Lech
23rd March 2004, 09:13 PM
I've come across an interesting design concept that increases the efficiency of speakers in a similar way that horns do, called a K Coupler. The idea seems easy enough to be actually do-able with good results with tweeters and midranges, and maybe even for bass.
Basically the idea goes like this: you get a tube and put one end around the cone of a speaker. The speaker becomes louder and a lot more efficient at a certain set of resonant frequencies because of the tube, but if you add some holes along the tube (as with a flute) you can make the sound louder at various other frequencies. That concept was extended to cover all frequencies by cutting a groove that gets exponentially wider along the length of the tube. At the speaker's end the tube is completely round, while at the other end it's shaped like the tip of an oversized engraving tool.
I've never actually seen a speaker use the idea, but it seems easy enough: just get a length of plastic tubing, make a few calculations, pencil them onto the plastic, and start hacking away. Methinks I should try it!
Apparently it has a few advantages over horn designs in that the frequency response is flatter compared to the band-pass response of horns, and obviously it's less bulky. Comments?
Lech
Basically the idea goes like this: you get a tube and put one end around the cone of a speaker. The speaker becomes louder and a lot more efficient at a certain set of resonant frequencies because of the tube, but if you add some holes along the tube (as with a flute) you can make the sound louder at various other frequencies. That concept was extended to cover all frequencies by cutting a groove that gets exponentially wider along the length of the tube. At the speaker's end the tube is completely round, while at the other end it's shaped like the tip of an oversized engraving tool.
I've never actually seen a speaker use the idea, but it seems easy enough: just get a length of plastic tubing, make a few calculations, pencil them onto the plastic, and start hacking away. Methinks I should try it!
Apparently it has a few advantages over horn designs in that the frequency response is flatter compared to the band-pass response of horns, and obviously it's less bulky. Comments?
Lech