Better Speakers Using Laser-Driven Sound Fields
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 - 12:10
in Physics & Chemistry
Loudspeakers have improved a lot in the last 50 years but one pesky issue has remained; dead spots. Modern oudspeakers can be designed to deliver the full frequency range of audible sound but it is difficult to achieve a smooth frequency output in all directions. Dead spots are caused by deconstructive interference as a result of radiating sound waves overlapping and cancellng each other out. This often happens when the sound is radiating from two or more sources, like in the mid-frequency ranges where both the 'woofer' and 'tweeter' loudspeaker cones are both active. This creates areas where the frequency response of the loudspeaker is less smooth, and sound quality is diminished. read more