Reflections and Tapped Horns

[4pyros]

Can sound wave reflections from solid objects in frount of a set of subs, damage the speaker cones in tapped horns?


In other words, Should I worry about setting up tapped horn subs along the main road leading into a major casino with cars, trucks, and buses passing within feet in frount of the subs?

Andy

[chris661]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. As a truck passes by, the pressure wave you feel is such a low frequency that the TH would act as a short-circuit: it'd push on both sides of the cone at pretty much the same time, so the forces would pretty much cancel.

[4pyros]

the pressure wave you feel is such a low frequency that the TH would act as a short-circuit

Sorry Chris I do not under stand what you mean by "such a low frequency" would that not make the sound wave longer and more susceptible to reflections?

[chris661]

When driven below the lowest tuning, tapped horns provide almost no resistance to airflow, right?

It makes sense (to me, at least) that, if it was to be excited externally, it would have similar tuning properties. ie, if the TH has a lowest tuning at 30Hz, an external source of 20Hz would excite both sides of the cone pretty much at the same time, in much the same way as the driver itself would run out of excursion at 20Hz pretty quick: at those wavelengths, the cabinet disappears.

HTH

Chris

PS - I may have it completely wrong, and would happily admit that if anyone comes along with a better answer.

[weltersys]

Originally Posted by 4pyros

Can sound wave reflections off nearby solid objects damage the speaker cones in tapped horns?


In other words, Should I worry about setting up tapped horn subs along the main road leading into a major casino with cars, trucks, and buses passing within feet of the subs?

Andy

Andy,

Passing vehicles create a temporary boundary that can increase level, but will not cause any damage.
If you park a bus alongside your stack, it will increase forward output more than 3 dB.
Did you ever determine what voltage to limit your amplifiers to prevent overexcursion of your 3015LFs?

Art

[4pyros]

OK I rephrased my question. To say the vehicles are passing right in front of the speakers not passing along side them.
Meaning the sound wave is coming back to the cab from the front.
Does that make a differance?

[4pyros]

Originally Posted by weltersys

Andy,

Passing vehicles create a temporary boundary that can increase level, but will not cause any damage.
If you park a bus alongside your stack, it will increase forward output more than 3 dB.
Did you ever determine what voltage to limit your amplifiers to prevent overexcursion of your 3015LFs?

Art

Walt;
I started out the year with the limiter set to -8db and low end set to 40hz.
Unfortunately sometime during the year the settings ended up back at default. 0db limit and 20hz low pass.
The cones are damaged again but not as bad as last time.
I still need to physically check excursion. I may be able to do that tomorrow.
Andy

[weltersys]

Originally Posted by 4pyros

OK I rephrased my question. It say the vehicles are passing right in front of the speakers not passing along side them.
Meaning the sound wave is coming back to the cab from the front.
Does that make a differance?

No.
Neither will people standing in front of the cabinets.
To much excursion from driving the speakers too hard will damage cones, as you have already found.

Explosives in close proximity to horn loaded speakers can damage cones, but it has to be really loud, like 180 dB, and really close, like a flash pot on top of the cabinet.

Art

[djk]

Pyro is more likely to blow HF drivers.

[epa]

i think the pressure of a passing truck is negligible,compared to the pressure inside the th @ full power.
a formula 1 car or nascar,dragster ect, maybe,if they get close enough.