Fasten Your Seatbelts. Knowledge for Speaker Designers Now Available in Voice Coil September 2025

In this issue of Voice Coil, you can’t miss Mike Klasco’s history lessons and situation report on speaker magnets and rare earth materials, his updated Directory of Materials Manufacturers for Consumer Audio Products, and subdirectory on Transducers for Soundbars and Bluetooth Speakers. Vance Dickason’s Test Bench characterizes the new BGW-D182-86-4-001 glass cone woofer from Glass Acoustic Innovations Technology (GAIT), followed by the W 174.38 Fibonacci woofer from RS Speakers, both being 6.5” drivers with innovative approaches.

Glass Acoustic Innovations Technologies (GAIT) is a company from Taiwan and a renowned specialist in Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) diaphragm technology, quickly gaining recognition in hifi and high-end audio circles. This 1" dome super tweeter uses a unique glass diaphragm formed using a chemical strengthening process, and includes a 1” voice coil and neodymium magnet motor, assembled with an injection-molded plastic faceplate, a phase plug, and a damped rear chamber.

in this issue, Mike Klasco offers a renewed perspective about speaker cabinets and enclosures. Nora Wong compiled a highly sought-after Speaker Enclosure Vendors Directory for 2025. In Part 2 of his article, Dario Cinanni concludes his exploration of the SpeakerLAB software to simulate and predict speaker efficiency. In Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes the Dayton Audio Ultimax II 8-22 8" subwoofer and the very unique GAIT BGD-D72-64-4-0A1 glass diaphragm super tweeter.

The 2024 edition of the Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook (LIS) refreshes the renowned annual industry supply chain reference publication and includes a valuable overview of the State of the Speaker Industry, including some of the speaker designs that stand out in past months. The 2024 edition also offers a series of must-read Industry Features, celebrates industry milestones, and includes our traditional questions and answers with a select audio industry panel.

High End Munich 2024. Once again, one of best organized audio shows in the world, with a wide spectrum of very high-quality audio solutions presented, and an excellent business environment. All perfectly complements this international trade show, making it highly valuable for all. A true "marketplace" for the audio industry in the best sense of the term. These are my first impressions.

Glass Acoustic Innovations Ltd. (GAIT) announced a strategic partnership with leading glass manufacturer Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd. (NEG), to deliver ultra-thin glass diaphragm technology solutions intended for high-performance acoustic diaphragms in headphones and earphones. This collaboration marks a significant evolutionary milestone for GAIT, uniting two industry leaders in the glass and acoustic industries.