Contents
Chapter 1 What is a loudspeaker?
1.1 A brief look at the concept
1.2 A little history and some background
1.4.1 Acoustic wave propagation
1.4.2 Mechanical and acoustic impedance
1.4.3 Impedance in loudspeakers
1.5 The practical moving-coil cone loudspeaker
1.6 Resistive and reactive loads
2.1 Moving-coil cone loudspeakers
2.5 Heil air-motion transformers
2.6 Distributed mode loudspeakers
2.6.1 Panel/piston combinations
2.8 Electrostatic loudspeakers
2.9 Electromagnetic planar loudspeakers
Chapter 3 Loudspeaker cabinets
3.1 The concept of the infinite baffle
3.4.1 Modern transmission lines
3.7 Series driver operation and isobaric loudspeakers
3.11 Cabinet shapes and diffraction effects
4.5 Examples of non-linear acoustics in loudspeakers
4.6 Practical horns in studios and homes
4.7 Implications for practical horn design parameters
4.9 General horn characteristics
4.13 Materials of construction
4.14 Vestigial horns and ‘waveguides’
5.5.1 Minimum and non-minimum phase effects
5.5.2 Corrective measures and side-effects
5.6 Active versus passive crossovers
5.7 Physical derivation of crossover delay
Chapter 6 Effects of amplifiers and cables
6.2 Basic requirements for current and voltage output
6.5 Amplifier classes and modes of operation
6.8 Loudspeaker cables and their effect on system performance
6.8.3 Cable designs for loudspeaker use
6.9 The amplifier/loudspeaker interface
6.10 Some provable characteristics of cable performance
6.13 Polyamplification and multiamplification
Chapter 7 Loudspeaker behaviour in rooms
7.1 The anechoic and reverberation chambers
7.2 Boundary loading and room gain
7.2.1 Restriction of radiating space
7.2.2 The mirrored room and mutual coupling
7.5 Multichannel considerations and phantom imaging
7.6 Stereo perception in rooms
7.7 Rooms for critical listening
7.8 Electronic, digitally adaptive response correction
7.9 Minimum and non-minimum phase responses References
Chapter 8 Form follows function
8.2.6 Interfacing with the rooms
8.2.7 A word about listening levels
8.6 Musical instrument loudspeakers
Chapter 9 Subjective and objective assessment
9.2.1 Frequency response plots
9.2.4 Intermodulation distortion
9.2.5 Delta-functions and step-functions
9.2.8 Modulation transfer functions
9.2.8.1 Application of room equalisation
9.3 Sound fields and human perception
9.3.1 Further perceptual considerations
Chapter 10 The mix, the music and the monitors
10.2 The musical dependence of compatibility
10.2.1 Sine waves and pink noise
10.3 Real responses vs. preconceived ideas
Chapter 11 Low frequency and transient response dilemmas
11.1 The great low frequency deception
11.1.2 Size, weight and sensitivity
11.1.3 Further consequences of small size
11.2.2 The transient trade-off
11.3 The evolution of the desk-top monitor
11.5 Resonant tails and one-note bass
11.7 Theoretical equalisation and excess phase
11.8 Modulation transfer-function and a new type of frequency response plot
Chapter 12 The challenges of surround sound
12.1 Surround sound in professional studios
12.4 Sub-woofers – discrete and managed
12.5 Size versus performance compromises