All items tagged with December 2024 (9)

Test Bench: SB Acoustics Satori MR16TX-8 TPCD 6.5" Midrange

April 16, 2025 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: SB Acoustics Satori MR16TX-8 TPCD 6.5" Midrange

The 6.5" MR16TX-8 TPCD Midrange from SB Acoustics' prestige Satori line targets hifi and high-end audio applications, and expands the company's already significant investment in TPCD Textreme diaphragms. The cone assembly consists of a curvilinear inverted single piece, "bowl" shaped TPCD cone, glued to an inverted NBR surround, with the remaining compliance coming from a flat BIMAX spider. The motor is an FEA-optimized neodymium magnet and a 1.4" voice coil with a nonconducting fiberglass former.

Test Bench: Faital Pro HF110 1" Neodymium Motor Compression Driver

April 9, 2025 by Vance Dickason

Test Bench: Faital Pro HF110 1" Neodymium Motor Compression Driver

This Test Bench characterizes a 1" conical exit compression driver from Faital Pro that was measured along with the brand's STH100 elliptical Tractrix flare horn (80° × 70°). Driven by a voice coil wound with aluminum wire on a high Qm non-conducting Kapton former, and powered by a neodymium ring magnet, the HF110 compression driver targets applications such as stage monitors and PA speakers with a 2kHz recommended crossover frequency (second-order or higher high-pass filter).

Speaker Box Alignments from Numerical Optimization - The Quasi-Chebyshev Alignment

April 2, 2025 by Lars Risbo

Speaker Box Alignments from Numerical Optimization - The Quasi-Chebyshev Alignment

After seeing many speaker designers returning to trial-and-error approaches that seem to forget the historical work and analytical approach, Lars Risbo decided to explore numerical optimization to synthesize attractive alignments both for reflex and passive radiator box types. This reference article basically expands on Claus Futtrup's "Loudspeaker Bass Reflex Alignments" article series published in audioXpress, and expanded with dedicated articles in Voice Coil.

Outboard DSP: Marani Pro MIR260A

March 19, 2025 by Vance Dickason

Outboard DSP: Marani Pro MIR260A

The third of a series of product reviews of outboard DSP hardware, this article explores the MIR260A DSP processor from Marani Pro Audio. Supported with expert measurements performed by Charlene Chow on a flagship APx555B analyzer (courtesy of Audio Precision), Vance Dickason looks at this professional DSP processor with two inputs and six outputs, and a more cost-effective model from Marani.

Fresh From the Bench: QuantAsylum QA403 32-bit Audio Analyzer

February 26, 2025 by Jan Didden

Fresh From the Bench: QuantAsylum QA403 32-bit Audio Analyzer

The QuantAsylum QA403, the 4th generation audio analyzer from the company founded by Matt Taylor in 2012, has a lot to offer. In particular when a user gets tips and guidance from someone like Bob Cordell, no less. The QuantAsylum QA403 Analyzer was the result of a complete redesign imposed by the silicon shortages and supply chain disruptions, pre- and post-pandemic. It appears that the efforts made were well worth it. Jan Didden shares his impressions.

Wireless Audio: Ultra-Low Latency Audio Transmission Over Bluetooth LE Audio

February 19, 2025 by Jonny McClintock

Wireless Audio: Ultra-Low Latency Audio Transmission Over Bluetooth LE Audio

While Bluetooth technology does not provide a complete solution for live performance audio, it still has a key role to play. In particular, the value of a standards-based approach manifests with the availability of low-cost Bluetooth LE-compatible transceivers from a variety of SoC vendors. Building on these readily available devices, manufacturers can engineer systems that are strongly optimized for live and professional applications. But what latency performance targets should those products meet?

Fresh From the Bench: RME Audio DPS-2 Power Supply and LNI-2 DC Filter and Stabilizer

February 12, 2025 by Stuart Yaniger

Fresh From the Bench: RME Audio DPS-2 Power Supply and LNI-2 DC Filter and Stabilizer

When RME Audio released the DPS-2 Power Supply and LNI-2 DC Filter and Stabilizer, it left many of its faithful customers intrigued. The two new solutions are designed to improve the performance of its ADI-2 series of converters in critical applications. One is a super low noise linear audio power supply with a unique µfilter and sensor technology, and the other is an active DC filter with galvanic isolation. Stuart Yaniger explains how these two new solutions improve what is already outstanding.

Design, Simulations, and Measurements in Voice Coil December 2024

November 27, 2024 by audioXpress Staff

Design, Simulations, and Measurements in Voice Coil December 2024

In this December 2024 issue there's a new DSP product review of the Marani Pro Audio MIR260A outboard processor, and Lars Risbo shares his expertise in Numerical Optimization applied to Speaker Box Alignments. Essential resources are the updated directories of Test and Measurement and of Simulation and CAD Software vendors. On Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the Faital Pro HF110 1" Neodymium Motor Compression Driver and the SB Acoustics Satori MR16TX-8 6.5" TPCD Midrange.

Bluetooth Wireless Audio, Innovations in Audio, and More in audioXpress December 2024

November 12, 2024 by audioXpress Staff

Bluetooth Wireless Audio, Innovations in Audio, and More in audioXpress December 2024

audioXpress December 2024 features a comprehensive report on Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast, the suppliers and development ecosystem. Jonny McClintock adds insights on Ultra-Low Latency Audio Transmission over Bluetooth LE Audio. Plus three reviews of the QuantAsylum QA403 Audio Analyzer, the DPS-2 Power Supply and LNI-2 DC Filter and Stabilizer from RME Audio, and the SPL Phonitor 3 DAC, Headphone Amplifier and Monitor Controller. Hans Polak details his extensive experiments on Moving Magnet Cartridges.