High-Quality Horn Loudspeaker Systems Book Now Available From Parts Express

The book High-Quality Horn Loudspeaker Systems — History, Theory and Design by Bjørn Kolbrek and Thomas Dunker is now available at Parts Express. This extremely detailed volume of more than 1,000 pages - reviewed here by audioXpress' Mike Klasco - is the first ever to address the history, theory, and design of horn loudspeakers in a complete, accurate, and scholarly fashion. The limited edition of this massive and very high-quality hardcover book is sponsored by Celestion.

Celestion announced that their highly-anticipated Axi2050 Axiperiodic driver is now available for purchase at Parts Express. Performing the role of two speakers in one, the Axi2050 is a high power, high-output driver which reproduces a frequency range of 300Hz-20,000Hz without the need for a midband crossover. This Celestion innovation with a 2-inch exit throat and standard mounting delivers superior intelligibility and perceived audio performance.

Combining the best of modern amp technology and functionality, the new Dayton Audio HTA100BT provides all of the stability expected from a solid-state class AB amp with the added benefit of classic vacuum tube sonic performance. A follow-up model to the Dayton Audio HTA20BT Hybrid Stereo Tube Amplifier, reviewed by audioXpress, the HTA100BT is a cool little amplifier design with all the added features one could wish for, at a very affordable list price of just $210 USD!

One of the most important audio events for the speaker building and DIY audio communities, the Midwest Audiofest (MWAF) is held in Springboro, OH, in July every year. Sponsored by an impressive group of vendors and hosted by Parts Express, this event combines several activities including a huge tent sale at Parts Express. For Thomas Perazella the highlight of the event is the Speaker Design Competition, for which he was again one of the competition judges. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2019.

The October 2019 edition of audioXpress closely reflects the highly diverse and exciting areas of innovation in the audio industry. There’s a Market Update on Audio Installation, one of the highest growth and most innovative segments in the audio industry, and our report of the 2019 Midwest Audiofest Speaker Design Competition, followed by a review of Bob Cordell’s 2nd Edition book on Designing Audio Power Amplifiers, and an important insight on modern Class-D amplification. We also review the DPA d:vice MMA-A Digital Audio Interface, explain the potential of true 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) audio experiences, how Auralization allows building virtual acoustic models, and so much more!

David Logvin explores the Lepai LP40PA ultra-compact amplifier, a versatile Class D common plate amp module with fully integrated Bluetooth 4.2 receiver and 3.5 mm stereo inputs, ideal for converting existing passive speakers into convenient portable and wireless units that can be placed anywhere. The Lepai LP40PA has plenty of power for a pair of bookshelf speakers as Logvin experimented. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2019.

Dayton Audio continues to expand its portfolio of wireless audio solutions with the introduction of new KAB Class D amplifier boards with Bluetooth streaming, to support any speaker build, or audio project for DIY enthusiasts or OEMs. Dayton also introduced a new updated version of one of its most popular amplifiers, with the new APA102BT Class D Stereo 60 WPC Bluetooth Amplifier, and launched the new DTA Pro, a complete amplifier with Bluetooth, USB DAC, and wireless remote control.

The January 2019 (CES) edition of audioXpress has arrived. Read our Microphone Market Update, addressing the latest cutting-edge microphone technologies, and learn how Zylia created its ZM-1 spherical microphone array. Also in this edition, Joe D’Appolito explains how to address the equalization of closed-box subwoofers, Hans W. Gierlich writes about testing Smart Home Devices, David Logvin reviews the Lepai LP40PA plate amplifier, and George Ntanavaras describes a stereo analog preamplifier DIY project. Oh, and read Erik Owen's unique take on Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) 2018.

Dayton Audio has released a new DSP loudspeaker signal processor intended for both home and car audio, the DSP-408. This is a feature-rich 4 input/8 output digital signal processor, featuring built-in EQ, crossovers, time alignment, and input/output mixing. Exploring all the features the DSP-408 offers, the ability to manipulate and improve the sound quality of an audio system is the most alluring aspect of this affordable unit.

With the availability of low-cost, PC-based acoustic data acquisition systems, experienced hobbyists can make highly accurate loudspeaker frequency-response measurements without an anechoic chamber. The power of these systems comes at a price. These systems window the time-domain measurement to eliminate room reflections. This, in turn, limits low-frequency response. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2012.