Right now I'm heading the other way, mainly because I want to experiment. Still fun and hopefully will learn some stuff. But I always keep the effects so they can be bypassed
Their first speaker had all of the drivers on the front of an octant of a sphere,
which was mounted in a room corner. This was not too successful. 2201 speakers
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I actually used their pro version for live sound, for a while. They were 901's "backward": 8 speakers at the front, none at the back, and stacked as many vertically as required: Ta Da! The very first line arrays a quarter of the century before their time. Great service too, since they were trying to get their market share: whenever I had a gig, I just called, they came, setup everything and take them down after the show, all for free!
But they're just too awful for HiFi.
You may not know that the US-based Consumers Union was sued by Bose for a bad review.
The case wound up in the US Supreme Court, believe it or not.
Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc. | The First Amendment Encyclopedia
The themed speaker builds some DIY groups do for when they get together should see who can make the best sounding version of this speaker. Same size and shape with 22 drivers each, all driven, then do what you want.
Doing the "Sweet 16" could be a task, too.
I have a suggestion.
What a voltage source does on the current side and that current through a voice coil is what makes the dB-SPL happen, a measurement is being developed right now that will compare the voltage (reference) to current (what makes the sound) and I am optimistic that this might show something up because they will be different. One tells us on the electrical side what we should be hearing and the other what we are actually listening to. Could make 2019 an interesting year.
Surely unless you also measure what comes out the speaker you are none the wiser other than some graphs to impress certain types?
Thank you.
But this is not about current drive. I thought that was obvious. But say 'current' and that is where the mind goes? No, this is about what the current does under voltage drive. It is still current through the voice coil, no matter what the impedance of the amplifier is - since the only difference between a voltage and current source is the output impedance.
Also, the idea of a V/I conversion under voltage drive has to be questioned, as per first link - there is a better explanation than that one, but it is the one that prevails for now.
I don't think the world will ever be ready for current drive, and probably doesn't need to be, and maybe a better way to deal with current in the voice coil, if we just get a better understanding of it.
I am definitely hoping that somebody will be bringing out an AES paper on this and have a good idea who it will be (not me of course, but if asked, I will happily assist). It could be a game changer, because we want voltage drive to work better.
So hope this helps, the links are fine, got no problems there and current drive is important, just not the right solution.
And that is exactly shown.
Current drive of speakers and speaker distortion
as a measurement of distortion of speaker current under voltage drive.
You know, these are mental dances what you are showing.
Kinda a bit negative, don't you think? Please read the post just before this one.
Re "measure what comes out of the speaker" is not a matter of unless or whatever. I know such measurements already exists and they are able to speak for themselves, so maybe even you will be impressed in the end.
But this is not going to be rushed - but good things come if we just look at this positively, even if some are a bit jaded on the topic and can't see a way forward. But that can change too, so in the end even you might get a little excited too? We shall see.
Anyway, the only reason for the above is because of a comment of JC - he has several times said things like there is still work on the speaker front. He is right. The flaw is not the fact that we don't use current drive. The flaw is that we use the voltage model and have lost focus of what current does under voltage drive. That is (I am about to use the most dangerous word in audio) a new focus. Not new science, not at all. If you don't look, you will not see.
Not negative, just reality. What matters is what comes out the speaker. Assuming that current drive more closely matches the movement of a complex electromechanical unit seems to be be starting off from a highly over-simplistic view. If you want to make progress you need to look at the acoustic output as well as the drive waveforms.
Oh dear... talk about circular thinking. Often those pointing the finger at others don't realise three fingers are pointing back at themselves... think about it.
Again, this is about improving voltage drive. It is about taking the impedance of the amplifier out of the equation. It is about the speaker designer starting to manage both voltage and current.
Again, the world is not going to be converted to current drive, voltage drive is here to stay, and since F=Bli is the same under voltage and current drive, something seems to be needed: The voltage source cannot control the current, and control is what is needed. And it can be done, with the right techniques employed.
Why do you think that this topic is simplistic? Your words, not mine. Nothing simple here, not at all.
And why would you think this is not done?
Why the rush to judgement? Good things comes to those who are patient. Several measurements have been done, but more needs to be done. In the end, maybe you will come onboard too. I am not going to be the final author on this, but I can see that somebody will be (could mention a name here, but would rather not), likely next year. That is my hope, 2019 maybe. We shall see.
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