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Passive radiator

Were passive radiators an ultimate failure? Does any speaker company still use them? A friend of mine is asking about them in regard to vintage speakers, and all I remember is being unimpressed. But I don't want to tell him that without some back-up.
arnettpartners
arnettpartners OP
312 posts
 
Hey, thanks guys. He is particularly interested in the Reynolds Advance A-2 and Genesis Physics 3's both I believe from the 70's. Anybody know these speakers?
ozzy's avatar
ozzy
7,467 posts
 
What exactly is a passive radiator? Is it a speaker with a magnet?
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,674 posts
 
It's a speaker with all the components removed including the
magnet. It is used to replace a port.
rodman99999
6,139 posts
 
The correct way to design a passive radiator, is to run the
Thiele/Small parameters of the woofer and cabinet internal
volume, for a ported/bass reflex(ie:Fourth Order) alignment,
using the diameter of the radiator as, "port diameter." .
Then adjust the weight/mass of the passive radiator's cone, to
match the mass of the air that would have occupied the
resultant port's volume. A passive radiator should always be
1.5 to 2 times the diameter of the woofer.
arnettpartners OP
312 posts
 
And then the cabinet is basicly sealed?
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