Acoustic Horn Design – The Easy Way (Ath4)

I expect a dome tweeter would have a complicated wave front, especially a soft dome. ...
That's the reason I intentionally didn't write it would allow simulations of dome tweeters. But it's a lot closer now as the basic shape can be set spherical, not only flat (radius being a parameter). So far I didn't bother with the surround but that may be also incorporated. In these cases the cap will be set to move axially of course.

What's more significant from my point is that now the real throat angle can be used in the simulations, together with a pulsating spherical cap of matching curvature as the driving element.
 
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Tried the new version for the first time - a conical WG with matching spherical wavefront. A pity it's so hard to achieve in real :)
 

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Tried the new version for the first time - a conical WG with matching spherical wavefront. A pity it's so hard to achieve in real :)


Match a (hypothetical) perfectly spherical wavefront of a driver with the 'desired' wavefront of the WG?

A question for Dr. Geddes:
Can you describe (some characteristics of) your 'ideal compression driver', perhaps by taking your phase plug patent into account?

Btw, how did you like Madrid?
 
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The point here is that a conical waveguide seems better suited for a dome tweeter than an OS waveguide - I tried some, those weren't that nice, I just didn't show that. I will release the new (much updated) version soon so everyone can test whatever combination.

A well behaved compression driver produces a flat wavefront.

An aluminum dome tweeter produces a spherical wavefront at frequencies that are smaller than the diameter of the radiator. For instance, a 1" aluminum tweeter will produce a spherical wavefront above 135000Hz. (13,500Hz is one inch long.)

A soft dome tweeter is kinda awesome, because it basically operates like a ring radiator at high frequency. This is because the tip of the dome 'decouples' from the rest of the radiator.

It's hideously complex.

The reason that a conical waveguide works well with a dome tweeter is not the overall shape of the waveguide, it's the match between the throat of the waveguide and the wavefront shape of the tweeter.

For instance, an aluminum dome tweeter will produce a spherical wavefront above 13,500Hz. Because of this, a conical waveguide will perform better than a waveguide with an entrance angle of zero degrees.

Geddes has written about this extensively, none of this is my idea. Check out his patents.

Of course, you know all of this, that's why you're experimenting with plane wave tubes. Thank you for contributing so much to this. I use your software every day.