There was a discussion about speakers for Ambisonics a few years ago. I can't remember exactly when. But I do seem to recall that it was suggested that speakers having a single axis (e.g. a single, wide-range driver or concentric drivers) would be better than speakers having drivers spread relatively widely over the front plane; also that phase coherence between drivers is important. I have never tried concentric speakers, e.g. Tannoy Dual-Concentric; too expensive for me; but I have been able to collect eight Wharfedale Diamond Pro 8.1 Active speakers for my Ambisonic set-up. They seem to me to be good, but I have not heard a reference Ambisonic set-up to compare them with.
Gerard Lardner On 10/05/2011 01:54, Marc Lavallée wrote: > I found very little information about domestic Ambisonic speakers > setups. All I know is that it's better to use the same speakers and > amplifiers for the whole setup... I adopted the layout proposed by > Bo-Erik Sandholm (10 speakers), and now I have to find the right > speakers. > > Here's some random thoughts (comments are welcome): > > - Speaker design really is an art form; I can't build very good > speakers myself, so eventually I will buy two for my main stereo > system (and they will sound much better than they look). > > - I can build "good enough" speakers based on tutorials and > software. I did it and it's worth the effort. Bass-reflex enclosures > are easier to design and build than quarter-wave enclosures. > > - The frequency response of some good full-range drivers is about > 70Hz-20Khz. They are perfect for near-field listening, and probably > appropriate for a small Ambisonic setup. > > - For Ambisonic reproduction in a small room, I can't afford to buy or > build fancy speakers (like quarter-wave), but I can build many (10+) > speakers using full-range drivers in sealed enclosures. > > - I learned that it's possible to use subwoofers with Ambisonic; but a > minimum of four subwoofers are required with a dedicated FOA decoder. > That's a reason why I'd like to build small enclosures for small > drivers with a limited bass response instead of larger enclosures > with bass extension (either bass-reflex or quarter-wave). > > - Bass reproduction is important for directional cues. It is influenced > by the room response (or modes) and the placement of the subwoofers > (more than their size and quality). > > - Digital room correction and EQ are useful tools; we should use them > instead of looking for speakers with the "best" frequency response. > > Is there any web site (article, book) on how to build speakers > specifically for Ambisonic reproduction? > > -- > Marc _______________________________________________ Sursound mailing list Sursound@music.vt.edu https://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/sursound
