Introduction Produced sound from speakers has become so common and integrated in our daily lives it is often taken for granted. Living with inventions such as televisions, phones and radios, chances are you rarely ever have days with nothing but natural sounds. Yet, few people know the physics involved in the technology that allows us to listen to music in our living room although the band is miles away. This article will investigate and explain the physics and mechanism behind loudspeakers – both electromagnetic and electrostatic. The Physics of Sound To understand how loudspeakers work it is necessary to know some basic sound physics. Sound is essentially a wave produced by a vibrating source. This compression and rarefaction of matter will transfer to the surrounding particles, for instance air molecules. Rhythmic variations in air pressure are therefore created which are detected by the ear and perceived as sound. The frequency of a sound wave is the number of these oscillations that passes through a given point each second. It is the compression of the medium particles that actually constitute a sound wave, and which classifies it as longitudinal. As opposed to transverse waves (eg. light waves), in which case the particles move perpendicular to the direction of the wave movement, the medium particles are moving in the same or opposite direction as the wave (Russell, D. A., 1998). Compression and rarefaction of particles forming sound waves. Retrieved 23/02/14 from Popular Science Monthly Volume 13 What distinguishes sound waves from most other waves is that humans easily can perceive the frequency and amplitude of the wave. The frequency governs the pitch of the note produced, while the amplitude relates to the sound le... ... middle of paper ... ...a wide movement radius and will hence have shorter and more frequent excursions, it is not very effective at generating low-frequency waves. A woofer is therefore often necessary to cover the whole sound spectre. Furthermore, the speakers need to be plugged directly into a power supply, making room placement more difficult (HowStuffWorks.com, 2001). There are also other advantages and disadvantages with both types of loudspeakers, but they tend to be too technical and require too much expertise to be explained in short here. Without regard to price, it can be assumed that the electrostatic speakers paired up with a woofer would be the first choice for audio quality oriented consumers. The light and widespread diaphragm provides clearer and more precise sound reproduction with a greater surround effect than what one would get from standard electromagnetic speakers.
For this assignment, I chose to interview JL Audio cofounder Lucio Proni. JL Audio is a consumer/professional audio manufacturer located in Miramar, Florida that produces speakers for boats, cars, and home sound systems. Lucio Proni is an engineer and cofounder of the company with his high school buddy Jim Birch. During the mid-1970’s when they were on their summer break from the University of Florida, Lucio and Jim decided to mess around with component speakers and wound up building home loudspeakers for fun. They worked out of a garage in Lucios home and showed some of their speakers to their friends and some. Later on, a few of them even bought some, so they built a couple more to sell on the flea market. Lucio’s early success inspired
Lucio Proni is an engineer and cofounded of the company with his high school buddy Jim Birch. During the mid-1970’s when they were on their summer break from the University of Florida, Lucio and Jim decided to mess around with component speakers and wound up building home loudspeakers for fun. They worked out of a garage in Lucios home and showed some of their speakers to their friends and some. Later on, a few of them even bought some, so they built a couple more to sell on the flea market. Lucio’s early success inspired him to start a speaker business so he could make a living from his work. In 1975, he joined fellow business partner and friend, Jim Birch and founded JL Audio; their company name being an amalgamation of the first letters of their names. They didn’t really start out their business with a solid business plan, their early days were instead marked by a lot of trial and error. At first they tried to sell JL Audio products to local audio shops. They found some success doing this since a couple of the loca shops were interested in selling their home speaker systems and kits. In 1977, business became scarce and they encountered financial difficulties as a result. In troubling times like this, it was Jims’s business skills, Lucio’s quality workmanship, and their combined tenacity that got them through it all. As a child, Lucio was given some valuable advice from his father; he said that “if you’re not willing to put your heart into something, then don’t bother doing it”. This work philos...
Leo Fender discussed this dilemma with his technical officer Freddy T. who went to witness one of Dick Dale’s concerts at the Rendezvous Ball room, California. Leo Fender went back to the drawing board to revise the design of his amplifier. A special 85 watt output transformer was created that could handle the wattage Dale desired to play at. This Transformer was able to create the sheer volume and grit that Dale desired. The next problem was that they now needed a speaker that could handle the wattage and not begin to burn from the sheer overload in electrical
Unless you travel into the vacuum of space, sound is all around you every day.. You hear sounds; you don't touch them. But as the vibrations that sound creates in other objects. The idea that something so intangible can lift objects can seem unbelievable, but it's a real phenomenon.
...ype of chain reaction. The pressure wave consists of what is known as compressions and rarefactions. The compression parts are areas of high pressure, where the air molecules are compressed into a small space. On the other hand, the rarefactions are areas of low pressure, where the air molecules are spread out. The result of the compressions and rarefactions is a longitudinal sound wave (Henderson).
Bose Australia. (n.d.). What if music flowed through your home like electricity? SoundTouch Wi-Fi music systems Retrieved from http://worldwide.bose.com/axa/en_au/web/wifi_music_systems/page.html.
Ultrasound is sound waves that have a frequency above human audible. (Ultrasound Physics and Instrument 111). With a shorter wavelength than audible sound, these waves can be directed into a narrow beam that is used in imaging soft tissues. As with audible sound waves, ultrasound waves must have a medium in which to travel and are subject to interference. In addition, much like light rays, they can be reflected, refracted, and focused.
Three coordinate systems are utilized when attempting to locate a specific sound. The azimuth coordinate determines if a sound is located to the left or the right of a listener. The elevation coordinate differentiates between sounds that are up or down relative to the listener. Finally, the distance coordinate determines how far away a sound is from the receiver (Goldstine, 2002). Different aspects of the coordinate systems are also essential to sound localization. For example, when identifying the azimuth in a sound, three acoustic cues are used: spectral cues, interaural time differences (ITD), and interaural level differences (ILD) (Lorenzi, Gatehouse, & Lever, 1999). When dealing with sound localizaton, spectral cues are teh distribution of frequencies reaching teh ear. Brungart and Durlach (1999) (as seen in Shinn-Cunning, Santarelli, & Kopco, 1999) believed that as the ...
The vibration of the strings of a guitar causes the sound wave, but is not actually what you are hearing. The amplification of the sound wave is what is actually heard. The differences in the tension of the stings and the mass of the strings affect the pitch of the sound produced. The ends of each string are nodes, or where the wave does not travel from its initial position. The note you hear from the string is actually the first harmonic of the wave; other harmonics created when plucking a string form the undertones and overtones of a note. The waves on a guitar string are transverse waves, meaning they travel perpendicular to the original position. The waves are also standing waves, because they remain in the same position.
This lab will investigate the properties of mechanical waves such as a longitudinal wave, focusing on the question: Does a change in the frequency of a wave result in a significant and convincing change in the speed of the wave?
... original sound. Many people dislike solid state amps because they do not have the classic tone of a tube amp. The cost of a solid state amp will be on the lower end of the scale. If the player wants the best of both worlds, another type of amp he or she can consider is called a hybrid amp. A hybrid amp will contain both solid state technology and valve technology. Many hybrid amps will have the power come from the solid state section and have the tubes power the sound. The cost of a hybrid amp will be between the cost of a solid state amp and a tube amp.
... middle of paper ... ... Designs, C. & B. 2013. ProSonic Acoustic Cubes -. [online] Available at: http://www.customaudiodesigns.co.uk/acoustic-cubes.htm [Accessed: 1 Dec 2013].
Sound waves take the form of compressional waves and are caused by vibrations. Sound waves are distinguished by their speed, pitch, loudness and quality (timbre) (Lapp, 2003). There are a few parts of sound waves that we should be familiar with to better be able to understand the physics of music. The crest is the highest point of a wave, while the trough is the lowest. The wavelength of a wave is the distance between two adjacent parts of a wave, like from crest to crest, or from trough to trough....
Sound does however perform much more important, intricate and complex functions than commonly accepted. Sound combines with moving pictures in various ways to create meaning but is diverse and has numerous other uses.