Fresh From The Bench: Examining the miniDSP EARS Headphone Test Fixture

In the March 2019 edition of audioXpress, focusing on Test and Measurement, Stuart Yaniger explored the new Earphone Audio Response System or EARS, which miniDSP introduced as an affordable test jig for headphone measurements. Basically, this is a plug & play USB audio streaming device, featuring dual low noise calibrated mics with interchangeable silicon ears. But is it really the answer to bring "headphone measurements to the masses," as the manufacturer intended?

Heading for the 2019 CEDIA Expo, where the Voice Coil team will be in full force, the September 2019 edition features an interesting overview of a new Multi-Driver Loudspeaker with Cross-Coupled Dual Wave-Columns patent, recently sold to Dolby Labs, and a close look at previous tapped wave-column design efforts. In Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the new PD.124NR1 12” neodymium midbass driver from Precision Devices and from Eastech’s Punktkilde line, the FSA044010-0802, a 1” titanium dome tweeter. Voice Coil September 2019 is now available for download, together with all the industry news and updates.

In the first part of this article, Mike Klasco discussed the contribution of the enclosure on perceived overall product quality as well as sonic clarity. This second part of the article looks closely at material testing, evaluation and manufacturability, and other more recent approaches to enclosure materials, including Thermosets and Thermoplastics, Bulk-Molded and Sheet-Molded Thermosets. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2019.

In this article for Voice Coil, Mike Klasco (Menlo Scientific, Ltd.) reviews and looks ahead at all the materials and design approaches for loudspeaker enclosures. This article discusses enclosures using wood, MDF, plastic, plastic composites, moldable materials, coatings and pairings for those materials, while also looking at new cutting-edge bio-plastics materials. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, March 2019.

Voice Coil August 2019 is now ready for you to download and it is in the mail for print subscribers. In this month’s edition, don’t miss the ALMA International Symposium & Expo (AISE) 2019 report, and the valuable Global Voice Coil Manufacturers 2019 updated directory. In Acoustic Patents, James Croft takes a closer look at two automotive patents granted to Harman and Bose. And Vance Dickason characterizes two different woofers from the new SEAS Excel Graphene product line. Download your copy now!

Audio sound quality optimization in a smartphone, mobile device, display, or laptop computer is the focus here. The goal of this article is not to teach how to design a good microspeaker, but rather to provide information on how to design a good mobile audio system, touching upon speaker design and speaker enclosure techniques. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2010.

Do you remember the Electro-Voice T35 Super Tweeter? This was a high-performance horn tweeter that even today has state-of-the-art wideband response, high sensitivity, and a history that spans over six decades! This trip down memory lane relates the story of the T35, with a look at not just the tweeters, but also the people behind these developments. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, April 2010.

Voice Coil April 2019 featured another great Focus article by Mike Klasco (Menlo Scientific) discussing trends in Microspeakers. With more than 1.6 billion mobile phones built annually, each with a microspeaker for the speakerphone and another for the receiver, this side of the speaker industry attracts the giants. Get the full scoop on one of the hottest market segments.

The June 2019 edition of Voice Coil is now available. This issue focuses on Headphone Measurement Equipment, including a complete directory and profiles of some of the better known vendors in the industry, while James Croft reviews a new Sealed Acoustic Suspension Chamber Enclosure design, invented in Sweden. On Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the new 6” 6PR160 pro sound midwoofer from Faital Pro, and the new SW280WA-01 shallow mount 10" home audio subwoofer, from Wavecor.

Voice Coil May 2019 features an overview of Asian speaker manufacturing outside of China, with a detail portrait country by country. Mike Klasco reports on Loudspeaker Enclosure Materials, focusing on new and improved material alternatives. James Croft reviews a new patented design from Harman to improve reproduction in boundary-coupled systems, and in Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes two new 1” compression drivers, one from Celestion, and another from SB Audience, a new brand from SB Acoustics targeting pro audio applications. All this and the usual Industry Watch updates, now ready to download!