The speakers can be installed in various places inside the car, either using special podiums or in standard places. To enhance the effect, we also recommend using noise-insulating materials; you can find out more about their range here - link to the corresponding section. Thanks to this, the sound is more rich.

3-way acoustics in cars: features and range

This speaker system is called component and consists of three passive speakers. The sound emitters used in the design operate in the following frequency ranges:

• low;
• average;
• high.

The division of the musical composition into three sound bands provides a special acoustic effect in the cabin. For comfortable listening, it is necessary to install the speakers not in the same plane, but in different places in the car. You can find out more about how to set up a scene.

Our catalog contains original speaker systems of the following brands:

• Pride;
• Kicx;
• Pioneer;
• Hertz;
• Focal et al.

As a rule, they operate in a total range from 50 Hz to 20 kHz, but there are models with an extended frequency response. They are characterized by compact sizes, high sensitivity (90–92 dB) and excellent sound quality.

To order three-component car audio, use the “Add to Cart” button. Delivery throughout the Russian Federation, the CIS and countries of the world is carried out by courier services and transport companies. All shipments are sent in rigid packaging and with insurance to avoid damage to the package during transit.

Presented in a fairly large assortment. This equipment differs from each other in the scope of application (instrumental, concert, studio and others), according to technical characteristics, body shape and many other qualities.

The most important parameter to consider first is the number of “lanes” in the system. According to this criterion, one-, three- and two-way acoustics are distinguished. How they differ from each other and which system is better, we will try to answer in this article.

Sound frequency

The human hearing organs are capable of detecting frequencies from 20 to 20,000 Hz.

Therefore, the quality of music directly depends on the ability of the equipment to create clear sound waves in a given range. For this purpose, they began to include speakers that reproduce exclusively low (20-150 Hz), medium (100-7000 Hz) and high (5-20 thousand Hz) frequencies. In this regard, the following appeared:

1. Single-way systems, where the entire frequency range is produced by one speaker.
2. Two-way acoustics, which have two speakers: one for playing music at medium and low frequencies, the second - only at high frequencies.
3. Three-band equipment - a separate “column” is responsible for playing sounds in each range.

There is equipment with a large number of bands, where each speaker reproduces sound in a certain way. Two- and three-way systems are the most popular - they are the most affordable and provide excellent sound quality.

Advantages of two-way acoustics

Two-way speaker systems are most popular among motorists.

They provide optimal sound quality at an affordable price. Due to the development of technology, two-way is being replaced by three-way equipment, but it is still common due to its advantages:

1. Simple design for easy installation and configuration.
2. High degree of coherence between speakers, resulting in improved sound quality.
3. Maximum natural, “live” sound.

In two-way equipment there are only two speakers - LF and HF. The woofer reproduces sounds in the low and mid ranges, and the tweeter only reproduces sounds in the high range. Because of this, simple separation filters are required for the system to operate.

Features of three-way equipment

Three-way acoustics differ from the already described system in that they have better sound. The equipment in such systems is equipped with a midrange speaker, which carries so-called “spatial” information and creates surround sound. In addition, thanks to the separation of duties, the equipment has become more compact.

The negative quality of three-way systems is their high price. It is two to three times higher than that of two-way acoustics. Moreover, three-way acoustics implies the installation of crossovers - complex frequency filters. To set up such equipment, you must have excellent hearing, otherwise you will not be able to achieve consistency from the speakers.

Differences between speaker systems

Any speaker system consists of speakers (midrange, bass and tweeter), filtering equipment, signal amplifiers, audio cables and input terminals. Filtering devices are responsible for dividing the sound signal into several ranges. A two-way acoustics filter divides frequencies into two “sections” - up to 5-6 thousand Hz, and above 6 kHz. Three-way devices are usually equipped with crossovers - adjustable frequency filters that divide the sound range into three sections.

All acoustic equipment can be active or passive. In the first case, each speaker is equipped with a separate signal amplifier. This solution facilitates matching of emitters and reduces the overall cost of the system. However, at the same time, the complexity of maintenance, installation and initial configuration increases. Separate amplifiers most often complement a set of three-way devices.

Coaxial and component speakers

How a three-way or two-way will sound largely depends on the type of speakers, which can be coaxial or component. The former are a single monolithic structure that combines high, medium and low frequency emitters. This solution makes the sound highly targeted. Therefore, such devices are used as a supplement and mainly in small cars.

Component speakers are emitters that can be placed in different places. Thanks to this, it is possible to achieve surround sound, but the process of installing equipment is complicated. Additionally, if installed incorrectly, the soundstage will be quite uneven. installed in cars with a spacious interior.

Question of price

As noted earlier, two-way acoustics will cost much less than installing three-way equipment. This is due to two reasons:

• less equipment - only two speakers, a maximum of two amplifiers and one filter are required;
• simple installation - you can assemble such a system yourself, having basic knowledge in the field of electricity.

Three-way systems include more complex equipment, the cost of which is significantly higher than the price of conventional devices. In addition, if you decide to install such acoustics, you will have to seek the help of professionals - without special measuring devices and fine hearing, the installed system will sound the same as two-way acoustics. This is the main answer to the question of how two-way acoustics differ from three-way ones.

Making sound speakers with your own hands - this is where many people begin their passion for a complex, but very interesting matter - sound reproduction technology. The initial motivation is often economic considerations: prices for branded electroacoustics are not excessively inflated, but outrageously brazen. If sworn audiophiles, who do not skimp on rare radio tubes for amplifiers and flat silver wire for winding sound transformers, complain on forums that the prices for acoustics and speakers are systematically inflated, then the problem is really serious. Would you like speakers for your home for 1 million rubles? pair? If you please, there are more expensive ones. That's why The materials in this article are designed primarily for very beginners: they need to quickly, simply and inexpensively make sure that the creation of their own hands, all of which cost tens of times less money than a “cool” brand, can “sing” no worse or at least comparable. But probably, some of the above will be a revelation for the masters of amateur electroacoustics- if it is honored with reading by them.

Column or speaker?

A sound column (KZ, sound column) is one of the types of acoustic design of electrodynamic loudspeaker heads (SG, speakers), intended for technical and informational sounding of large public spaces. In general, an acoustic system (AS) consists of a primary sound emitter (S) and its acoustic design, which provides the required sound quality. Home speakers for the most part look like speakers, which is why they are called that. Electroacoustic systems (EAS) also include an electrical part: wires, terminals, isolation filters, built-in audio frequency power amplifiers (UMPA, in active speakers), computing devices (in speakers with digital channel filtering), etc. Acoustic design of household speakers They are usually placed in the body, which is why they look like columns more or less elongated upward.

Acoustics and electronics

The acoustics of an ideal speaker are excited over the entire range of audible frequencies of 20-20,000 Hz by one broadband primary source. Electroacoustics is slowly but surely moving towards the ideal, but the best results are still shown by speakers with frequency division into channels (bands) LF (20-300 Hz, low frequencies, bass), MF (300-5000 Hz, mid) and HF (5000 -20,000 Hz, high, high) or low-midrange and high-frequency. The first, naturally, are called 3-way, and the second - 2-way. It’s best to start getting comfortable with electro-acoustics with 2-way speakers: they allow you to get sound quality up to high Hi-Fi (see below) at home without unnecessary costs and difficulties (see below). The sound signal from the UMZCH or, in active speakers, low-power from the primary source (player, computer sound card, tuner, etc.) is distributed among frequency channels by separation filters; this is called channel defiltering, just like the crossover filters themselves.

The rest of the article focuses primarily on how to make speakers that provide good acoustics. The electronic part of electroacoustics is the subject of a special serious discussion, and more than one. Here you only need to note that, firstly, at first you do not need to take on close to ideal, but complex and expensive digital filtering, but use passive filtering using inductive-capacitive filters. For a 2-way speaker, you only need one plug of low- and high-pass filters (LPF/HPF).

There are special programs for calculating AC staircase separating filters, for example. JBL Speaker Shop. However, at home, individual tuning of each plug for a specific instance of speakers, firstly, does not affect production costs in mass production. Secondly, replacing the GG in the AC is required only in exceptional cases. This means that you can approach filtering the frequency channels of speakers in an unconventional way:

1. The frequency of the LF-MF and HF section is taken to be no lower than 6 kHz, otherwise you will not get a sufficiently uniform amplitude-frequency response (AFC) of the entire speaker in the midrange region, which is very bad, see below. In addition, with a high crossover frequency, the filter is inexpensive and compact;
2. The prototypes for calculating the filter are links and half-links of type K filters, because their phase-frequency characteristics (PFC) are absolutely linear. Without this condition, the frequency response in the crossover frequency region will be significantly uneven and overtones will appear in the sound;
3. To obtain the initial data for the calculation, you need to measure the impedance (total electrical resistance) of the LF-MF and HF GG at the crossover frequency. The 4 or 8 ohms indicated in the GG passport are their active resistance at direct current, and the impedance at the crossover frequency will be greater. The impedance is measured quite simply: the GG is connected to an audio frequency generator (AFG), tuned to the crossover frequency, with an output of no weaker than 10 V into a load of 600 Ohms through a resistor of obviously high resistance, for example. 1 kOhm. You can use low-power GZCH and high-fidelity UMZCH. Impedance is determined by the ratio of audio frequency (AF) voltages across the resistor and GG;
4. The impedance of the low-frequency-mid-frequency link (GG, head) is taken as the characteristic resistance ρн of the low-pass filter (LPF), and the impedance of the HF head is taken as ρв of the high-pass filter (HPF). The fact that they are different is a joke; the output impedance of the UMZCH, which “swings” the speaker, is negligible compared to both;
5. On the UMZCH side, low-pass filter and reflective-type high-pass filter units are installed so as not to overload the amplifier and not take power away from the associated speaker channel. On the contrary, the absorbing links are turned to the GG so that the return from the filter does not produce overtones. Thus, the low-pass filter and high-pass filter of the speaker will have at least a link with a half-link;
6. The attenuation of the low-pass filter and high-pass filter at the crossover frequency is taken equal to 3 dB (1.41 times), because The slope of the K-filters is small and uniform. Not 6 dB, as it might seem, because... filters are calculated based on voltage, and the power supplied to the GG depends on the square of it;
7. Adjusting the filter comes down to “muting” a channel that is too loud. The channel volumes are measured at the crossover frequency using a computer microphone, turning off the HF and LF-MF in turn. The degree of “jamming” is determined as the square root of the channel volume ratio;
8. Excessive volume of the channel is removed with a pair of resistors: a damping one of fractions or units of Ohm is connected in series with the GG, and in parallel with both of them - a leveling one of greater resistance, so that the impedance of the GG with the resistors remains unchanged.

Explanations for the method

A technically knowledgeable reader may have a question: does your filter work for a complex load? Yes, and in this case, it’s okay. The phase response of K-filters is linear, as stated, and the Hi-Fi UMZCH is an almost ideal voltage source: its output resistance Rout is units and tens of mOhms. Under such conditions, the “reflection” from the GG reactance will partially attenuate in the output absorbing unit/half-unit of the filter, but for the most part it will leak back to the output of the UMZCH, where it will disappear without a trace. In fact, nothing will pass into the conjugate channel, because... ρ of its filter is many times greater than Rout. There is one danger here: if the impedances of the GG and ρ are different, then power circulation will begin in the filter output – GG circuit, causing the bass to become dull, “flat”, the attacks on the midrange to be drawn out, and the highs to become sharp and whistling. Therefore, the impedance of the GG and ρ must be adjusted precisely, and if the GG is replaced, the channel will have to be adjusted again.

Note: Do not try to filter active speakers with analog active filters on operational amplifiers (op amps). It is impossible to achieve linearity of their phase characteristics in a wide frequency range, which is why, for example, analog active filters have never really taken root in telecommunications technology.

What is hi-fi

Hi-Fi, as you know, is short for High Fidelity - high fidelity (sound reproduction). The concept of Hi-Fi was initially accepted as vague and not subject to standardization, but an informal division into classes gradually developed; The numbers in the list indicate, respectively, the range of reproduced frequencies (operating range), the maximum permissible coefficient of nonlinear distortion (THD) at rated power (see below), the minimum permissible dynamic range relative to the room’s own noise (dynamics, the ratio of maximum to minimum volume), maximum permissible unevenness of the frequency response in the midrange and its collapse (decline) at the edges of the operating range:

• Absolute or full - 20-20,000 Hz, 0.03% (-70 dB), 90 dB (31,600 times), 1 dB (1.12 times), 2 dB (1.25 times).
• High or Heavy - 31.5-18,000 Hz, 0.1% (-60 dB), 75 dB (5600 times), 2 dB, 3 dB (1.41 times).
• Medium or basic – 40-16,000 Hz, 0.3% (–50 dB), 66 dB (2000 times), 3 dB, 6 dB (2 times).
• Initial – 63-12500 Hz, 1% (–40 dB), 60 dB (1000 times), 6 dB, 12 dB (4 times).

It is curious that high, basic and initial Hi-Fi roughly correspond to the highest, first and second classes of household electroacoustics according to the USSR system. The concept of absolute Hi-Fi arose with the advent of condenser, film-panel (isodynamic and electrostatic), jet and plasma sound emitters. The Anglo-Saxons called high-end Hi-Fi “Heavy” because High High Fidelity in English is like butter.

What kind of hi-fi do you need?

Home acoustics for a modern apartment or house with good sound insulation must meet the conditions for basic Hi-Fi. A high one there, of course, won’t sound worse, but it will cost a lot more. In a block Khrushchev or Brezhnevka, no matter how you isolate them, only professional experts distinguish between initial and basic Hi-Fi. The reasons for such roughening of the requirements for home acoustics are as follows.

Firstly, the full range of sound frequencies is heard by literally a few people in all of humanity. People gifted with a particularly fine ear for music, such as Mozart, Tchaikovsky, J. Gershwin, hear high Hi-Fi. Experienced professional musicians in a concert hall confidently perceive basic Hi-Fi, but 98% of ordinary listeners in a sound-measuring chamber almost never distinguish between initial and basic Hi-Fi.

Secondly, in the most audible region of the midrange, a person dynamically distinguishes sounds in the range of 140 dB, counting from an audibility threshold of 0 dB, equal to the intensity of the sound flux of 1 pW per square meter. m, see fig. on the right are curves of equal loudness. A sound louder than 140 dB is already pain, and then damage to the hearing organs and contusion. An expanded symphony orchestra at a powerful fortissimo produces sound dynamics of up to 90 dB, and in the halls of the Bolshoi Opera, Milan, Paris, Vienna Opera Houses and the Metropolitan Opera in New York it can “accelerate” to 110 dB; so is the dynamic range of leading jazz bands with symphonic accompaniment. This is the limit of perception, louder than which the sound turns into still tolerable, but already meaningless noise.

Note: rock bands can play louder than 140 dB, which was what Elton John, Freddie Mercury and the Rolling Stones were fond of in their youth. But the dynamics of rock do not exceed 85 dB, because... Rock musicians cannot play the most delicate pianissimo even if they want to - the equipment does not allow it, and there is no rock “in the spirit”. As for pop music of any kind and movie soundtracks, this is not a topic at all - their dynamic range is already compressed during recording to 66, 60 and even 44 dB, so that you can listen to anything.

Thirdly, natural noise in the quietest living room of a country house on the outskirts of civilization is 20-26 dB. The sanitary noise standard in the library reading room is 32 dB, and the rustling of leaves in the fresh wind is 40-45 dB. It is clear from this that the 75dB high hi-fi speakers are more than enough for meaningful listening in a domestic environment; The dynamics of modern mid-level UMZCHs, as a rule, are no worse than 80 dB. In a city apartment, it is almost impossible to distinguish between basic and high Hi-Fi by dynamics.

Note: in a room noisy by more than 26 dB, the frequency range of the selected Hi-Fi can be narrowed to the limit. class, because the masking effect affects the background of indistinct noises, the frequency sensitivity of the ear decreases.

But in order for Hi-Fi to be high-fi, and not “happiness” for “beloved” neighbors and harmful to the owner’s health, it is necessary to ensure the least possible sound distortion, correct reproduction of low frequencies, smooth frequency response in the midrange, and determine what is necessary for sounding a given room AC electrical power. As a rule, there are no problems with HF, because their SOI “go” into the inaudible ultrasonic region; You just need to put a good HF head into the speaker. Here it is enough to note that if you prefer classics and jazz, it is better to take the HF GG with a diffuser with a power of 0.2-0.3 of that of the LF channel, for example. 3GDV-1-8 (2GD-36 in the old way) and the like. If you are “rushed” by hard tops, then the optimal option would be a high-frequency generator with a dome emitter (see below) with a power of 0.3-0.5 of the power of the low-frequency unit; Drumming with brushes is naturally reproduced only by dome tweeters. However, a good dome HF GG is suitable for any music.

Distortions

Sound distortion is possible linear (LI) and nonlinear (NI). Linear distortion is simply a discrepancy between the average volume level and the listening conditions, which is why any UMZCH has a volume control. Expensive 3-way speakers for high Hi-Fi (for example, Soviet AC-30, also known as S-90) often include power attenuators for midrange and high frequency in order to more accurately match the frequency response of the speaker to the acoustics of the room.

As for NI, as they say, they are countless and new ones are constantly being discovered. The presence of NI in the sound path is expressed in the fact that the shape of the output signal (which is sound already in the air) is not completely identical to the shape of the original signal from the primary source. Most of all, the purity, “transparency” and “richness” of the sound are spoiled. NI:

1. Harmonic – overtones (harmonics) that are multiples of the fundamental frequency of the reproduced sound. They manifest themselves as excessively rumbling bass, sharp and harsh midrange and treble;
2. Intermodulation (combination) - sums and differences in the frequencies of the components of the spectrum of the original signal. Strong combinational NIs are heard as wheezing, while weak ones that spoil the sound can only be recognized in the laboratory using multi-signal or statistical methods on test phonograms. To the ear, the sound seems clear, but somehow not so;
3. Transient – ​​“jitter” of the output signal shape during sharp increases/declines of the original signal. They manifest themselves with short wheezing and sobbing, but irregularly, with fluctuations in volume;
4. Resonant (overtones) - ringing, rattling, muttering;
5. Frontal (distortion of sound attack) – delaying or, conversely, forcing sudden changes in overall volume. Almost always occur together with transitional ones;
6. Noise - hum, rustle, hiss;
7. Irregular (sporadic) – clicks, crackles;
8. Interference (AI or IFI, so as not to be confused with intermodulation). Characteristic specifically for AS, IFIs do not occur in UMZCH. Very harmful, because are perfectly audible and cannot be eliminated without major alteration of the speakers. See below for more information about FFIs.

Note:“wheezing” and other figurative descriptions of distortion here and below are given from the point of view of Hi-Fi, i.e. as already heard by experienced listeners. And, for example, speech speakers are designed on SOI at a rated power of 6% (in China - 10%) and 1

In addition to interference, AS can produce predominantly NI according to claims. 1, 3, 4 and 5; Clicks and crackles are possible here as a result of poor quality manufacturing. They struggle with transitional and frontal NI in speakers by selecting suitable GGs (see below) and acoustic design for them. Ways to avoid overtones are the rational design of the speaker cabinet and the correct choice of material for it, also see below.

You need to linger on harmonic NIs in the speakers, because they are fundamentally different from those in semiconductor UMZCH and are similar to the harmonic NI of tube ULF (low frequency amplifiers, the old name of UMZCH). A transistor is a quantum device, and its transfer characteristics are not fundamentally expressed by analytical functions. The consequence is that it is impossible to accurately calculate all the harmonics of a transistor UMZCH, and their spectrum extends to the 15th and higher components. Also in the spectrum of transistor UMZCHs there is a large proportion of combinational components.

The only way to cope with all this disgrace is to hide the NI deeper under the amplifier’s own noise, which, in turn, should be many times lower than the natural noise of the room. It must be said that modern circuitry copes with this task quite successfully: according to current concepts, a UMZCH with 1% THD and –66 dB of noise is “no”, and with 0.06% THD and –80 dB of noise it is quite mediocre.

With harmonic NI speakers, the situation is different. Their spectrum, firstly, like that of tube ULFs, is pure - only overtones without a noticeable admixture of combination frequencies. Secondly, the harmonics of the speakers can be traced, just like those of lamps, no higher than the 4th. Such a spectrum of NI does not noticeably spoil the sound even at a SOI of 0.5-1%, which is confirmed by expert estimates, and the reason for the “dirty” and “sluggish” sound of homemade speakers most often lies in the poor frequency response in the midrange. For your information, if a trumpet player has not properly cleaned the instrument before a concert and during playing does not splash out saliva from the embouchure in a timely manner, then the THD of, say, a trombone, can increase to 2-3%. And that’s okay, they play and the audience likes it.

The conclusion from here is very important and favorable: the range of reproduced frequencies and the intrinsic harmonics of a NI speaker are not parameters that are critical for the quality of the sound it creates. Experts can classify the sound of speakers with 1% or even 1.5% harmonic NI as basic, or even high Hi-Fi, if the appropriate conditions are met. conditions for the dynamics and smoothness of the frequency response.

Interference

IFI is the result of the convergence of sound waves from nearby sources in phase or in antiphase. The result is surges, even to the point of pain in the ears, or dips of almost zero volume at certain frequencies. At one time, the first-born of the Soviet Hi-Fi 10MAS-1 (not 1M!) was urgently discontinued after musicians discovered that this speaker did not reproduce the A of the second octave at all (as far as I remember). At the factory, the prototype was “driven” in a sound meter using a three-signal method, antediluvian even then, and the position of an expert with an ear for music was not on the staffing table. One of the paradoxes of developed socialism.

The probability of IFI occurrence increases sharply with increasing frequency and, accordingly, decreasing sound wavelength, because To do this, the distance between the centers of the emitters must be a multiple of half the wavelength of the reproduced frequency. At midrange and high frequency, the latter varies from a few decimeters to millimeters, so there is no way to install two or several midrange and high frequency generators in the speakers - then IFI cannot be avoided, because the distances between the centers of the GG will be of the same order. In general, the golden rule of electroacoustics is one emitter per band, and the brilliant rule is one broadband GG for the entire frequency range.

The LF wavelength is meters, which is much greater not only than the distance between the GGs, but also the size of the speakers. Therefore, manufacturers and experienced amateurs often increase the power of the speakers and improve the bass by pairing or quadruplet (putting in a quadruplet) the LF GG. However, a beginner should not do this: internal interference of reflected waves “walking” with the speaker itself may occur. To the ear, it manifests itself as resonant NI: it booms, hums, rattles, it is not clear why. So follow the precious rules so as not to go through the entire speaker over and over again to no avail.

Note: You cannot place an odd number of identical GGs in the AS under any circumstances - the IFIs are then 100% guaranteed

midrange

Novice amateurs pay little attention to the reproduction of mid frequencies - they say, any speaker will “sing” them - but in vain. The midrange is heard best; it also contains the original (“correct”) harmonics of the basis of everything – the bass. The unevenness of the frequency response of speakers in the midrange can give very strong combinational NIs that spoil the sound, because the spectrum of any phonogram “floats” across the frequency range. Especially if the speakers use efficient and inexpensive speakers with a short diffuser stroke, see below. Subjectively, when listening, experts clearly prefer speakers with a frequency response in the midrange, smoothly varying across the frequency range within 10 dB over one that has 3 dips or “bumps” of 6 dB each. Therefore, when designing and making speakers, you need to carefully check at every step: will the frequency response on the midrange “bump” from this?

Note, speaking of bass: rocker joke. So, a young promising group broke through to the prestigious festival. Half an hour later they had to go out, and they were already backstage, worried, waiting, but the bassist was on a spree somewhere. 10 minutes before the exit - he’s not there, 5 minutes - he’s not there either. They wave at the exit, but still no bass player. What to do? Well, we'll play without bass. Failure to do so means instant career ruin forever. They played without bass, it’s clear how. They wander towards the service exit, spitting and swearing. Lo and behold, there’s a bass player, a tough guy, with two chicks. They come to him - oh, you goat, do you even understand how you cheated us?!! Where have you been?! - Yes, I decided to listen in the hall. - And what did you hear there? - Dudes, without bass it sucks!

LF

Bass in music is like the foundation for a house. And in the same way, the “zero cycle” of electroacoustics is the most difficult, complex and responsible. The audibility of a sound depends on the energy flow of the sound wave, which depends on the square of the frequency. Therefore, the bass is heard the worst, see fig. with curves of equal volume. To “pump” energy into the low frequencies, powerful speakers and UMZCH are needed; In reality, more than half of the amplifier's power is spent on bass. But at high powers, the probability of the occurrence of NI increases, the strongest and, of course, audible components of the spectrum of which from the bass will fall precisely on the best audible midrange.

“Pumping” NPs is further complicated by the fact that the dimensions of the GG and the entire AS are small compared to the wavelengths of the NPs. Any sound source transfers energy to it the better, the larger its size relative to the sound wavelength. The acoustic efficiency of low-frequency speakers is units and fractions of a percent. Therefore, most of the work and hassle in creating a speaker system comes down to making it reproduce bass frequencies better. But let us remind you once again: do not forget to monitor the purity of the midrange as often as possible! Actually, the creation of a low-frequency speaker path comes down to:

• Determination of the required electrical power of the LF GG.
• Selecting a low-frequency GG suitable for the given listening conditions.
• Selecting the optimal acoustic design (casing design) for the selected low-frequency GG.
• Its correct manufacture in a suitable material.

Power

The sound output in dB (characteristic sensitivity) is indicated in the speaker passport. It is measured in a sound-measuring chamber 1 m from the center of the GG with a measuring microphone located strictly along its axis. The GG is placed on a sound-measuring shield (standard acoustic screen, see figure on the right) and electrical power of 1 W is supplied (0.1 W for GG with a power of less than 3 W) at a frequency of 1000 Hz (200 Hz, 5000 Hz). Theoretically, based on these data, the class of the desired Hi-Fi and the parameters of the room/listening area (local acoustics), it is possible to calculate the required electrical power of the generator. But in fact, taking into account local acoustics is so complex and ambiguous that even experts rarely bother with it.

Note: The GG for measurements is shifted from the center of the screen in order to avoid interference of sound waves from the front and rear emitting surfaces. The screen material is usually a cake of 5 layers of unsanded 3-layer pine plywood with casein glue 3 mm thick and 4 spacers between them made of natural felt 2 mm thick. Everything is glued together with casein or PVA.

It is much easier to proceed from the existing conditions to the technical sound of low-noisy rooms, with adjustments for the dynamics and frequency range of Hi-Fi, especially since the results obtained in this case are in better agreement with known empirical data and expert estimates. Then for initial Hi-Fi you need, with a ceiling height of up to 3.5 m, 0.25 W of the nominal (long-term) electrical power of the GG per 1 sq. m of floor area, for basic Hi-Fi – 0.4 W/sq. m, and for high – 1.15 W/sq. m.

The next step is to take into account actual listening conditions. Hundred-watt speakers capable of operating at microwatt levels are monstrously expensive, on the one hand. On the other hand, if a separate room is not allocated for listening, equipped as a sound-measuring chamber, then their “micro-whispers” at the quietest pianissimo will not be heard in any living room (see above about natural noise levels). Therefore, we increase the obtained values ​​by two or three times in order to “tear off” what we are listening to from the background noise. We get for initial Hi-Fi from 0.5 W/sq. m, basic from 0.8 W/sq. m and for high from 2.25 W/sq. m.

Next, since we need hi-fi, and not just speech intelligibility, we need to move from nominal power to peak (musical) power. The “juice” of a sound depends primarily on the dynamics of its volume. THD GG at loudness peaks should not exceed its value for Hi-Fi in a class below the chosen one; for initial Hi-Fi we take 3% THD at the peak. In trade specifications for Hi-Fi speakers, it is the peak power that is indicated as more significant. According to the Soviet-Russian method, peak power is equal to 3.33 long-term; according to the methods of Western companies, “music” is equal to 5-8 denominations, but - stop for now!

Note: Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian and Korean methods are ignored. For basic (!) Hi-Fi, at their peak they accept a telephone SOI of 6%. But the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia measure their speakers correctly.

The fact is that all Western manufacturers of Hi-Fi GG, without exception, shamelessly overestimate the peak power of their products. It would be better if they promoted their SOI and frequency response flatness, they really have something to be proud of. But the average foreigner will not understand such complexities, but if “180W”, “250W”, “320W” is written on the speaker, that’s really cool. In reality, running the speakers “from there” in a sound meter gives their peaks at 3.2-3.7 nominal values. Which is understandable, because... This ratio is justified physiologically, i.e. the structure of our ears. Conclusion - when targeting Western GGs, go to the company website, look for the rated power there and multiply by 3.33.

Note 9, regarding the peak and nominal designations: in Russia, according to the old system, the numbers in front of the letters in the designation of the speaker indicated its rated power, but now they give the peak. But at the same time the root and suffix of the designation were also changed. Therefore, the same speaker can be designated in completely different ways; see examples below. Look for the truth from reference sources or on Yandex. No matter what designation you enter, the results will contain the new one, and the old one in parentheses next to it.

In the end, we get for a room up to 12 square meters. m peak for initial Hi-Fi at 15 W, base at 30 W and high at 55 W. These are the smallest acceptable values; taking the GG two or three times more powerful will be better, unless you listen to symphonic classics and very serious jazz. For them, it is advisable to limit the power to 1.2-1.5 times the minimum, otherwise wheezing is possible at peak volumes.

You can do it even simpler by focusing on proven prototypes. For initial Hi-Fi in a room up to 20 sq. m is suitable GG 10GD-36K (10GDSh-1 in the old way), for a tall one - 100GDSh-47-16. They don’t need filtering, these are broadband GGs. With basic Hi-Fi it is more difficult; a suitable broadband speaker cannot be found for it; you need to make a 2-way speaker. Here, at first, the optimal solution is to repeat the electrical part of the old Soviet S-30B speaker. These speakers have been “singing” regularly and very well for decades in apartments, cafes and just on the street. They are extremely shabby, but they keep the sound.

The S-30B filtering diagram (without overload indication) is shown in Fig. left. Minor modifications have been made to reduce losses in the coils and allow adjustment to various low-frequency generators; if desired, taps from L1 can be made more often, within 1/3 of the total number of turns w, counting from the right end of L1 according to the diagram, the fit will be more accurate. On the right are instructions and formulas for independently calculating and manufacturing filter coils. Precision parts are not required for this filtering; deviations in coil inductance by +/–10% also do not noticeably affect the sound. It is advisable to place the R2 engine on the rear wall to quickly adjust the frequency response to the room. The circuit is not very sensitive to the impedance of the speakers (unlike filtering using K-filters), so instead of the ones indicated, you can use other GGs that are suitable in power and resistance. One condition: the highest reproducible frequency (HRF) of the LF GG at the level of –20 dB must be no lower than 7 kHz, and the lowest reproducible frequency (LRF) of the HF GG at the same level - no higher than 3 kHz. By moving and moving L1 and L2, you can slightly correct the frequency response in the crossover frequency region (5 kHz), without resorting to such complexities as a Zobel filter, which can also increase transient distortion. Capacitors – film with insulation made of PET or fluoroplastic and sprayed plates (MKP) K78 or K73-16; as a last resort - K73-11. Resistors are metal film (MOX). Wires – audio from oxygen-free copper with a cross-section of 2.5 square meters. mm. Installation - soldering only. In Fig. on the right is shown what the original filtering of the S-30B looks like (with an overload indication circuit), and in Fig. Below on the left is a 2-way filtering scheme popular abroad without magnetic coupling between the coils (which is why their polarity is not indicated). On the right there, just in case, is a 3-way filtering of the Soviet S-90 speaker (35AC-212).

About wires

Special audio cables are not a product of mass psychosis and not a marketing gimmick. The effect, discovered by radio amateurs, has now been confirmed by research and recognized by experts: if there is an admixture of oxygen in the copper of the wire, a thin, literally molecule-sized film of oxide is formed on the crystallites of the metal, from which the sound signal can do anything but improve. This effect is not found in silver, which is why sophisticated audio connoisseurs do not skimp on silver wire: traders shamelessly cheat with copper wires, because... It is possible to distinguish oxygen-free copper from ordinary electrical copper only in a specially equipped laboratory.

Speakers

The quality of the primary sound emitter (S) in the bass determines the sound of the speakers approx. by 2/3; in the midrange and highs – almost completely. In amateur speakers, the IZs are almost always electrodynamic GGs (speakers). Isodynamic systems are quite widely used in high-end headphones (for example, TDS-7 and TDS-15, which are readily used by professionals to control sound recordings), but the creation of powerful isodynamic systems encounters technical difficulties that are still insurmountable. As for other primary IZs (see the list at the beginning), they are still far from being “brought to fruition.” This is especially true for prices, reliability, durability and stability of characteristics during operation.

When getting into electroacoustics, you need to know the following about how speakers are structured and work in acoustic systems. The speaker exciter is a thin coil of wire that vibrates in the annular gap of the magnetic system under the influence of audio frequency current. The coil is rigidly connected to the actual sound emitter into space - a diffuser (at LF, MF, sometimes at HF) or a thin, very light and rigid dome diaphragm (at HF, rarely at MF). The efficiency of sound emission strongly depends on the diameter of the IZ; more precisely, from its ratio to the wavelength of the emitted frequency, but at the same time, with an increase in the diameter of the IZ, the probability of the occurrence of nonlinear distortions (ND) of sound due to the elasticity of the IZ material also increases; more precisely, not its infinite rigidity. They combat NI in IR by making radiating surfaces from sound-absorbing (anti-acoustic) materials.

The diameter of the diffuser is larger than the diameter of the coil, and in diffuser GGs it and the coil are attached to the speaker body with separate flexible suspensions. The diffuser configuration is a hollow cone with thin walls, with its apex facing the coil. The coil suspension simultaneously holds the top of the diffuser, i.e. its suspension is double. The generatrix of the cone can be rectilinear, parabolic, exponential and hyperbolic. The steeper the diffuser cone converges to the top, the higher the output and the lower the dynamics of the speaker, but at the same time its frequency range narrows and the directivity of the radiation increases (the radiation pattern narrows). Narrowing the pattern also narrows the stereo effect zone and moves it away from the frontal plane of the speaker pair. The diameter of the diaphragm is equal to the diameter of the coil and there is no separate suspension for it. This sharply reduces the TNI of the GG, because The diffuser suspension is a very noticeable source of sound, and the material for the diaphragm can be very hard. However, the diaphragm is capable of producing sound well only at fairly high frequencies.

The coil and diffuser or diaphragm together with suspensions make up the moving system (MS) of the GG. The PS has a frequency of its own mechanical resonance Fр, at which the mobility of the PS sharply increases, and a quality factor Q. If Q>1, then a speaker without correctly selected and executed acoustic design (see below) at Fр will wheeze at a power less than the rated one, not to mention peak, this is the so-called. locking the GG. Blocking does not apply to distortion, because is a design and manufacturing defect. If 0.7

The efficiency of transferring electrical signal energy to sound waves in the air is determined by the instantaneous acceleration of the diffuser/diaphragm (who is familiar with mathematical analysis - the second derivative of its displacement with respect to time), because air is an easily compressible and very fluid medium. The instantaneous acceleration of the coil pushing/pulling the diffuser/diaphragm must be somewhat greater, otherwise it will not “swing” the IZ. A few, but not by much. Otherwise, the coil will bend and cause the emitter to vibrate, which will lead to the appearance of NI. This is the so-called membrane effect, in which longitudinal elastic waves propagate in the diffuser/diaphragm material. Simply put, the diffuser/diaphragm should “slow down” the coil a little. And here again there is a contradiction - the more the emitter “slows down”, the more powerfully it emits. In practice, the “braking” of the emitter is done in such a way that its NI in the entire range of frequencies and powers falls within the norm for a given Hi-Fi class.

Note, output: Don't try to "squeeze" out of the speakers what they can't do. For example, a speaker on a 10GDSH-1 can be built with an uneven frequency response in the midrange of 2 dB, but in terms of SOI and dynamics it still reaches Hi-Fi no higher than the initial one.

At frequencies up to Fp, the membrane effect never appears; this is the so-called. piston mode of operation of the GG - the diffuser/diaphragm simply moves back and forth. Higher in frequency, the heavy diffuser can no longer keep up with the coil, membrane radiation begins and intensifies. At a certain frequency, the speaker begins to radiate only like a flexible membrane: at the junction with the suspension, its diffuser is already motionless. At 0.7

The membrane effect dramatically improves the efficiency of the GG, because the instantaneous accelerations of vibrating sections of the IZ surface turn out to be very large. This circumstance is widely used by designers of high-frequency and partly mid-range generators, the distortion spectrum of which immediately goes into ultrasound, as well as when designing generators not for Hi-Fi. SOI GG with a membrane effect and the evenness of the frequency response of speakers with them strongly depend on the mode of the membrane. At zero mode, when the entire surface of the IZ trembles as if to its own rhythm, Hi-Fi up to medium inclusive can be achieved at low frequencies, see below.

Note: the frequency at which the GG switches from the “piston to the membrane”, as well as the change in the membrane mode (not growth, it is always an integer) significantly depend on the diameter of the diffuser. The larger it is, the lower in frequency and the stronger the speaker begins to “membrane”.

Woofers

High-quality piston LF GGs (simply “pistons”; in English woofers, barking) are made with a relatively small, thick, heavy and rigid anti-acoustic diffuser on a very soft latex suspension, see position 1 in Fig. Then Fр turns out to be below 40 Hz or even below 30-20 Hz, and Q<0,7. В мембранном режиме поршневые ГГ способны работать до частот 7-8 кГц на нулевой-первой модах.

The periods of LF waves are long, all this time the diffuser in piston mode must move with acceleration, therefore the diffuser stroke is long. Low frequencies without acoustic design are not reproduced, but it is always closed to one degree or another, isolated from free space. Therefore, the diffuser has to work with a large mass of so-called. attached air, the “swing” of which requires significant force (which is why piston GGs are sometimes called compression), as well as for the accelerated movement of a heavy diffuser with a low quality factor. For these reasons, the magnetic system of the piston GG has to be made very powerful.

Despite all the tricks, the recoil of piston engines is small, because It is impossible for a low-frequency diffuser to develop high acceleration at long waves: the elasticity of the air is not enough to absorb the energy given off. It will spread to the sides, and the speaker will go into locking. To increase the efficiency and smoothness of the moving system (to reduce the SOI at high power levels), designers go to great lengths - they use differential magnetic systems, with half-scattering and other exotic ones. SOI is further reduced by filling the magnetic gap with a non-drying rheological fluid. As a result, the best modern “pistons” achieve a dynamic range of 92-95 dB, and the THD at nominal power does not exceed 0.25%, and at peak power – 1%. All this is very good, but the prices - mom, don't worry! $1000 per pair with differential magnets and rheofill for home acoustics selected for impact, resonant frequency and flexibility of the moving system is not the limit.

Note: LF GG with rheological filling of the magnetic gap are suitable only for LF links of 3-way speakers, because completely unable to operate in membrane mode.

Piston GGs have one more serious flaw: without strong acoustic damping, they can be mechanically destroyed. Again, simply: behind the piston speaker there must be some kind of air cushion loosely connected to the free space. Otherwise, the diffuser at the peak will be torn off the suspension and it will fly out along with the coil. Therefore, “pistons” cannot be installed in every acoustic design, see below. In addition, piston GGs do not tolerate forced braking of the PS: the coil burns out immediately. But this is already a rare case; speaker cones are usually not held by hand and matches are not inserted into the magnetic gap.

Note to craftsmen

There is a well-known “folk” way to increase the efficiency of piston engines: an additional ring magnet is firmly attached with the repelling side to the standard magnetic system from the rear, without changing anything in the dynamics. It is repelling, otherwise, when a signal is given, the coil will immediately be torn off from the diffuser. In principle, it is possible to rewind the speaker, but it is very difficult. And never before has a single speaker gotten better from rewinding, or at least remained the same.

But that’s not really what we’re talking about. Enthusiasts of this modification claim that the field of the external magnet concentrates the field of the standard one near the coil, which causes the acceleration of the PS and recoil to increase. This is true, but Hi-Fi GG is a very precisely balanced system. The returns actually increase a little. But at its peak, SOI immediately “jumps” so that sound distortions become clearly audible even to inexperienced listeners. At nominal, the sound may become even cleaner, but without Hi-Fi speakers it’s already high-fi.

Presenters

So in English (managers) they are called SCH GG, because. It is the midrange that accounts for the overwhelming majority of the semantic load of the musical opus. The requirements for the midrange of the GG for Hi-Fi are much softer, so most of them are made of a traditional design with a large diffuser cast from cellulose pulp along with the suspension, pos. 2. Reviews about midrange GG dome and with metal diffusers are contradictory. The tone prevails, they say, the sound is harsh. Classical lovers complain that bowed speakers squeal from “non-paper” speakers. Almost everyone recognizes the sound of the midrange GG with plastic diffusers as dull and at the same time harsh.

The stroke of the MF GG diffuser is made short, because its diameter is comparable to the wavelengths of the midrange and the transfer of energy into the air is not difficult. To increase the attenuation of elastic waves in the diffuser and, accordingly, reduce the NI together with the expansion of the dynamic range, finely chopped silk fibers are added to the mass for casting the Hi-Fi midrange GG diffuser, then the speaker operates in piston mode in almost the entire midrange range. As a result of applying these measures, the dynamics of modern midrange GGs of the average price level turns out to be no worse than 70 dB, and the THD at the nominal value is no higher than 1.5%, which is quite enough for high Hi-Fi in a city apartment.

Note: Silk is added to the cone material of almost all good speakers; it is a universal way to reduce the SOI.

Tweets

In our opinion - tweeters. As you may have guessed, these are tweeters, HF GG. Spelled with one t, this is not the name of a social network for gossip. Making a good “tweeter” from modern materials would be generally simple (the LR spectrum immediately goes into ultrasound), if not for one circumstance - the diameter of the emitter in almost the entire HF range turns out to be of the same order of magnitude or less than the wavelength. Because of this, interference is possible at the emitter itself due to the propagation of elastic waves in it. In order not to give them a “hook” for radiation into the air at random, the diffuser/dome of the HF GG should be as smooth as possible; for this purpose, the domes are made of metallized plastic (it absorbs elastic waves better), and the metal domes are polished.

The criterion for choosing high-frequency GGs is indicated above: dome ones are universal, and for fans of the classics who definitely require “singing” soft tops, diffuser ones are more suitable. It is better to take these elliptical ones and place them in the speakers, orienting their long axis vertically. Then the speaker pattern in the horizontal plane will be wider, and the stereo area will be larger. There is also an HF GG with a built-in horn on sale. Their power can be taken at 0.15-0.2 of the power of the low-frequency section. As for the technical quality indicators, any HF GG is suitable for Hi-Fi of any level, as long as it is suitable in terms of power.

Shiriki

This is a colloquial nickname for broadband GG (GGSH), which does not require filtering of speaker frequency channels. A simple GGSH emitter with general excitation consists of a LF-MF diffuser and a HF cone rigidly connected to it, pos. 3. This is the so-called. coaxial emitter, which is why GGSH are also called coaxial speakers or simply coaxials.

The idea of ​​the GGSH is to give the membrane mode to the HF cone, where it will not do much harm, and let the diffuser at the LF and at the bottom of the midrange work “on a piston”, for which purpose the LF-MF diffuser is corrugated across. This is how broadband GGs are made for initial, sometimes mid-range Hi-Fi, for example. the mentioned 10GD-36K (10GDSH-1).

The first HF cone GGSH went on sale in the early 50s, but never achieved a dominant position in the market. The reason is a tendency to transient distortion and a delay in the attack of sound because the cone dangles and wobbles from the shocks of the diffuser. Listening to Miguel Ramos play a Hammond electric organ through a coaxial cone is unbearably painful.

Coaxial GGSH with separate excitation of LF-MF and HF emitters, pos. 4 do not have this drawback. In them, the HF section is driven by a separate coil from its own magnetic system. The HF coil sleeve passes through the LF-MF coil. The PS and magnetic systems are located coaxially, i.e. along one axis.

GGSH with separate excitation at LF are not inferior to piston GG in all technical parameters and subjective assessments of sound. Modern coaxial speakers can be used to build very compact speakers. The disadvantage is the price. A coaxial for high-end Hi-Fi is usually more expensive than a LF-MF + HF set, although it is cheaper than a LF, MF and HF GG for a 3-way speaker.

Auto

Car speakers are formally also classified as coaxial, but in reality they are 2-3 separate speakers in one housing. HF (sometimes also midrange) GG are suspended in front of the LF GG diffuser on a bracket, see on the right in Fig. at first. Filtering is always built-in, i.e. There are only 2 terminals on the body for connecting wires.

Car speakers have a specific task: first of all, to “shout out” the noise in the car’s interior, so their designers don’t particularly struggle with the membrane effect. But for the same reason, car speakers need a wide dynamic range, at least 70 dB, and their diffusers are necessarily made with silk or other measures are used to suppress higher membrane modes - the speaker should not wheeze even in a car while driving.

As a result, car speakers are, in principle, suitable for Hi-Fi up to medium, inclusive, if you choose a suitable acoustic design for them. In all the speakers described below, you can install auto speakers of a suitable size and power, then there will be no need for a cutout for the HF GG and filtering. One condition: the standard terminals with clamps must be very carefully removed and replaced with lamellas for unsoldering. Modern car speaker speakers allow you to listen to good jazz, rock, even individual works of symphonic music and many chamber music. Of course, they won’t be able to handle Mozart’s violin quartets, but very few people listen to such dynamic and meaningful opuses. A pair of car speakers will cost several times, up to 5 times, less than 2 sets of GG with filter components for a 2-way speaker.

Frisky

Friskers, from frisky, is how American radio amateurs nicknamed small-sized low-power GGs with a very thin and light diffuser, firstly, for their high output - a pair of “frisky” 2-3 W each sound a room of 20 square meters. m. Secondly – ​​for the hard sound: “fast” ones work only in membrane mode.

Manufacturers and sellers do not classify “frisky” people as a special class, because they are not supposed to be hi-fi. The speaker is like a speaker, like any Chinese radio or cheap computer speakers. However, for the “frisky” ones, you can make good speakers for your computer, providing Hi-Fi up to and including average in the vicinity of your desktop.

The fact is that the “fast” ones are capable of reproducing the entire audio range; you just need to reduce their SOI and smooth out the frequency response. The first is achieved by adding silk to the diffuser; here you need to be guided by the manufacturer and its (not trade!) specifications. For example, all GG of the Canadian company Edifier with silk. By the way, Edifier is a French word and is read “ediffier”, and not “idifier” in the English manner.

The frequency response of “fast” ones is equalized in two ways. Small splashes/dips are already removed by silk, and larger bumps and depressions are eliminated by acoustic design with free access to the atmosphere and a damping pre-chamber, see fig; For an example of such an AS, see below.

Acoustics

Why do you need acoustic design at all? At low frequencies, the dimensions of the sound emitter are very small compared to the length of the sound wave. If you simply place the speaker on the table, the waves from the front and rear surfaces of the diffuser will immediately converge in antiphase, cancel each other out, and no bass will be heard at all. This is called an acoustic short circuit. You cannot simply mute the speaker from the rear to the bass: the diffuser will have to strongly compress a small volume of air, which will cause the resonance frequency of the PS to “jump” so high that the speaker simply will not be able to reproduce bass. This implies the main task of any acoustic design: either to extinguish the radiation from the back side of the GG, or to turn it 180 degrees and re-radiate it in phase from the front of the speaker, while at the same time preventing the energy of the diffuser movement from being spent on thermodynamics, i.e. on the compression-expansion of air in the speaker housing. An additional task is, if possible, to form a spherical sound wave at the output of the speaker, because in this case, the stereo effect zone is widest and deepest, and the influence of room acoustics on the sound of the speakers is the least.

Note, important consequence: For each speaker enclosure of a specific volume with a specific acoustic design, there is an optimal range of excitation powers. If the power of the IZ is low, it will not pump up the acoustics; the sound will be dull and distorted, especially at low frequencies. An excessively powerful GG will go into thermodynamics, causing blocking to begin.

The purpose of the speaker cabinet with acoustic design is to ensure the best reproduction of low frequencies. Strength, stability, appearance – of course. Acoustically, home speakers are designed in the form of a shield (speakers built into furniture and building structures), an open box, an open box with an acoustic impedance panel (PAC), a closed box of normal or reduced volume (small-sized speaker systems, MAS), a bass reflex (FI), passive radiator (PI), direct and reverse horns, quarter-wave (QW) and half-wave (HF) labyrinths.

Built-in acoustics are a subject of special discussion. Open boxes from the era of tube radios; it is impossible to get acceptable stereo from them in an apartment. Among others, it is best for a beginner to choose the PV labyrinth for his first AS:

• Unlike others, except FI and PI, the PV labyrinth allows you to improve the bass at frequencies below the natural resonant frequency of the woofer speaker.
• Compared to FI PV, the labyrinth is structurally and simple to set up.
• Compared to PI PV, the labyrinth does not require expensive purchased additional components.
• The elbowed PV labyrinth (see below) creates a sufficient acoustic load for the GG, while at the same time having a free connection with the atmosphere, which makes it possible to use LF GG with both long and short diffuser strokes. Up to replacement in already built speakers. Of course, only a couple. The emitted wave in this case will be practically spherical.
• Unlike all but a closed box and a HF labyrinth, an acoustic speaker with a MF labyrinth is capable of smoothing out the frequency response of the LF GG.
• Speakers with a PV labyrinth are structurally easily stretched into a tall, thin column, which makes them easier to place in small rooms.

Regarding the penultimate point - are you surprised if you are experienced? Consider this one of the promised revelations. And see below.

PV labyrinth

Acoustic design such as a deep slot (Deep Slot, a type of HF labyrinth), pos. 1 in Fig., and a convolutional inverse horn (item 2). We will touch on the horns later, but as for the deep slot, it is actually a PAS, an acoustic shutter that provides free communication with the atmosphere, but does not release sound: the depth of the slot is a quarter of the wavelength of its tuning frequency. This can be easily verified by using a highly directional microphone to measure the sound levels in front of the speaker and in the opening of the slit. Resonance at multiple frequencies is suppressed by lining the slot with a sound absorber. A speaker with a deep slot also dampens any speaker, but increases its resonant frequency, although less than a closed box.

The initial element of the PV labyrinth is an open half-wave tube, pos. 3. It is unsuitable as an acoustic design: while the wave from the rear reaches the front, its phase will flip another 180 degrees, and the same acoustic short circuit will result. In the frequency response of the PV pipe, it gives a high sharp peak, causing blocking of the GG at the tuning frequency Fn. But what is already important is that Fn and the frequency of the GG’s own resonance f (which is higher – Fр) are theoretically in no way related to each other, i.e. You can count on improved bass below f (Fр).

The simplest way to turn a pipe into a labyrinth is to bend it in half, pos. 4. This will not only phase the front with the rear, but also smooth out the resonant peak, because The wave paths in the pipe will now be of different lengths. In this way, in principle, you can smooth out the frequency response to any predetermined degree of evenness, increasing the number of bends (it should be odd), but in reality it is very rare to use more than 3 bends - wave attenuation in the pipe interferes.

In the chamber PV labyrinth (position 5), the knees are divided into the so-called. Helmholtz resonators - tapering towards the rear end of the cavity. This also improves the damping of the GG, smoothes the frequency response, reduces losses in the labyrinth and increases the radiation efficiency, because the rear exit window (port) of the labyrinth always works with “support” from the side of the last chamber. Having separated the chambers into intermediate resonators, pos. 6, it is possible with a diffuser GG to achieve an frequency response that almost satisfies the requirements of absolute Hi-Fi, but setting up each of a pair of such speakers requires about six months (!) of the work of an experienced specialist. Once upon a time, in a certain narrow circle, a labyrinth-chamber speaker with a separation of chambers was nicknamed Cremona, with a hint of the unique violins of Italian masters.

In fact, to obtain the frequency response for high Hi-Fi, just a couple of cameras per knee is enough. Drawings of speakers of this design are shown in Fig; on the left - Russian design, on the right - Spanish. Both are very good floor-standing acoustics. “For complete happiness,” it would not hurt the Russian woman to borrow the Spanish rigidity connections that support the partition (beech sticks with a diameter of 10 mm), and in return, smooth out the bend of the pipe.

In both of these speakers, another useful property of the chamber labyrinth is manifested: its acoustic length is greater than the geometric one, because the sound lingers somewhat in each chamber before passing on. Geometrically, these labyrinths are tuned to somewhere around 85 Hz, but measurements show 63 Hz. In reality, the lower limit of the frequency range turns out to be 37-45 Hz, depending on the type of low-frequency generator. If the filtered speakers from the S-30B are moved into such enclosures, the sound changes amazingly. For the better.

The excitation power range for these speakers is 20-80 W peak. Sound-absorbing lining here and there - padding polyester 5-10 mm. Tuning is not always necessary and is not difficult: if the bass is a bit muffled, cover the port symmetrically on both sides with pieces of foam until optimal sound is obtained. This should be done slowly, listening to the same section of the soundtrack each time for 10-15 minutes. It must have strong midranges with a steep attack (control of the midrange!), for example, a violin.

Jet Flow

The chamber labyrinth is successfully combined with the usual convoluted labyrinth. An example is the desktop acoustic system Jet Flow (jet flow) developed by American radio amateurs, which created a real sensation in the 70s, see fig. on right. The inside width of the case is 150-250 mm for speakers 120-220 mm, incl. “fast” and autodynamics. Body material – pine, spruce, MDF. No sound-absorbing lining or adjustment is required. The excitation power range is 5-30 W peak.

Note: There is now confusion with Jet Flow - inkjet sound emitters are sold under the same brand.

For the frisky and the computer

It is possible to smooth out the frequency response of car speakers and “fast” ones in an ordinary convoluted labyrinth by installing a compression damping (non-resonating!) pre-chamber in front of the entrance to it, designated K in Fig. below.

This mini-acoustic system is designed for PCs to replace the old cheap ones. The speakers used are the same, but the way they start to sound is simply amazing. If the diffuser is made of silk, otherwise there is no point in fencing the garden. An additional advantage is the cylindrical body, on which the midrange interference is close to minimal; it is less only on the spherical body. Working position – tilted forward and upward (AC – sound spotlight). Excitation power – 0.6-3 W nominal. Assembly is carried out as follows. order (glue - PVA):

• For children 9 glue the dust filter (you can use scraps of nylon tights);
• Det. 8 and 9 are covered with padding polyester (indicated in yellow in the figure);
• Assemble the package of partitions using screeds and spacers;
• Glue in padding polyester rings, marked in green;
• The package is wrapped, gluing, with whatman paper until the wall thickness is 8 mm;
• The body is cut to size and the antechamber is pasted over (highlighted in red);
• They glue the children. 3;
• After complete drying, they sand, paint, attach a stand, and mount the speaker. The wires to it run along the bends of the labyrinth.

About horns

Horn speakers have high output (remember why they have a horn in the first place). The old 10GDSH-1 screams through its horn so loudly that your ears wither, and the neighbors “can’t be happier,” which is why many people get carried away with horns. In home speakers, curled horns are used as they are less bulky. The reverse horn is excited by the back radiation of the GG and is similar to the PV labyrinth in that it rotates the phase of the wave by 180 degrees. But otherwise:

1. Structurally and technologically it is much more complicated, see fig. below.
2. It does not improve, but on the contrary, it spoils the frequency response of the speakers, because The frequency response of any horn is uneven and the horn is not a resonating system, i.e. It is impossible in principle to correct its frequency response.
3. The radiation from the horn port is significantly directional, and its waveform is more flat than spherical, so one cannot expect a good stereo effect.
4. It does not create a significant acoustic load on the GG and at the same time requires significant power for excitation (let’s also remember whether they whisper into a speaking speaker). The dynamic range of horn speakers can be extended, at best, to basic Hi-Fi, and in piston speakers with a very soft suspension (that is, good and expensive ones), the diffuser breaks out very often when the GG is installed in the horn.
5. Gives more overtones than any other type of acoustic design.

Frame

The housing for the speakers is best assembled using beech dowels and PVA glue; its film retains its damping properties for many years. To assemble, one of the side panels is placed on the floor, the bottom, lid, front and back walls, partitions are placed, see fig. on the right, and cover with the other side. If the external surfaces are subject to final finishing, you can use steel fasteners, but always with gluing and sealing (plasticine, silicone) of non-adhesive seams.

The choice of housing material is much more important for sound quality. The ideal option is a musical spruce without knots (they are a source of overtones), but finding large boards of it for speakers is unrealistic, since spruce trees are very knotty trees. As for the plastic speaker enclosures, they only sound good if they are manufactured in one piece, while amateur home-made ones made of transparent polycarbonate, etc. are a means of self-expression, not acoustics. They will tell you that this sounds good - ask to turn it on, listen and believe your ears.

In general, natural wood materials for speakers are difficult: completely straight-grained pine without defects is expensive, and other available building and furniture species produce overtones. It is best to use MDF. The above-mentioned Edifier has long since completely switched to it. The suitability of any other tree for AS can be determined by following. way:

1. The test is carried out in a quiet room, in which you yourself need to first stay in silence for half an hour;
2. A piece of board approx. long. 0.5 m is placed on prisms made from sections of steel angles, laid at a distance of 40-45 cm from each other;
3. The knuckle of a bent finger is used to knock approx. 10 cm from any of the prisms;
4. Repeat tapping exactly in the center of the board.

If in both cases the slightest ringing is not heard, the material is suitable. The softer, duller and shorter the sound, the better. Based on the results of such a test, you can make good speakers even from chipboard or laminate, see the video below.

3 component acoustics in the car

As you know, the speaker system in a car is the most important link that allows you to listen to your favorite music tracks during long trips. Systems are different.
3-component acoustics occupy not the last place today and many music lovers want to see it in the interior of their car, believing that the two-way speaker system has already outlived its useful life. 3-component car speakers reproduce musical sound much more finely, since they are equipped with three speakers rather than two, like a 2-way speaker.

The most important components of a 3-component speaker system

As you know, today it is customary to give preference to 3-way acoustics rather than two-component ones (see). The reasons for this will be presented below, but for now I would like to dwell on the important elements of the three-component system, without which playing normal music would be impossible.

Speaker

Before we move on to the main topic, I would like to dwell on the design of the speaker itself in order to better understand the entire circuit through which musical sound reaches a person’s ear.
The modern dynamic driver, which is the speaker itself, was developed back in the 19th century. Since then it has been constantly improved. Today, the greatest demand is for diffuser speakers, which, as a rule, are used in three-way acoustics to reproduce low frequencies and midrange frequencies. As for high frequencies, dome emitters are currently used to reproduce them.

Cone speakers and their advantages

As a rule, diffuser drivers consist of a magnet in which a voice coil with the diffuser itself is placed. This same diffuser is fixed to the holder using a suspension, mostly rubber, and a special washer.

What are their advantages?
The process of their production is quite easy and does not require high costs:

• The diffusers themselves can be made of either ordinary paper or polypropylene, Kevlar, carbon fiber and aluminum. Paper diffusers, as a rule, provide the highest sound quality, while simultaneously possessing a balanced combination of characteristics.

Note. Metal diffusers, which have high rigidity, are also used. As for polypropylene and plastic diffusers, they are cheap to produce and are used in budget-class acoustic systems.
For this reason, when choosing 3-component acoustics for your car, you need to pay primary attention to the material of the diffusers.

Dome speakers

As mentioned above, in a three-component system this type of sound emitters is used only for reproducing high frequencies. Although it often happens that mid-frequency speakers are encountered.
So:

• The design of dome speakers (see) is similar in all respects to diffusers, but there is one difference in the suspension. If a diffuser emitter uses a rubber suspension and the coil is attached directly to the center of the diffuser, then in the dome version the diffuser is made in the form of a dome, and the coil is fixed to its edges.

• Basically, dome speakers, or rather their base - the dome, are made of silk or metal. It is clear that silk domes are the most expensive and, like paper domes in diffuser speakers, have balanced parameters and give a soft, natural sound, which cannot be said about metal ones.

Parameters of three-component acoustic speakers

In addition to what speakers are made of, other parameters are also important:

• Power is almost the main component that an amateur pays attention to. It turns out that this is not the most important parameter, but rather even a secondary one.
  The fact is that power simply shows the amount that a certain speaker can withstand for a certain period of time.
• The sensitivity of the speakers is another matter. Showing what sound pressure a speaker can develop at a distance of one meter, this parameter is almost the most important when choosing.
  This is what professionals pay attention to first.

Note. The sensitivity of the speakers determines how loud the 3-component acoustics in the car will sound.

• Another parameter is called impedance. It shows the dependence of electrical resistance on frequency.
  Expressed in Ohms. The higher the impedance, the better the amplifier(see) will control the movement of the diffuser.

• The Thiel-Small parameters are designed to calculate acoustic design.

Crossover

It is no less important than the speakers. Thanks to the crossover, the frequency band is limited, which is reproduced by a specific emitter. If there were no crossover, then a load would be placed on the tweeter after a low frequency hits it.
As a result of this, it would fail. In addition, the high frequencies fed to the midbass, in the absence of a good crossover, would not be reproduced in the best way, and the sound itself would negate the entire effect of the sound stage.

Note. In a three-component acoustic system, the crossover is always made with a more complex design than in a two-way system. Many experts call this a disadvantage of 3-component acoustics.

Number of lanes

This concludes our detailed review. Instructions on how to install 3-component acoustics with your own hands can be easily downloaded from the Internet.
During the installation process, it is recommended to study video and photo materials. The price of three-component acoustics varies and it all depends on the specific model.

Test participant:
35,000 - 78,000 RUR *

It is generally accepted that the most accurate and balanced sound is created not by floor-standing, but by bookshelf acoustics. We often even call bookshelf speakers “monitors,” meaning their almost studio-quality sound. However, the three-way configuration, which also greatly improves accuracy and resolution, is used extremely rarely in shelf models. Only five models were found for our test. Let's see how good they turn out to be.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

In three-way acoustics, each driver has a narrower frequency range, which results in higher resolution and, if not deeper, then at least clearer and more controlled bass. However, matching the three bands requires complex filters, which can result in reduced dynamics, phase distortion, and tonal imbalance. I propose to consider these aspects of sound especially carefully. Quality and price will also be taken into account and will receive appropriate ratings.

78,000 RUR *

57,900 RUR *

56,700 RUR *

35,000 RUR *

40 320 RUR *

Pivot table

Firm Model		Dali Mentor 2		Polk Audio LSIM703	Quadral Argentum 330	Wharfedale Jade 1
	Frequency range, Hz	39—34 000	42—45 000	36—40 000	35—45 000	65—24 000
	Sensitivity, dB
	Power, W	40—180	25—120	20—200		30—120
	Impedance, Ohm
	Crossover frequency, Hz	3400, 12 000	500, 2800	n.d., 2800	700, 2600	570, 2500
	HF diameter, mm
	Midrange diameter, mm
	LF diameter, mm
	Dimensions, mm	440x200x350	385x210x345	204x425x37	506x205x280	358x195x328
	Weight, kg
	Sensitivity (1 W/1 m, 1 kHz), dB
	Impedance max/min, Ohm	5,64/21,62	20,43/3,74	41,34/3,39	16,39/3,41	14,29/3,84
	Impedance, average value, Ohm
	Average THD (100-20,000 Hz, 94/88/82 dB), %:	0,19/0,24/0,39	0,16/0,20/0,28	0,19/0,18/0,21	0,17/0,17/0,22	0,50/0,60/0,68
	Frequency response unevenness (100—20,000 Hz), +/-DB
	Frequency response unevenness (160—1300 Hz), +/-dB
	Frequency response unevenness (1300—20,000 Hz), +/-DB
	Frequency response unevenness (300—5000 Hz), +/-dB
	Lower limit frequency (-10 dB), Hz

results

POLK AUDIO LSIM703 56,700 RUR * ***** Sound ***** Design ***** Quality/price

In essence, the three-way design is the most optimal: by distributing frequencies across three speakers, you can significantly increase detail, expand the frequency range, provide better controllability of each emitter and reduce the level of distortion. However, in this case, the developer needs to bring three essentially different emitters to a common denominator, thereby setting the correct shape of the frequency response and, if possible, maintaining their sensitivity at an acceptable level.

All speaker systems presented in the test demonstrated high resolution for their price group, obviously better than most two-way models of similar cost, but not all revealed the full potential of the three-way system.

From a technical point of view
three-way configuration gives
much more for the developer
chances to create an even, tonally
balanced and wide frequency response,
rather than two-way.

Of the five models studied, only one demonstrated all the advantages of using three bands at once. For this reason, I decided to limit myself to one sympathy prize, awarding it to the Polk Audio LSiM703. This acoustics sounds the most smooth, reliable and interesting. In addition, it has the most powerful bass, allowing you to do without additional low-frequency support. This sound fully fits the definition of monitor sound.

Another potential contender for the sympathy prize was the Kef R300 acoustics, capable of very high quality reproduction of the mid/high frequency range, but the low-frequency driver, which is not the most suitable for this model, forces the use of a subwoofer with a high cutoff frequency, which significantly increases the complexity and cost of the system.

It is also worth noting the good potential inherent in the Quadral Argentum 330 model, which can be revealed by choosing the right subwoofer.

*THE PRICE IS APPROXIMATE