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Speaker Analysis for Armchair Critics

Hello everyone,
There’s a very important discipline called "Speaker Analysis" or "Speaker Testing" which though complicated, is brilliantly illustrated in this breakdown of the B&W 685.


http://www.audioexcite.com/?page_id=6070

Speaker analysis is to measure each of the components both separately and as they come together in a complete system. It is a part of creating a new loudspeaker, but it can also be used to analyze an existing speaker, to understand it and perhaps to make it better.  I prefer the term Analysis because it better reflects that the goal is not merely quality assurance, but to build a complete electro acoustical understanding of the system as a whole so changes can be considered, and their final results predicted.


This particular article does just that, and comes up with a couple of suggestions for re-working the crossover to end up with hopefully a better end result. At the very least, it is a significantly different speaker at the end, and achieves a far greater level of change than cables can.


I share this with all of you just as an example of the work that goes into making a loudspeaker from parts, and the tools, and how much of what we hear has to do with choices made in the crossover.


Best,

Erik
erik_squires
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,070 posts
 
6db per octave slopes since 1977, half a million sold, real systems design vs just catalog shopping components, etc....

and the ability to visually see cone breakup and non-pistonic behavior.....the cat stopped chasing the tail long ago....The Wizard of Hanford. There are a few other wizards at work also, many so humble they admit they don’t ( as yet ) know everything....
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
kenjit:
There is no speaker design. That's why we have such a large number of speakers out there. Nobody knows what they're doing.


There is no automotive design. That's why we have such a large number of cars out there. Nobody knows what they're doing.

There is no architectural design. That's why we have such a large number of houses out there. Nobody knows what they're doing.

There is no science. That's why we have such a large number of experiments out there. Nobody knows what they're doing.

I'm not sure about nobody, but it sure seems somebody doesn't know what they're doing.
erik_squires OP
16,407 posts
 
The purpose of this thread was not to bash B&W and say "Look, they could have done it better, but their crossovers are crap."

I happen to dislike the B&W sound nearly universally, but!! the point here was to demonstrate how speaker analysis is done, and how a designer applies his intention to the crossover and simulation to achieve a desired outcome.


Even if the article had gone the other way, started with a neutral sounding speaker and moved to a W shaped frequency response, it's still an excellent primer.

Past that, it also helps to explain how a brand can develop their signature sound.


Best,
Erik
kenjit
1,771 posts
 
Past that, it also helps to explain how a brand can develop their signature sound.
There is no signature sound its a myth. 
erik_squires OP
16,407 posts
 
There is no signature sound its a myth.


Really love being called a liar without evidence.

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