A Set Of Illustrations Demonstrating The Science Of Speaker Technology
Technology has advanced over the years but “Sound Waves” still work the same way they have for thousands of years… probably since the creation of air and the evolution of the ear to perceive it.
Speakers may have not been around for thousands of years but they basically work the same as when they were invented. In fact not much has really changed in their basic design. Sure, new materials and manufacturing processes have been introduced along with tighter tolerances but for the most part they still function the same way.
Being a geeky kid that loved audio, music, equipment, electronics… and Rock n Roll, I was very lucky growing up. Our family owned a speaker manufacturing company and the Gregsons were involved in the success of Tandy and Radio Shack, my Dad and Uncles worked for Charles Tandy and were personal friends. So you can guess as a kid I had some interesting Christmas mornings not to mention that my off time was spent hanging around Radio Shack storerooms and warehouses. Later I spent a lot of time at our speaker factory and around a very interesting team of individuals, from audio engineers and musicians to electronic experts and wood craftsmen.
It was standard procedure to “Check out the inerts” of a new driver series and it was a great thrill to get to surgically use a razor knife to cut open a speaker and explore its construction. Also when we fried them it was fun to rip them open to check out the damage. I quickly learned how a speaker worked from the inside out and took it upon myself to do my own tests to push them to the limits… including testing my theory of AC outlets at 60hz. Never connect an extension cord to speaker terminals, plug it into the wall and hit the light switch. But that’s how we learn right?
Or you can explore these fantastic animated graphics that do an incredible job of demonstrating how speakers work and create sound waves. Plus there is less smoke and fire and no need for extinguishers.
