Cabinet Damping/Driver Isolation Summary?

[stephenmarklay]

I have been interested in this topic lately and on and off in the past and read conflicting information on this.

Can I get some hard data on the "known things"?

I have read through some of the papers I can find and remember a pretty good Audioexpress Article about 5 years ago but can't find it.

From what I "think" I know from reading only is the following:

1. Most panel excitation comes from the mechanical vibration from the mounted driver not sound pressure within. Correct? If so is there a contribution from each documented anywhere?

2. The above makes isolation via rubber grommets or some other way important to reduce panel movements?

3. Bracing is the "Best" method to reduce panel vibration (after driver isolation).

4. A sandwich of wood|Constraining layer|wood is the next thing to do.

Some things that I am not sure about are panel thickness and panel rigidity. The BBC paper indicates that thicker is not better but more damping material applied is better? And is more mass in this material better and what properties of the material are really at work.

Last, is any of the commercial panel damping material effective?

Please limit this to things that are known to be true (just not by me) not things that might work. There is a lot already on what might work

Happy New Year Everyone!

[David Gatti]

For higher frequencies, damping is important, and for low frequencies, rigidity is .

I've played around with rubber grommets but gave up on them as they were just too much trouble.
I've done constrained layer and found that a 1 inch thick MDF wall is virtually just as good.

Bracing is absolutely critical in the lower frequencies, the more the better. Take a look at some of B&W's 801 matrix design studies.

Art Ludwig also had some good studies which may interest you

Loudspeaker construction

[stephenmarklay]

Thank you David.