just the same.
I've been lucky in that I had a mentor. Looking back over what I know it isn't in any book that I know of and it really isn't that complex if you have a basic engineering background.
Right now I'm enjoying Floyd Toole's new book but it isn't a "how" book but more of a "why" resource. Pick it up anyway because the "how" is pretty useless without the "why".
Pick up a good measurement system and spend several hundred hours using it. Pick up a copy of "Master Handbook of Acoustics" by Alton Everest. Floyd Toole's is "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms". Neither of those tell you what you want to know but they are great books just the same.
Hello Wyloch
There probably isn't a single book that would satisfy your needs
create your own by COLLATING the information from the sites
below - theory and technical knowledge is one thing
APPLICATION is another.
Try Troels Gravesens' site site to start with - especially
this page
http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Loudspeaker_building.htm
Then go onto Zaph Audio the entire site is excellent - you could start
here
http://www.zaphaudio.com/mantras.html
Also of inerest
http://www.geocities.com/woove99/Spkrbldg/
This is also excellent
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/
Obvious choices but superb nonetheless!
I hope this helps?
Yours Sincerely
John
PS
This is an ESSENTIAL thread - read it from start to finish
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63078
There probably isn't a single book that would satisfy your needs
create your own by COLLATING the information from the sites
below - theory and technical knowledge is one thing
APPLICATION is another.
Try Troels Gravesens' site site to start with - especially
this page
http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Loudspeaker_building.htm
Then go onto Zaph Audio the entire site is excellent - you could start
here
http://www.zaphaudio.com/mantras.html
Also of inerest
http://www.geocities.com/woove99/Spkrbldg/
This is also excellent
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/
Obvious choices but superb nonetheless!
I hope this helps?
Yours Sincerely
John
PS
This is an ESSENTIAL thread - read it from start to finish
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63078
recommendations, you asked
1. Advanced Speaker Designs for the Hobbyist & Technician (Paperback)
by J. B. Hall (Author), Ray Alden (Author)
*** may be out of print or newer issue, used available; Best mathematical tech.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0790610701/ref=sib_dp_ptu#reader-link
2.Designing/Building Speaker Systems 4th Edition Author David Weems
More generic, good construction tips broader though generic scope
Been through it.
Highly suggest you research the tech/math/physics behind enclosure design before making any plans or decisions.
2 basic design types: sealed and vented.
Regardless of type, most importantly the enclosure design should be based on the speaker(woofer)'s characteristics such as Fs-free air resonance, SPL-efficiency, Vas-compliance(vol of air displaced), Qms-mechanical damping, Qes-electrical damping, Xmax-linear movement,etc.
Basically, first a loudspeaker should be chosen that will safely handle the power supplied to it, has a compatible impedance and inductance with a broad low end freq. response say 27-2,000 Hz.
The diameter of the voice, cone material and quality of construction are much more important than the magnet wt. which is really determined by these factors. Bigger magnet doesn't mean 'better'.
With the woofer characteristics known, only and only then can a matched enclose be designed. Building a box first and then buying a speaker to mount is the wrong approach with unpredictable results.
a 'Sealed' enclosure is simpler to design and build, smaller and will tend to have better transicent properties, but (a big but) bass response will start to drop off at higher frequencies than a properly tuned 'vented' enclosure. All things give and take, the 'bad' side of a vented enclosure is that the rate of dropoff is roughly twice the rate of a sealed box but dropoff starts at a much more desirable lower level.
A vented enclosure is harder to design, and ideal volume size can be very large (5 cuft-big). BUT the MATH WORKS, if tuned (matching phase of air in vents (ports) with phase of speaker over selected ranges) deeply reinforement of bass can be achieved.
SEE: Thiele tuned ports, Thiele was the man behind the math.
But , simply put the goal of any enclosure design is to match the resonant freq of the box to the resonant freq of the speaker.
I'm so pleased with the woofers I chose and boxes I built:
Audax PR240Z0, !0" Aerogel Woofer Fs=27hz
3.6 interior Cubic ft Thiele ported using (2) 3.05 ID pvc pipe 13.0" total length. The math predicted a designed box resonant frequency at 26.1 Hz (real close to the speaker's Fs) and an only an initial 3db cutoff freq. at a deep 25.5Hz. Then I went to building.
Construction: 3/4" MDF board (formaldyhyde free**) 4 sides & back, with a removable front baffle made form (2) 1/2" pieces of MDF board bonded together with neopyreme contact glue (damn had to jack my front car weight onto the panels to get the required pressure per sq in. to bond correctly). With the cherry vernier 4sides it was a major project.
The coolest was they tested within 5% of the design calculations. And I hit the proper tuning (port lengths) on the money 1st try. Like I said THE MATH WORKS. As you can obviously tell, I'm really proud of them; THANKS FOR ASKING.
Regrets - Choice of tweeters and midrange horns- old legacy EV T35's and EV m1883 mids that I've had for years; But The removable front baffle can be remade to suit (it'll be back to the carport).
If you'd like to see my math, data, build-pics and are really up to it; I started by buying the two a fore mentioned books and had towels behind 2 stiff-*** musical amp speakers.
Never really wanted to total the cost and time, But in case of fire, Boxes and dual mono tube amps first.
Happy build, Chaz
1. Advanced Speaker Designs for the Hobbyist & Technician (Paperback)
by J. B. Hall (Author), Ray Alden (Author)
*** may be out of print or newer issue, used available; Best mathematical tech.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0790610701/ref=sib_dp_ptu#reader-link
2.Designing/Building Speaker Systems 4th Edition Author David Weems
More generic, good construction tips broader though generic scope
Been through it.
Highly suggest you research the tech/math/physics behind enclosure design before making any plans or decisions.
2 basic design types: sealed and vented.
Regardless of type, most importantly the enclosure design should be based on the speaker(woofer)'s characteristics such as Fs-free air resonance, SPL-efficiency, Vas-compliance(vol of air displaced), Qms-mechanical damping, Qes-electrical damping, Xmax-linear movement,etc.
Basically, first a loudspeaker should be chosen that will safely handle the power supplied to it, has a compatible impedance and inductance with a broad low end freq. response say 27-2,000 Hz.
The diameter of the voice, cone material and quality of construction are much more important than the magnet wt. which is really determined by these factors. Bigger magnet doesn't mean 'better'.
With the woofer characteristics known, only and only then can a matched enclose be designed. Building a box first and then buying a speaker to mount is the wrong approach with unpredictable results.
a 'Sealed' enclosure is simpler to design and build, smaller and will tend to have better transicent properties, but (a big but) bass response will start to drop off at higher frequencies than a properly tuned 'vented' enclosure. All things give and take, the 'bad' side of a vented enclosure is that the rate of dropoff is roughly twice the rate of a sealed box but dropoff starts at a much more desirable lower level.
A vented enclosure is harder to design, and ideal volume size can be very large (5 cuft-big). BUT the MATH WORKS, if tuned (matching phase of air in vents (ports) with phase of speaker over selected ranges) deeply reinforement of bass can be achieved.
SEE: Thiele tuned ports, Thiele was the man behind the math.
But , simply put the goal of any enclosure design is to match the resonant freq of the box to the resonant freq of the speaker.
I'm so pleased with the woofers I chose and boxes I built:
Audax PR240Z0, !0" Aerogel Woofer Fs=27hz
3.6 interior Cubic ft Thiele ported using (2) 3.05 ID pvc pipe 13.0" total length. The math predicted a designed box resonant frequency at 26.1 Hz (real close to the speaker's Fs) and an only an initial 3db cutoff freq. at a deep 25.5Hz. Then I went to building.
Construction: 3/4" MDF board (formaldyhyde free**) 4 sides & back, with a removable front baffle made form (2) 1/2" pieces of MDF board bonded together with neopyreme contact glue (damn had to jack my front car weight onto the panels to get the required pressure per sq in. to bond correctly). With the cherry vernier 4sides it was a major project.
The coolest was they tested within 5% of the design calculations. And I hit the proper tuning (port lengths) on the money 1st try. Like I said THE MATH WORKS. As you can obviously tell, I'm really proud of them; THANKS FOR ASKING.
Regrets - Choice of tweeters and midrange horns- old legacy EV T35's and EV m1883 mids that I've had for years; But The removable front baffle can be remade to suit (it'll be back to the carport).
If you'd like to see my math, data, build-pics and are really up to it; I started by buying the two a fore mentioned books and had towels behind 2 stiff-*** musical amp speakers.
Never really wanted to total the cost and time, But in case of fire, Boxes and dual mono tube amps first.
Happy build, Chaz
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